KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 19

'I am one of the sufferers, I quit after hearing about the tortuous equivalency process of Tribhuvan University,' said Hari Sharan Lamichhane, a renowned name in broadcast journalism.

Lamichhane works at Radio Nepal and is a pioneer in broadcast journalism.

Although journalists get some privileges, he never used it to leverage it for his personal gain.

However, he could not stop himself today and taking to social media he posted his pain and TU's atrocities in relation to the equivalency process.

The Himalayan Times was the first media to report on the equivalency issue.

When THT saw Lamichhane's post, it reached out to him and tried investigating the matter.

Lamichhane said,' I was very young at that time and had returned from the UK with my masters degree. However, when I knocked the TU door for equivalency. It refused to grant me the certificate saying that it was a lengthy process. I gave up.'

Today, taking to social media he wrote, 'Is this equivalence still the same?'

When he had applied for the equivalency it was 1995. Now, it is 2023 almost three decades later.

'When I applied for equivalence after passing Master's level Post Graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Plymouth University in UK in 1995, TU failed to reach a decision on granting me equivalence,' he said, adding, 'If the government itself nominates and sends students under scholarships received from the British government, and if this is the case for them, then what will happen to those who went to study privately? Rules of TU are impossible to catch up with.'

When THT asked: would you apply again if the rules were changed? He replied, 'Why not? But I am not going to apply again and again. I hear a lot of friends are suffering because of this equivalency issue. To show solidarity and tell them I am also one of them, I shared my sufferings.'

A number of PhD and Master's scholars are suffering due to this exhausting equivalency process. Students seeking equivalency have also complained about TU humiliating them.

Aastha Dahal, a Kathmandu based lawyer with PhD in Policing of Domestic Violence in Nepal from the Institute of Criminology, University of Cambridge is suffering and struggling for the last two years for equivalency.

Dahal is not alone, over 63 Nepali Pharm.D degree experts from India have been struggling since 2014 to obtain TU equivalence certificate, according to Sharad Chand.

Dirgha Raj Joshi received his PhD equivalency after twelve months of struggle and humiliation.

Likewise, Rajendra Sapkota, a specially-abled person, has been struggling for more than six years now.

Finally, Tribhuvan University Curriculum Development Centre has decided to adopt some new provisions to give equivalency to students seeking it.

Aastha Dahal, Rajan Sapkota and other students who have earned their degrees from various universities will be able to get equivalency but as per our freshly adopted regulations, according to TUCDC director Professor Paras Nath Yadav.

'Recently, the executive council passed directives to distribute equivalency to students who have obtained a degree from the World's top 500 universities without checking for plagiarism,' Dr Professor Paras Nath Yadav, Director of TUCDC told THT.

'Similarly, students having a degree from a university which has signed MoU with TU will also be getting the equivalency certificate.'

Dr Yadav also said, 'Till date, we have been distributing equivalency certificates based on the 'Equivalency and Recognition Regulations, 2022'. However, the new provisions directed by the council will be incorporated by TUCDC, which is going to smoothen the process.'

A version of this article appears in the print on September 20, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.