Student leaders and the representatives of teachers’ associations are crying foul over the government’s decision of bringing about cosmetic changes in school curriculum. The Curriculum Development Centre has instructed all the public schools to follow a teaching manual whereby His Majesty’s Government will have to be referred to as Nepal Government and Nepal Adhirajya as Nepal Rajya. Likewise, the term ‘Royal’ has to be dropped from Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation, Royal Nepal Army, Royal Drugs Limited etc., whereas chapters on Raj Parishad, Royal Crown, National Anthem, Hindu State, 1990 Constitution, and the Appointment of Chiefs of Constitutional Bodies will have to be deleted.

School or university curricula call for timely changes. Nobody questions the need for changes to match the new political context. But political upheavals do not occur frequently. In the natural course of events, too, the curricula need to be amended, say, at least every five years, in response to the developments taking place in various fields. Otherwise, the manpower produced would not be armed with the latest knowledge and they would not be able to fare well in this highly competitive environment. But unfortunately in Nepal, it takes years and sometimes even decades for the officials to update the curricula. This obsolete mindset and practice have to go.