KATHMANDU: Experts today underscored the need to form Nepal Public University to unite public colleges, ensure their proper management and make them accessible to a large number of students.

Speaking at an interaction organised by the University Grant Commission, CA member Jagadish Narsingh KC

said the new university should be established with a clear vision.

The interaction was organised to seek inputs for the feasibility study conducted to establish the NPU.

Mana Prasad Wagle, an education expert, said the NPU would provide access to a large number of students from across the country. He added that the NPU was necessary for the country.

He, however, requested the university officials to be aware of financial crunch before conceptualising any university.

Wagle also asked all concerned to come up with a clear vision for its success.

Prof Govinda Bahadur Malla said the Tribhuvan University should also supervise its affiliated colleges, rather than just increasing their number by giving affiliations.

“Public campuses are operating without proper guidance from the authorities, who are responsible for their overall supervision. Therefore, they should be brought under a single umbrella,” he suggested.

However, Kul Prasad Koirala, president of Democrat Professors’ Association, said establishing a new university alone was not a solution to the existing problems.

“Rather than planning a big university, it would be better to conceptualise a small university and manage it properly,” he said.

Saying that most of the constituent campuses are capable of transforming into a university, he said it would be difficult to manage all of them by bringing them under the to-be-formed NPU.

“Giving affiliation to all and sundry would neither help the colleges nor would the authorities concerned be able to properly monitor such colleges,” he cautioned.

Koirala urged the government to make a master plan for essential universities and make supporting policies for their proper functioning.