The news of appointment of a new VC of TU and its budget for next year got priority in the media last week.

Kathmandu - Prof. Dr. Deepak Aryal has been appointed as the Vice-Chancellor (VC) nearly four months after the then VC resigned from the post at the Tribhuvan University (TU), there was the news. The then VC, Prof. Dr. Keshar Jung Baral, had resigned, citing political pressure as an obstacle to his work. Prof. Dr. Aryal is the former head of the Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology at TU.

A committee formed last month, under the coordination of Education Minister MR. Raghuji Pant, comprising National Planning Commission member Ms. Geeta Adhikari-Poudel and the Secretary of the Ministry of Education, had recommended the names of Prof. Dr. Khadga KC, Prof. Dr. Vinil Aryal, and Prof. Dr. Deepak Aryal. Prof Aryal entered TU as a Teaching Assistant in 1995 and became the head of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and the University Grants Commission later on becoming a professor in 2019 and an Academician at Nepal Academy of Science and Technology in 2021, mentioned the news.

Mr. Aryal, who holds a doctorate in hailstones and water, is an expert in air pollution. According to the news, his main plans are to change the university's curriculum, bring more foreign students to TU, and turn TU into a research center and he will face lockdowns and strikes in TU.

Student organizations close to the Nepali Congress (NC) and the Maoist Centre began protesting immediately after Mr. Aryal took the office, the news came.

The Public Policy and Delegated Legislation Committee of the National Assembly has drawn the attention of the government to move forward with the process of enacting the act, as the situation at TU is degrading and it is necessary to promulgate a new act to address it. The Committee presented a study report on the status of the implementation of delegated legislation made under the University Act, 2049, in 2081 Assembly. The Executive Council of TU so far has formulated and implemented 35 university rules, 16 procedures, 17 directives, and 19 operating procedures, the report of the committee mentioned. The Committee concluded that a new act is needed because these rules and procedures created by TU have caused problems, quoted the news.

TU has allocated a budget of US$ 204.2 million for the upcoming fiscal year 2082/083. The day after the appointment of the new VC, the TU Assembly, held at the Prime Minister's residence in Baluwatar, passed the budget presented by Registrar Prof. Dr. Kedar Prasad Rijal, mentioned the news. 49.39 percent of the funding comes from TU's own resources and 50.61 percent comes from the government, the news quoted. In the budget, TU has stated that it will continue its policy of revising existing curricula to adopt new market-demanded subjects timely and research. Priority has been given in the budget to develop curricula in the framework of profession oriented programs in various subjects of institutes and faculties and to arrange for skill-enhancing training for professors.

Even though TU brought the budget, the Chancellor and Premier Oli intervened and stopped the policies and programs, there was the news. Mr. Oli had also stopped the policies and programs that the then VC Baral had prepared to present for the fiscal year 2081/082 who was appointed against his wishes. Premier Oli was furious after Baral formulated policies and programs based on the recommendations of the high-level National Education Commission's Report, which he himself had hidden (not published) when he was the Prime Minister last time, mentioned the news.

पढ्नुहोस् त्यो खबर : प्रधानमन्त्रीको दवावमा अन्तिम समयमा रोकियो नीति तथा कार्यक्रम

Mr. Oli has overridden the tradition of appointing the VC on the basis of competition, started some time ago. The appointment of the 21st VC of TU by Chancellor and Premier KP Oli has shown that the government has no regards to a competition but his vested interests. Only the time will tell how qualified the newly appointed VC is. This appointment appears to continue the ongoing partisanship in the university and keep the problems at TU as they are. This appointment is most likely to provide a good excuse to oppose to unions affiliated to other parties and hinder Aryal's plans of reform of the University. Even though Chancellor Oli may have appeased the cadres by appointing a loyal in TU which should have been a center of academic excellence, he is putting TU in a state of hopelessness.

Of course, the blame doesn't fall solely on the appointer. It is not like a  leader has awarded the ward construction contract to his workers. It is the greed for power by a scientist, a professor, an intellectual – one of the most seniors in the country. It is probably a branding of partisan slavery consciously accepted to put on one’s forehead. Unless such intellectuals have a little self-respect and conscience, it is not blaming the leaders alone does not make sense. Leaders will ride and whip these so-called professors as long as they allow to make a horse. This is already evident in the budget without a program.

Certainly Prof Arayal should not have been appointed because he is a son of the famous satirist late Mr Bhairav Aryal. Even that identity could not remain hidden. It has also tarnished the reputation of his late father. In any case, he can remain a VC for the full term as long as this kind of power cartel continues. There is an opportunity to restore reputation by doing well in the job and wash away any taints he may have been inflicted with.

Similarly, the 25th general assembly meeting of Pokhara University has approved the policies and programs, including the budget for the upcoming fiscal year. A meeting held at the Prime Minister's residence, Baluwatar, chaired by Prime Minister and Chancellor Oli, approved a budget of US$ 11.2 million for the upcoming fiscal year 2082/83, the news published. The meeting amended various regulations, including the University's Teacher Staff Regulations, 1999, and Financial Regulations, 1999, and the Service Commission and Appeals Committee Regulations, 2001, the news quoted.

