KATHMANDU:- Prime Minister Balendra Shah has directed University Vice-chancellors to immediately implement the government’s decision to remove the structures of political party-aligned student and employees’ associations in universities and academic institutions in the health sector.

During an interaction with the VCs at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers today, Prime Minister Shah, who also serves as the Chancellor of various public universities, said that no law would be an obstacle to removing the structures of student and employee organisations affiliated with political parties.

The Prime Minister was of the view that politics should not be allowed in institutions like hospitals, campuses and schools. If anyone really wants to indulge in politics, they should separate themselves from their professional responsibilities and fully engage in politics.

During the discussion, the Vice-Chancellors said that students’ political activities have slowed down after the Gen Z movement and the March 5 elections, and initiatives are being taken to root out such organisations.

Nepal Sanskrit University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Dhaneshwor Nepal, however, complained of having to endure threats when efforts were made to remove party-aligned students’ organisations as per the instructions of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

In response, Prime Minister Shah instructed that if any security or other problems arise while dissolving any political student and employee organisation, they should immediately inform the concerned ministry or his secretariat.

During the discussion, Minister for Education, Science and Technology Sasmit Pokharel made it clear that what we are trying to abolish immediately is student organisations affiliated with political parties, not organisations like the independent student union that voice for the students.

During the discussion, Tribhuvan University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Deepak Aryal said that student and employee organisations have become inactive after the Gen Z movement and the elections.

Madhyampaschim University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Dhruv Kumar Gautam also said that the political activities of students and employees have been on the decline in his university recently.

Purbanchal University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Biju Kumar Thapaliya said that student groups are engaging in politics in its constituent campuses. Vice Chancellors of other universities and institutes, however, stated that students and employees in their institutions are away from political activities.

They expressed the view that if universities and institutes present themselves strictly, there will be no politics under any pretext.

The government’s 100-point agenda on governance reform mentions the removal of party-affiliated student organisation structures from schools and universities to address the problem of party interference in the education sector, failure to hear the real voice of students, and decline in educational quality. RSS