Reasons Behind Support and Opposition to Balen Shah Government’s Decision to Remove Student Organizations from Educational Institutions
The new government led by the Rastriya Swatantra Party has initiated intense debates regarding the removal of student political organizations from educational institutions and the justification for this move.
This is not a new issue. Questions regarding student politics in educational institutions have been raised repeatedly, especially under previous governments led by various parties.
Criticism intensified as the Independent Students Union (SWVU) had not held elections for a long time and student organizations and leaders were often accused of focusing less on educational reforms and more on controversial activities.
Following Balen Shah becoming prime minister, the Rastriya Swatantra Party government has moved forward to dismantle student political organization structures within educational institutions, a decision opposed by opposition parties and the three major student organizations.
This issue is cited under point 86 out of 100 in the government’s administrative reform agenda.
“To eliminate partisan interference in the education sector, address the problem of not hearing the genuine voice of students, and curb the decline in educational quality, the goal is to remove structures of partisan student organizations from schools and universities within 60 days and develop student councils or ‘Voice of Student’ mechanisms within 90 days.”
Government Moves Forward
Image source, Reuters
The government appears active in implementing this plan. Minister of Education, Science and Technology, Sasmit Pokharel, met with university vice-chancellors and the Chairman of the University Grants Commission on Ashwin 20.
Following news that the University Coordination Committee decided to remove student organization structures, student leaders and political party representatives have voiced opposition.
Prime Minister Shah reportedly gave similar directives during discussions with vice-chancellors on Monday.
His office stated that Shah emphasized that no politics should be conducted in educational institutions under any pretext and that removing partisan organizational structures has no legal obstacles.
Vice-Chancellor of Nepal Sanskrit University, Prof. Dr. Dhaneshwar Nepal, complained about facing threats and attacks when attempting to remove student organization structures, expressing concerns about security.
“PM Shah instructed to immediately inform the concerned ministry or secretariat if any security issues arise during the removal of political organization structures,” the secretariat reportedly stated.
The government has declared that ‘no political flags, influence, or organizations of any party will be allowed in sacred places such as hospitals, campuses, and schools,’ adding that those wishing to engage in politics must separate fully from their professional responsibilities.
It has also been announced that student organizations will not be allocated rooms, buildings, or land to operate.
However, the Nepal Student Union (NSU), affiliated with the Nepali Congress, states that there is no formal legal or policy provision to provide office space, land, or buildings, nor is there any practice of doing so officially.
Some leaders acknowledge that office spaces are effectively under their control.
Central member of Nepal Student Union, Ashish Devkota, said, “Traditional practices of universities leasing spaces or placing boards may have shortcomings, and removing these may be justified, but any attempt to suppress student politics is wrong.”
Due to unclear government plans, there is growing perception that the aim is to ban student organizations or politics and dismantle the SWVU structure.
Even if the name changes, the nature of SWVU is expected to remain the same.
Image source, EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Are Peers and Teachers Also Troubled by Student Politics?
Former Vice-Chancellor of Mid-Western University, Nand Bahadur Singh, believes that while councils might exist, a common platform for students will still survive.
He states that after the political change of 2046 BS, it was a mistake for political parties to spread their student organizations within educational institutions.
“Students may hold political beliefs and engage in politics outside, but political ideology-based organizations inside educational institutions impact educational quality negatively; students should focus on educational reforms, not on leading as party representatives,” Singh said.
He also mentioned that student leaders generally prioritized political interests over educational reforms and lacked support for educational improvements. He was appointed vice-chancellor during Oli’s premiership.
“I was appointed after open competition, making it to the top three applicants. I used to say that political views are acceptable but carrying a party’s burden and degrading university standards is not tolerable. I tried to implement this under Oli, Prachanda, and Deuba but could not succeed,” he said.
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Previously, student organizations and leaders would disrupt academic activities including closing offices and assaulting university officials or professors.
These disturbances affected exams and studies, often impacting fellow students adversely.
Students have also frequently staged protests demanding timely publication of exam results.
According to former Vice-Chancellor Singh, over the past one and a half decades, millions of students have gone to more than 70 countries to study nearly 60 subjects.
“Due to extreme politicization, declining educational quality, and delayed exam results, the trend of students going abroad has increased,” he said. “Unable to remove partisan politics from educational institutions, political parties like Congress, UML, and Maoist also prevent student organizations in private campuses.”
Student Leaders Acknowledge Their Weaknesses
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Nepal Student Union leader Ashish Devkota admits that student organizations have brought their roles into question.
He cites that in the last SWVU election, only 50% of students voted, illustrating that these organizations have failed to represent the full student body.
“Student organizations have engaged in party politics leading to extreme distortions and anomalies; we must accept this. However, ending student politics is not the solution,” he says. “Removing partisan interference and making it organized, transparent, and accountable is necessary to focus on educational reforms and student interests.”
Former Vice-Chancellor Singh shares his experience that student organizations often exceed their jurisdiction.
“Students, staff, and professor unions pressure appointments of campus chiefs, officers, and faculty; I resisted this. As a result, I was accused of corruption, but no charges were proven. Instead, 132 cases were filed against me.”
However, Devkota expresses skepticism about the government’s intentions, understanding that the government seeks to weaken not only student organizations but also the SWVU’s provisions.
“Yes, parties have directly interfered and some student organizations are involved in corruption and collusion, weakening education. But by replacing SWVU with a council, the government is trying to strengthen its own party’s control while suppressing others. This is a failure and a wrong step,” he said.