Kathmandu - There was news in Gorkhapatra about the increasing attraction of foreign students in Nepal. One hundred and fifty-seven students from countries including China, India, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Myanmar, Japan, Malaysia, and Taiwan are studying at Lumbini Buddhist University. According to news, the number of foreign students enrolling to study Buddhist philosophy and related subjects is increasing. The Scholars Exchange Service Center under the Ministry of Education of China has recognized and listed degrees obtained from Lumbini Buddhist University, the news came. Just two weeks ago, Kathmandu University (KU) had 2,209 students initiated into its 31st convocation, including 196 foreign students from Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Britain, India, Japan, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, Namibia, Russia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, the United States and Vietnam. 

This is a ray of sunshine to indicate that Nepal’s education system is not all that bad as publicly talks about although these can be some oases rather than a normal terrain. It certainly points out an opportunity. It can go beyond academics to economics. It may also work as a lever for improvement. The cumbersome provision that requires Nepali universities and educational institutions to seek approval from the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Home Affairs for visa because there is no clear policy for bringing in foreign students. People coming to study in Nepal are compelled to come on a tourist visa. The cumbersome provision of applying for a student visa only after enrolling in a university under the pretext of visiting Nepal still remains in place. 

Every Minister talks about making Nepal an educational hub, but they are not interested in setting up a system to bring foreign students. There is a provision that a person coming on a tourist visa can only obtain a student visa after being admitted to a university and must obtain the consent of bodies under the Ministry of Education and Home Affairs. Applying before coming to Nepal is not dependable.  Nepal cannot bring foreign students in large numbers unless there is a credible system for applying to universities, enrolling in them, and obtaining visas from abroad. Of course, a robust system is necessary to make sure that such students do come for academic purpose not for something else !   

Tribhuvan University's (TU) 51st convocation ceremony is to be held the Nobel Prize laureate Japanese professor Takaaki Kajita as the guest of honor, the news came. Mr Kajita received the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physics. According to the news, a total of 16,300 students, and with their parent total 41,000 will participate in this year's convocation ceremony.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology (MoEST) has issued a notice after complaints of Nepali students being cheated in foreign universities and colleges, to look at rankings and official status when choosing to study at foreign educational institutions. The MoEST attention has drawn to serious complaints that educational institutions are fake, that the physical facilities of universities and colleges are not conducive for education, and that they have been intentionally cheated, the news quoted.

Minister of MoEST Mahabir Pun has said that there is a need to end partisan interference and bring in non-partisan and qualified individuals to lead the country's universities. At a program organized by the Nepal Academy of Higher Education, Minister Pun expressed the view that it is imperative to appoint people with qualifications, honesty, and independent decision-making ability to the positions of Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor of universities rather than party affiliation, mentioned the news.

An expert group has made recommendations to the Government expanding the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) to the provincial and local levels in accordance with federalism and immediately start to begin closing or merging schools and colleges with low student numbers. The CTEVT Restructuring Task Force, formed under the coordination of former Vice Chancellor of Kathmandu University Suresh Raj Sharma, has pointed out that educational institutions should be closed or merged by setting standards, mentioned the news. The task force has recommended that colleges that have had less than 25 percent of their capacity for three years be closed or merged.

Bagmati Province Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya has said that the Provincial Government now wants to implement an 'education with skill' policy, commenting that the previous education system produced a large number of non-technical human resources, in the agreement program with the affiliated colleges of Bagmati Province University, there was the news. Bagmati Province University has formally signed an agreement to operate five campuses Bhuwani Shankar, Janamaitri, Kapan Campus, Chaitanya and Madi as constituent campuses.

Insistence in vocational education is not new and the concerned leaders repeat the phrase over and again. It should be noted that 

a) Young people are able to get better pays for the work abroad, 

b) A mindset and dexterity starts in primary grades and 

c) Manual jobs has a social taboo. 

The newsmakers are better off for reiterate the message rather than spewing endless slogans such as above. It is clear that the leaders and their associates are not capable of assessing the situation deeply and widely enough.  

Applications have been invited for the vacant post of Vice-Chancellor at Gandaki University, which is run by the Provincial Government. The Vice Chancellor selection process will be carried out according to a separate procedure prepared by the committee formed to recommend the Vice Chancellor. According to news, the provincial government has recently amended the University Act, further tightening the qualifications required for the post of Vice-Chancellor. According to the Amended Act, a candidate for the position of Vice-Chancellor must have a PhD degree, be 40 years of age, and have at least 8 years of work experience in the relevant field.

The Dasharath Chand University of Health Sciences, which is set to open in Geta, Kailali, has called for applications for the third time, there was the news. The Ministry had first asked for applications for the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor on November 2, 2025 setting a deadline of 15 days. After no one applied during that period, a second call for applications was issued with a deadline of 5 days. The second deadline expired on November 21 (Friday).

Launching the satellite, made by marginalized Chepang students studying in two schools in Khairhani Municipality in eastern Chitwan, has been successful, there was the news. Nine Chepang students from Navodaya School and Antyodaya Janajati Residential Secondary School in Khairhani Municipality-1 launched the satellite named 'Slipper to Sat' from China's 'Kinetic One' rocket, mentioned the news.

Some 40 schools operating in Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) have changed their names to reflect Nepali identity. The KMC Education Department had issued a notice that the school should change its name in accordance with the KMC directives.

KMC has instructed its subordinate schools not to shave students' heads indiscriminately on the pretext of having long hair. The Metropolis Department of Education has issued a circular warning all public and private schools to refrain from any behavior that could cause mental torture to students.

The government has begun the process of revising Social Studies textbooks for grades 5, 8, and 10. Yubaraj Poudel, Director General of the Curriculum Development Center, informed that these new revised books will be implemented from 2084 BS, the news mentioned.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) has filed a case in a special court against Dhaniklal Thakur, the Head Teacher of Shankar Janata Secondary School in Duhavi, Bideha Municipality, Dhanusha. According to the news, Claims of embezzlement of funds in the establishment of ICT labs in fiscal year 2078/079 and in the establishment of IT labs in schools and strengthening of digital libraries under the President's Educational Reform Program of fiscal year 2079/080 the CIAA has filed a case. The CIAA has filed a case against Principal Thakur and then accountant Arun Kumar Kushiyat in the special court, seeking a fine of Rs. 862,152 each, the news mentioned.

In an article published in Gorkhapatra, Dhansudan Chaulagain wrote that the provision of using local food items for midday meals that enables children to have fresh and healthy meals and also contributes to the growth of the local economy.

Dr. Devi Prasad Acharya wrote in Gorkhapatra under the title Education, the Original Source of Knowledge, that although education functions in different dimensions in human life, its main function is to broaden people's thinking.

Sudarshan Adhikari wrote in Gorkhapatra that approximately 90 percent of the money allocated for education is spent on teachers' salaries, and that schools lack libraries, computer labs, and classrooms with technical facilities.

Dr. Rudra Sharma has been elected as the chairperson of the board of directors of Dilibazar Kanya Multiple Campus.

The campus general assembly has elected a 25-member board of directors, including prominent figures from society, under the chairmanship of Dr. Sharma, there was the news.

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 13-19 Dec 2025 in this issue and this often is the translated version of Nepali edition - The Editor.

Read this analysis in Nepali : नेपालमा बढ्दै विदेशी विद्यार्थी, नीतिगत उल्झन् कायमै

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