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 debate regarding the issue of student politics within educational institutions and its justification. This is not a new topic; questions have previously been raised during different administrations. The absence of long-delayed elections for the Free Student Union (FSU) and accusations that student organizations and leaders focus less on educational reforms and more on controversial activities have fueled scrutiny.

Since Prime Minister Balen Shah took office, and the RSP government moved forward with dismantling the structure of student organizations in academic institutions, opposition parties and the three major student groups have voiced their dissent. This matter is highlighted as Item 86 out of 100 points in the government’s governance reform agenda, which states: “To eliminate partisan interference in education, address the problem of ignoring the true voice of students, and resolve the deterioration in educational quality, remove the structures of party-affiliated student organizations from schools and universities within 60 days and develop student councils or voice-of-student mechanisms within 90 days.”

The government has been proactive in implementing this policy. On March 20, Education, Science, and Technology Minister Sasmit Pokharel held a meeting with the Chairman of the University Grants Commission and Vice Chancellors of universities. Following reports that the University Coordination Committee decided to remove student organization structures, student leaders and political party representatives protested. It was also reported that Prime Minister Shah conveyed similar directives during a discussion with Vice Chancellors on Monday. According to his office, Prime Minister Shah emphasized that there should be no politics under any pretext within educational institutions and that there are no legal obstacles to removing party-affiliated student organization structures. However, Professor Dr. Dhaneshwar Nepal, Vice Chancellor of Nepal Sanskrit University, expressed concern about threats and attacks he faced after attempting to remove student organizations’ structures. The Prime Minister instructed that any security issues arising from eliminating such political structures must be immediately reported to the relevant ministry or secretariat.

The government has declared that “no political party’s flag, influence, or organization will be allowed in hallowed spaces such as hospitals, campuses, and schools,” and advised that if individuals want to engage in politics, they must separate themselves entirely from professional responsibilities and commit fully to politics. Furthermore, the government decided not to provide student organizations with office spaces, rooms, or land for operations. However, the Nepal Student Union (NSU), affiliated with the Nepali Congress, claims there is no legal or policy framework nor existing practice to formally allocate office premises to student groups. Some leaders acknowledge that they currently control their offices. NSU central committee member Ashish Devkota commented, “While universities may have outdated practices such as renting space or displaying boards, their removal is acceptable, but attempts to weaken student politics are misguided.”

The government’s unclear communication about its plans has fueled perceptions that it intends to ban student organizations or politics altogether and dissolve the FSU’s structure. Although the name might change, the federation’s fundamental nature is expected to remain intact. Are fellow students and teachers also troubled by student political activities? Former Vice Chancellor of Mid-Western University, Nand Bahadur Singh, opines that even if councils are formed, a common platform for students will persist. He stated that political parties had erred in spreading their student wings within educational institutions after the 1990 political changes. “Students can hold political beliefs and engage in external politics, but ideological party-based groups inside academic institutions adversely affect educational quality; students should speak for educational reform rather than act as party leaders,” Singh said.

Student leaders are often accused of focusing more on political interests than educational reforms and complain about lack of support in this regard. Singh was appointed Vice Chancellor during KP Oli’s tenure as Prime Minister. “I was appointed after openly competing among three candidates. I maintained that students may hold political views but should not be allowed to damage university standards as party agents. I tried to implement this during the premierships of Oli, Prachanda, and Deuba but was unsuccessful,” he explained.

Previously, student organizations and leaders frequently disrupted academic schedules by halting classes, closing offices, and attacking university officials or professors, adversely impacting exams and studies and affecting their fellow students. Students often stage demonstrations demanding timely publication of exam results. According to former Vice Chancellor Singh, over the past fifteen years, millions of students have gone abroad to study about 60 different subjects in over 70 countries. “Due to severe politicization, declining education quality, and delayed exam results, the trend of students going abroad is increasing,” he noted. “Because party politics is not controlled in educational institutions, student organizations cannot even be established in private campuses affiliated with parties such as Congress, UML, and Maoists.”

Admitting their flaws, student leaders like NSU’s Ashish Devkota acknowledge that questions have been raised about their role due to student organizations’ activities. He cited that only 50 percent of students voted in the last FSU election, underscoring the failure to represent all students. “Student organizations espouse party politics and face extreme distortions and discrepancies, which we must accept, but ending student politics is not a solution,” he said. “Removing partisan interference and making student politics more organized, transparent, and accountable is essential to focus on educational reform and students’ welfare.”

Former Vice Chancellor Singh shared that student groups often went beyond their jurisdiction, exerting pressure on appointing professors, staff, and campus heads. “I resisted such influences. No corruption charges were filed against me, but 132 cases were filed against me,” he revealed. Nevertheless, Devkota expressed skepticism about the government’s intentions. He believes the government seeks not only to weaken student organizations but also to undermine the FSU itself. “Yes, parties have directly interfered; student organizations have been involved in corruption; education has been compromised by collusion,” he said. “But by replacing the FSU with councils, the government is trying to strengthen its own RSP grip and cripple other parties. This is a government failure and a misguided move.”