Student unions troubling Gurus and students

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, May 6

Tribhuvan University, which was closed for about a month, resumed its official activities from today after leaving indecent impression of the student unions for smearing black on university top authorities. Maoist affiliated union showed their traits of political obstinacy by smearing black on the Gurus.

The student unions in the name of students have troubled them too much, deprived them of academic rights, said Shankar Tiwari, a Master’s level final year student at Nepal Manaviki Campus. "They behaved indecently with gurus too. It was more than enough the student unions played a foul game of politics in an academic institution," he said.

“I am preparing for the final exams but I am deprived of submitting exam forms, because the Exam Section of the campus was locked,” he added. “Students were also barred from paying fees and getting IDs.”

The All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union-Revolutionary padlocked the Central Office of TU and account offices in the campuses after it increased examination fees on April 1.

“We withdrew all of the strikes and unlocked the TU central offices and all of the account sections of campuses throughout the nation today,” said Himal Sharma, president of the Free Student Union at TU. “All of the TU services closed for about a month resumed from today,” he added. “We were serious on the convocation of TU on May 8 and decided to help it on this concern.”

Various activities including filling up of exam forms, new admissions in the campuses and issuance of student ID cards were halted in all of the TU constituent and affiliated campuses across the country. There are 60 constituent and more than 300 affiliated campuses operating under TU. About 500,000 students including of affiliations appear in the TU’s regular and partial exams annually.

TU administration has raised the exam fees by 60-200 percent on 12 different heads. According to TU administration, TU and student unions have reached to an agreement for not charging late fees once, but taking the exam fees that was fixed earlier.

Prof Dr Madhav Sharma, VC at TU, said that the increased fees were not irrational in comparison to the exam expenses and other universities. The present fee structure was fixed 12 years ago.

“We have many problems regarding the exams, namely early publication of results, paying for examiners, maintaining academic calendar and copy checkers. The result of the Department of Education has not been published for eight months due to the lack of funds,” he added. “The government does not provide us enough funds to carry out our all jobs.”

Pradip Paudel, president of the Nepal Students’ Union, said they never wanted to cause nuisance to the students but promote the quality in the university. “If TU increases fees, it must ensure quality and prompt services as per the ratio of charged fees,” he added.

Himal Sharma said that TU agreed to roll back the decision of increasing fees on six heads out 12 heads in which fees were hiked. “The six heads includes fees charged on transferring exam centre, transfer certificate and duplicate certificate, which were increased by more than 100 percent,” he added.

“TU issued 10-point white-letter declaration to reform the exam system. It includes the publication of results within three months and issuance of transcript on the second day of submission of application,” he said.

TU increased the exam fees as recommended by the panel formed to reform exam systems on April 1. The Nepal Students’ Union, the All Nepal National Free Students’ Union and other student organisations protested against TU for slashing increased fee structure. The ANNISU-R padlocked the campus account sections and the TU central offices including Vice Chancellor, Rector and Controller of Examinations.

Following the rift on the fee row, the ANNISU-R smeared black on the faces of TU VC and Rector on April 22, which was widely condemned and criticized by the various sectors. Police arrested 22 students on the case and were in dentition. “They were released yesterday as we agreed with TU to withdraw the strike,” Himal Sharma said.

VC Sharma thanked the student unions for understanding the gravity of programmes and agreeing to scrap their strike. "However, the incident was painful and has saddened us. It was the students' conscience to understand what is wrong and right. They should realize it themselves rather than telling them wrong," he added.

University graduates smearing black on the faces of Vice-Chancellor and Rector of Tribhuvan University has demeaned the educated circle disgracefully. "Was it rational for the educated persons to do so? Certainly, it has forced us to think of it," wonders Swami Chandresh, founder of Budhanilkantha Ashram School, Kathmandu.

Education can play an instrumental role on determining what kind of citizen is produced but the present system has failed to do so, Swami said. “Such shameful act of so-called educated persons is a result of present materialistic education.”

“The only remedy for this pseudo system of 173 years is the trinity of education that includes spiritually self-building, practical and creative, and informative education,” he added. "People must be taught the education that honours self, cultures, society and history.”

He said, a person, who does not have self-confidence and preserve own identity, is not a citizen in real sense. “Holding certificates does not necessarily mean to be worthy citizen,” said Chandresh.

This article was published in THE HIMALAYAN TIMES on May 7, 2009.