Karnali's Social Development Minister Mr. Ghanashyam Bhandari said that the budget for education has been increased because the final results of Karnali's School Education Exam (SEE) have improved significantly compared to the previous year, but the national rate has yet to meet. According to the news, US$ 726,00 thousand has been allocated for the SEE preparation program. Karnali has improved its SEE results by 14 percent compared to the previous year. In the 2080 SEE, the pass rate in Karnali was 42 percent, but this time it has improved by 14 percentage points to 56.78, the news published in the Gorakhapatra Daily. Karnali is still five percent below the national average.

The impact of the distance learning program run by the Education and Human Resource Development Center (CEHRD) through Nepal Television has led to an improvement in SEE results. Although the program broadcast on television did not have an impact in remote areas however the news broadcast on NTV claims that it had an impact in urban areas.

Increasing investment in education is a step to be welcomed. However, the investment made without determining whether to implement reforms at the top or from the bottom does not seem justified. It does not make sense to invest at once in Grade 10 without improving learning from the early grades. Stakeholders are concerned about why the investment allocated by the provincial government has not been properly considered from the initial stage. The clutches of financial interests in the name of SEE are frightening.

Discussions have not progressed even within the time given by the Education, Science and Technology Committee of the House of Representatives to reach to a consensus on the School Education Bill. According to the news, although the agenda of the Committee meeting on 6 July 2025 was to finalize the Bill, the meeting was postponed indefinitely after NC MP Shyam Kumar Ghimire expressed disagreement with the evaluation score for periodic promotion of teachers. Earlier, on 30 June, the Bill was blocked from passing due to the need to seek an agreement with the Nepal Teacher Federation on making temporary, relief, and contract teacher permanent through internal competition.

The technical stream of Bachauli Secondary School (SS) in Sauraha, East Chitwan, Ratnagar Municipality, offers a three-year diploma in hotel management, a two-year apprenticeship (industrial trainee), and 10-month professional cook training, has excelled in implementing technical education, came the news. While technical education programs in five other public schools in Ratnanagar are on the verge of being closed due to lack of students, Bachauli SS has excelled in technical education and has received awards and honors from the Ministry of Social Development of Bagmati Province.

Laxmi Sapkota wrote in Gorkhapatra that the results of some public schools may indicate that public schools may be excellent. Shrisha Bista wrote an article in The Himalayan Times that strong leadership is crucial for the success of any school.

Shanti Krishna Adhikari also wrote in Gorkhapatra about the quality of education, saying that if the effects of political partisanship, that is plaguing universities to schools, can be eliminated, the quality of education will improve.

Narayan Bhandari wrote an article in an Onlinekhabar portal that there is great potential for 'branding' and internationalizing higher education by utilizing Nepal's geographical, social, and cultural characteristics.

Dr. Kishore Upreti wrote about children getting sick when they are sent to school at early age, the body's immunity has not yet developed to the level it should, so there is a slightly higher chance of catching a communicable disease  called 'daycare syndrome'.

Sumitra Luitel wrote an article in the Onlinekhabar that 'harsh talk' in the classroom is a reason for lowering student morale. The article points out that when teachers use derogatory words to students in the class, it weakens their confidence and has long-term psychological effects.

Katunje SS of Sunkoshi Rural Municipality of Okhaldhunga, has launched a smart attendance technology that informs parents at home when students make attendance at the school, the news came. 

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority has filed a corruption case against nine people, including the then District Education Officer of Khotang, Ganesh Bhattarai and Bal Krishna Chapagain. The Authority claims that the construction of the Shree Janata Higher SS building in Diprung Chuichumma Rural Municipality has not been completed as per the payment received, the news published. Similarly, Janak Budha, the Chairperson of the management committee of Annapurna SS in Dolpa and the Head Teacher including 14 people have  been charged with corruption for awarding the contract to the company of the ward chairperson's wife instead of awarding the contract to a competitive contractor who had bid for less than the contract awarded.

28 students of Kathmandu Naxal Central Deaf SS have received graded scores in SEE. 380 students are studying at the school.

The Bagmati Province government is establishing Siddhi Binayak SS in Bharatpur Metropolitan City and Janajyoti SS in Fosretar, Sindhuli, and building physical infrastructure to provide education to children with intellectual disabilities in the districts surrounding Chitwan and Sindhuli, the news published.

Purpose of this news review is to classify and synthesize the educational content of the week and provide objective comments from the point of view of social justice and creative pedagogy including the environment. It is aimed to the policy makers and stakeholders to help make informed decisions. In this joint effort of the Center for Educational Policies and Practices (CEPP) and EduKhabar, material from daily newspapers - Kantipur, Gorkhapatra and The Himalayan Times, online news portals - Online Khabar, Setopati and Ratopati and the 8 o'clock news of Nepal Television and 7 o'clock news of Himalaya Television is summarized and presented with commentary on relevant issues. We have covered the contents from 5 - 11 July 2025 in this issue - The Editor.

Read this analysis in Nepali : फेरी नीति तथा कार्यक्रम बिना बजेट 

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