Stemming TU’s Fast-paced Decline

Tribhuvan University (TU) can arrest its fast-paced decline if appropriate reforms are mulled, introduced and implemented in an effective manner. The new Vice Chancellor (VC) and his team have started to bring about some changes in the routine functions of the university though they look very nominal. TU calendar of operation is reworked and being reintroduced to ensure that exam results were published within sixty days of holding the tests.  Another important reform in the offing is the formulation of guidelines to appoint the academic officials including deans, campus chiefs which will, according to the new provision, will be selected on merit basis.  

Needless to say, these academic authorities have been yet far recruited on the basis of party affiliation through negotiated spoil sharing (Bhag Banda). This guideline, if implemented in its letter and spirit, will help to curb the menace of politics in the academic institutions to a greater extent. In fact, partisan politics has seeped into the body politic of our academic institutions.  Both students and teachers are in a way indoctrinated and have maintained their affiliation with political parties. 

The students tend to indulge in padlocking the offices of the TU executives and administrators and carry out disruptive actions that undermine the sanctity of the academic institutions. There was a time in the past when offices of the TU executives had been padlocked for over five months for no rhyme and reason.  As party politics has deeply engrained, it has posed difficulties to carry out necessary improvements in the structure and functions of the university for fear of unwarranted opposition and resistance.  

Sanctity of exams

Needless to say, the internal academic control, discipline and integrity has been severely compromised. Even the minimum rigour and sanctity of exams have not been maintained. That have provoked outrage of the academic community and country's intelligentsia. It needs to be mentioned that the TU Service Commission's image had taken a beating in the past due to alleged widely reported compromise on the exam ethics and integrity during the previous years.  Similarly, TU's exams have frequently failed to be held as scheduled and keep reasonable standard of care.

In this context, this writer would like to recall the meeting he had with the former TU Vice Chancellor Dr. Tirtha Khaniya who was appointed TU chief immediately after promulgation of new democratic constitution in 2015.  He had also expressed commitments as his successor VCs have reportedly done time and again to improve the academic environment through some functional reforms. But results yielded during his tenure indicate that he was not successful to improve the academic ecosystem of the university.  The immediate past VC Dr. Dharma Kanta Banskota could not do much because of the political resistance he encountered in the university. He was frank enough to publicly criticise the political meddling in the academic affairs of the university. 

Though the incumbent VC Prof. Dr. Keshar Jung Baral may not be a politically identified person, his access to levers of political power and cozying up with the previous government executives had allegedly been instrumental for his appointment to the position, even though he was selected though competition. When VC or other apex level officials are appointed due to his or her political affiliation, students and teachers loyal to the rival parties resort to disruptive acts even on the slightest of provocation. The offices of registrar and rector get padlocked, creating obstructions in carrying out routine and regular functions of the higher seat of education. 

For the last several years, none of the demands put forth by striking teachers and students have any relations with reforming academic environment and management of the university. Moreover, at a time when the nation as well as entire education sector had been badly battered by COVID-19 pandemic and educational institutions had been shut down for almost a year, teachers had put forth several demands that could add resource load and  strain on the academic activities. 

Partisan politics

 In fact, the university teachers had got freed from their routine work to physically report, teach, interact with students and handle assignment accordingly due to prolonged shutdown caused by the pandemic. Admit it or not, whichever party holds the reins of the government, the partisan politics has defined and dictated the destiny of the TU for long. There is a pressing need to cleanse the academic institutions off politics and allow them to exercise more autonomy and make it accountable to its performance. According to the provision of law, the prime minister, by virtue of his official capacity as the executive head of the government, becomes the chancellor of the public or government-aided universities. It is a continuation of the previous practices and traditions that was set since when the university was established. 

Today as the country has become federal democratic republic which calls for an independent robust academic institutions to respond to the imperatives of the new political milieu, time has come to review the provision that vests in the prime minister the role of chancellor. As public universities and campuses are indiscriminately politicised, public intellectuals and educationists articulate the need to separate academics and politics and protect the sanctity and integrity of the academic institutions. The trade unionism that has made inroads into the realm of both teachers and students should be properly regulated and managed. Unless this is done in an earnest manner, our public institution of learning will rot in no time.  

(The author is presently associated with Policy Research Institute (PRI) as a senior research fellow.  rijalmukti@gmail.com)