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🇳🇵 Nepal /Economy & Trade

Nepal universities face budget chaos as registrar posts remain vacant

From Kathmandu Post · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Major universities in Nepal are operating without approved budgets for the new fiscal year due to vacant registrar positions.
  • The government's decision to remove senior officials via ordinance has led to acting officials managing institutions, hindering essential approvals like budgets and graduation lists.
  • This delay impacts capital expenditure and prevents the printing of certificates for approximately 95,000 graduating students, causing disorganization within the university system.

Nepal's major universities are facing significant financial and administrative paralysis as critical registrar positions remain unfilled, jeopardizing the start of the new fiscal year. Institutions like Tribhuvan University, Purbanchal University, and Pokhara University are among those with vacant registrar posts, forcing them to rely on acting officials and interim spending arrangements.

The government's move in May to remove senior university officials through an ordinance, aiming for competitive selection, has inadvertently created leadership vacuums. While acting officials are tasked with maintaining operations, their authority is limited, particularly concerning budget approvals and academic processes.

Anarchy looms because the government has shown no interest in appointing the rector and registrar.

— TU professorA professor at Tribhuvan University expresses concern over the prolonged vacancies and the government's inaction.

At Tribhuvan University, the country's largest, the consequences are particularly severe. Its budget for the fiscal year 2026-27, due in early August, has not been approved by the Senate. The university is operating on an advance budget, which covers administrative costs but prevents normal capital expenditure. This delay also affects approximately 95,000 students awaiting degree awards, as the graduation list, normally approved with the budget, is pending. Certificates cannot be printed until this process is complete, leading to widespread disorganization.

University officials have expressed frustration, with one professor noting the government's apparent lack of interest in filling these crucial roles. While the vice-chancellor has recommended candidates, appointments have yet to be made by the Prime Minister's Office, leaving institutions in limbo and impacting both financial planning and student progression.

Students can receive their original certificates only after the graduation list is approved. Until that happens, certificates cannot be printed. The government has not paid attention to this, and the university is becoming disorganised.

— TU professorA professor highlights the direct impact of the delayed approvals on students' ability to receive their graduation certificates.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Kathmandu Post in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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