Kathmandu, January 15

Minister of Education, Science and Technology Giriraj Mani Pokhrel today submitted a report prepared by a high-level national education committee to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli at the latter’s official residence in Baluwatar.

Minister Pokhrel on August 7 last year had formed a task force to furnish suggestions on criteria for establishing universities, their jurisdiction and ways to regulate them in the context of the country’s transition to federalism. The committee had submitted the report to the ministry a few days ago.

The report handing over ceremony, which was scheduled to take place at 1:00pm in hall, however, yesterday was postponed. The function was held today at the prime minister’s residence at around 2:30pm. The commission was formed under the leadership of Dev Raj Adhikari, member secretary of the University Grants Commission.

The report that were made public on social media has suggested that no universities in the country be allowed to grant affiliation to new colleges until the federal and provincial structures for universities are fixed.

“Until the federal and provincial structures for universities are fixed, the government not allow universities, even if they have acquired Letter of Intent, to grant affiliation to colleges.”

The report has also suggested that all colleges running inside all seven provinces be required to acquire Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education certificate and upgrade themselves into either ‘deemed university’ or ‘deemed to-be university’.

Similarly, it also suggested that registration of all government and private colleges at the Office of Company Registrar be halted immediately. The government is still to draft new laws to regulate functioning of universities.