Kavre, November 23

Minister of Education, Science and Technology and Kathmandu University co-chancellor Girirajmani Pokharel lamented growing commercialisation of education.

“Education institutions must be set up as per the requirement of manpower in the country. We need professionalism in education, not commercialism, but unfortunately in our context the opposite is the case,” he said, addressing the 24th convocation of Kathmandu University in Dhulikhel today.

“There are ills and malpractices galore in education field, and the government is preparing to pass a bill to set up a separate education commission as a remedy to all these ills,” he added.

Further, the minister argued that education should be prioritised on the basis of social justice theory. “Education must be accessible to everyone, including the impoverished, Dalits and the disabled, but that’s not the case here. The government will now focus on improving this sector,” he said.

Pokharel also informed that a draft of the medical commission had been forwarded to the federal government.

Speaking on the occasion, ICIMOD Director General Dr Devid James Molden urged the graduates to keep in view the increasing environment pollution in the world and work towards minimising the same.

Kathmandu University Vice-chancellor Ramkantha Shrestha urged the graduates to commit themselves to the service of humanity with sincerity and honesty.

A total of 1,555 students of different programmes were conferred degrees today. Minister Pokharel conferred the Vice-chancellor Gold Medal on Nepal Medical College student Manali Bhatta, who secured 81.5 per cent marks in MBBS.