I must say that most of the time Nepalis move ahead according to their own whims and fancies. When private schools began to earn good profit, numerous businessmen and teachers invested in their private schools. Then come the era of establishing finance companies, cooperatives, FM stations, and music companies. Many invested in these sectors without further studies. What followed then was real-estate business and banking. The real-estate business which has now been halted, made mafias and brokers millionaires overnight.
The period of founding banks and financial institutions was followed by opening of 10+2 schools. Though we can not object to the opening of schools, it follows a scheme of cheating students in broad daylight by promising them a bright future abroad. There is unfair competiton among the +2 tycoons across the country, mostly in Kathmandu. There are tens of +2 colleges and schools operating in the country without their own primary and secondary wings. Currently, many of the +2 schools are transforming their names and locations only for the sake of earning money. If a buyer offers a handsome value for a +2 institution, the owner sells it without any legal procedures and concern about future of the students studying there.
In much worsened conditions, how can a +2 institution like Madan Bhandari HSS and College think of establishing itself as a University? I was appalled to read about this in your paper (Republica National Daily: More Universities mooted but with little infrastructure:Sept 24). There is no doubt that this institution has been exercising with the support of communist ideology and is associated with the name of the great CPN UML leader Madan Bhandari, just for the sake of attachment to mainstream party without any infrastructure and planning, there is no problem in proposing a university but problems arise when an institution running unsuccessfully by the handful of party activists try and establish a University. Mahendra Sanskrit University, Purbanchal University, and Lumbini Buddha University (LBU) in pathetic condition due to the failure of an active management team. What can we expect from universities that are established by apparent pressure of certain communities backed by political parties.
By
Dilli Ram Aryal
Subidhanagar, Kathmandu
(Published already in Republica National Daily)
