Madhav Prasad Dahal

Tribhuvan University (TU), the country’s oldest university, has been subject to interferences from different quarters time and again. Sometimes the hurdle comes from the university staff, and occasionally it gets shut due to protests carried out by students and sister organisations of different political parties. Quiet recently, the TU administrative rooms have been padlocked for more than a month due to the protest of TU part-time teachers, the contract teachers and the students. As the Vice Chancellor, Rector and Registrar have been barricaded to execute their everyday roles and responsibilities, important daily operations, the long-term planning, implementation, and supervisions have come to a halt.

The part-time teachers who have been serving at TU for more than a dozen years have asked to appoint them as full timers. Similarly, the teachers working on a contract basis at TU for more than two decades have also demanded that they be given permanent status through internal competition. The media have reported that the university has agreed in several negotiations to appoint all part-time teachers who have served at TU at least for more than a year. Likewise, it has also reportedly agreed to make contract teachers permanent through an internal competition. The students on the other hand have objected to the agreements, citing that a large number of eligible candidates will be deprived of the opportunity to apply and contest for the post of TU teachers if the part-time and the contract teachers get appointed without open competition.

Due incentives
The TU’s teaching staff must get due incentives if they are expected to deliver a sound service. A longstanding uncertainty makes the profession of teachers insecure. Qualified persons certainly deserve a fair treatment from the university. The part-time and contract teachers of TU should not be the victim of power sharing culture. The present TU’s leadership should improve the field of academia by convincing the political parties to keep the university free from political interference. It should announce vacancies in time when new posts remain vacant. This would maintain the standard and enhance credibility of university. Hiring part-time teachers and making them work for years for nominal wages has made the problem complex.

To solve this problem, TU should either stop letting constituent campuses appoint part-time teachers or it should have consistent provision of addressing their cases. Similarly, for teachers working on the contract basis, TU Service Commission, without compromising the university standard, should provide them chances to appear in the exam before they are sent home.
The students’ protests over the demand of the TU part-time and contract teachers are not otherwise. When they see a bleak future in the field from where they are likely to start their career, it is natural for them to show their concern. The TU authorities need to resolve this problem, instilling a sense of hope and confidence in the students. As students are the pillars of the nation, they should not be harassed.

If the protests and strikes of teachers and students spoil the TU’s academic environment, this will have negative repercussions for the entire higher education of the country. As the double padlocks are hanging on the Vice Chancellor, Registrar and Rector’s offices, TU has not been able to bring its academic calendar into effect. If it prolongs, the university is sure to lose its positive image and credibility nationally and internationally. It should not last longer. As the executive head, the Vice Chancellor must take an initiative to resolve the present problem. He must invite all protesting groups to the negotiating table. We must seek solution in a way that is win-win for all.

Determination
The present problem is not a new one in the TU. The university has often been a place where different interest groups are interfering in it. It is wrong to resort to the language of threat and force to meet one’s own demands. The VC must show a strong determination to fight against such anomalies besetting the university. If the VC focuses on academic standards, the university will regain its confidence and credibility. To maintain and enhance quality, it is crucial for any institution to keep it out of external interference. The appointments at TU’s vital posts should be made on a basis of uniform standard. If an educational institution is run ignoring the accepted rules and regulations, it has detrimental impact on overall education system. We now need a new University Act that can free Tribhuvan University from political interferences. The power sharing practice, whoever started it at TU, goes against the academic norms and values.

The university must not allow political organisations to spoil it academic atmosphere. Motivating students to work hard for academic excellence, the university must make itself a hub of study, research and innovation to lead the society on the path of development. It should introduce new academic programmes equipped with modern technology as per the need of time. TU should strive to raise the standards on a par with globally renowned universities, which would enable it to attain public trust, avoid undue interferences and run academic activities smoothly.

(The author is an Associate Professor at TU. mpdahal067@gmail.com)