PM Balendra Shah Directs Universities to Remove Party-Affiliated Student and Staff Bodies

Prime Minister Balendra Shah has directed university vice-chancellors to immediately implement the government’s decision to dismantle structures of political party-affiliated student and employee organizations in universities and health-related academic institutions.

During an interaction with vice-chancellors at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers today, Prime Minister Shah, who also serves as the Chancellor of various public universities, stated that no legal barriers should hinder the removal of such politically aligned structures.

He emphasized that politics should not interfere in institutions such as hospitals, campuses, and schools. He added that those wishing to engage in politics should step away from their professional roles and participate in political activities independently.

Vice-chancellors, during the discussion, noted that student political activities have declined following the Gen Z movement and the March 5 elections, and efforts are underway to gradually eliminate such organizations.

However, Nepal Sanskrit University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Dhaneshwor Nepal shared concerns about facing threats while attempting to remove party-affiliated student groups in line with directives from the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology.

In response, Prime Minister Shah instructed that any security or administrative challenges encountered during the process should be immediately reported to the concerned ministry or his secretariat.

Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Sasmit Pokharel, clarified that the government’s immediate focus is on abolishing student organizations affiliated with political parties, not independent student unions that advocate for student rights.

Tribhuvan University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Deepak Aryal stated that both student and employee political activities have significantly decreased following the recent movement and elections. Similarly, Madhyampaschim University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Dhruv Kumar Gautam noted a visible decline in political engagement among students and staff at his institution.

Meanwhile, Purbanchal University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Biju Kumar Thapaliya pointed out that student groups in some constituent campuses are still actively involved in politics.

Other vice-chancellors present at the meeting expressed that students and employees in their institutions are largely distancing themselves from political activities. They stressed that maintaining strict institutional discipline could help eliminate political interference altogether.

The government’s 100-point governance reform agenda also includes the removal of party-affiliated student organization structures from schools and universities, aiming to reduce political interference in education, ensure that students’ genuine voices are heard, and improve overall educational quality.