Prime Minister Balen Shah held a discussion with the Vice Chancellors of various universities and academies today at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers in Singha Durbar, focusing on strengthening higher education, institutional reforms, and addressing contemporary challenges faced by academic institutions.
In a decisive move to depoliticize academia and healthcare, Prime Minister Balendra Shah issued a firm mandate to Vice-Chancellors today: dismantle all partisan student and staff unions within universities and medical institutions immediately.
While university heads noted a natural decline in political activism following the recent Gen Z-led movements and elections, the Prime Minister emphasized that "passive" decline is not enough. He advocated for a total "purification" of these spaces, asserting that:
- Sacred Environments: Hospitals and educational institutions must remain neutral zones, entirely free from the influence of party flags or political agendas.
- Professional Integrity: Those more committed to party politics than their academic or clinical duties should step down and pursue a full-time political career rather than compromising professional standards.
The dialogue brought together a broad spectrum of the country’s academic leadership.
From major universities, Vice Chancellors of Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu University, Purbanchal University, Pokhara University, and Lumbini Buddhist University participated in the meeting.
Similarly, representatives from Nepal Sanskrit University, Sudurpaschim University, Mid-Western University, Agriculture and Forestry University, Rajarshi Janak University, and Shahid Dashrath Chand University of Health Sciences were also present.
The meeting also included leadership from key academies and institutes such as the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), National Academy of Medical Sciences (NAMS), Patan Academy of Health Sciences, and B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences.
In addition, Vice Chancellors of provincial health academies, including Karnali, Pokhara, and Rapti Academies of Health Sciences, took part in the discussion.
According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the session is part of a broader government initiative aimed at modernizing the academic calendar and improving the quality of research and education across the country.
As part of the government’s 100-point governance reform agenda, discussions also included proposals to remove student political organizations from university premises and replace the Student Union (SWV) with a Student Council or “Voice of Students.”
The Prime Minister also serves as the Chancellor of all public universities in Nepal.
