
The annual Senate meeting of Tribhuvan University (TU), scheduled for Sunday, has been postponed under the direction of Prime Minister and Chancellor KP Sharma Oli, who has delayed appointing a new Vice Chancellor since the position became vacant on March 28, 2025.
The meeting, which was set to approve TU’s annual budget and the grace list of around 90,000 graduating students, was halted following the Prime Minister’s directive.
Tribhuvan University traditionally holds its annual Senate meeting as per its calendar. However, with Prime Minister Oli currently on an official visit to Spain, the meeting originally planned for June 28 (Friday) was rescheduled for Sunday. On June 16, Oli himself had instructed TU to organize the Senate meeting on July 7. Despite that, acting Vice Chancellor Khadga KC confirmed that the meeting was postponed at Oli’s request.
TU had already passed the budget through its Planning and Executive Councils and was preparing to present it at the Senate. Invitations had been sent, and even Senate members from outside Kathmandu had arrived. However, the meeting was postponed because the Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate a bridge in Humla on Sunday, according to his secretariat.
With the indefinite postponement, the approval of TU’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year starting mid-July and the endorsement of the grace list for the graduation ceremony are now uncertain.
Kamalaraj Sapkota, an associate professor from Prithvi Narayan Campus and a Senate member, expressed disappointment after traveling from Pokhara to Kathmandu for the meeting. “It’s disheartening that TU cannot even follow its own academic calendar. This sends a negative message and harms the university,” he said.
According to TU regulations, the Vice Chancellor must be appointed within 90 days of vacancy, and the Senate meeting must proceed even in the absence of the Chancellor and Pro-Chancellor under the acting Vice Chancellor’s leadership.
However, these provisions have been ignored due to Prime Minister Oli’s interventions. Last year, the Senate met on July 30 to pass the budget. Former Vice Chancellor Keshar Jung Baral had openly expressed frustration at the meeting after Oli reportedly directed him to pass the budget without any policy or program discussions. TU had presented a budget of NPR 26.16 billion last year.
Former Vice Chancellor Kedar Bhakta Mathema criticized the government’s interference, stating that the university’s Senate meetings should not be postponed on the Prime Minister or Education Minister’s orders. “Failing to appoint a Vice Chancellor on time and obstructing the annual Senate meeting reflect the Prime Minister’s failure and incompetence,” he said. “What’s so difficult about appointing a Vice Chancellor within three months? Suspending meetings at the Prime Minister’s whim sets a bad precedent. The university’s executive leader is the Vice Chancellor, and the Chancellor must act on their advice.”
Mathema also warned against treating the university as a subordinate body of the Prime Minister’s Office or the Ministry of Education, expressing concern over the shrinking autonomy of the institution. “Even teachers’ unions and associations have stopped raising their voices. We’ve been saying all along that the Prime Minister shouldn’t be the Chancellor to avoid such power struggles,” he remarked.
Prime Minister Oli has consistently opposed proposals from academic experts to manage universities through an independent Board of Trustees. He has repeatedly insisted that the Prime Minister must serve as the university’s Chancellor.
Previously, when Vice Chancellor Baral was appointed, then-Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had also failed to appoint a Vice Chancellor within three months. Following the departure of Vice Chancellor Dharmakanta Baskota, Acting Vice Chancellor Shiva Lal Bhusal served for over three months, as the selection process involved open competition and caused delays.
Currently, Acting Vice Chancellor KC’s tenure—set to end by mid-July—was granted for a maximum of three months. However, the selection committee led by Education Minister and Pro-Chancellor Raghuj Pant has yet to recommend any candidates.
Minister Pant confirmed that the committee has held four to five meetings and is preparing to submit names to the Prime Minister. “We’ve received personal details from some interested professors. Discussions have been held, and we’ll recommend the most suitable candidate,” he said. According to a Ministry of Education source, 12 professors—all reportedly aligned with the ruling UML party—have applied for the post.
Though the committee didn’t publicly announce an open call for applications, these professors submitted their details directly to the Education Minister’s Secretariat. Meanwhile, the Nepali Congress-affiliated student union, Nepal Student Union (NSU), has been demanding that the Vice Chancellor be selected through a competitive, merit-based process.
Despite this, Education Minister Pant is preparing to recommend three names directly, from which the Prime Minister will appoint the new Vice Chancellor. Former Education Minister Bidya Bhattarai had previously ensured open competition in Vice Chancellor appointments at other universities.
The delay in appointing TU’s Vice Chancellor has also drawn criticism from a parliamentary committee. The National Assembly’s Committee on Public Policy and Delegated Legislation has studied the implementation of the Tribhuvan University Act 1992 and submitted a report highlighting the university’s failure to fill leadership positions within the stipulated three-month period. The committee has recommended amending the law to ensure that appointments are made at least three months before any leadership position becomes vacant.