Student politics in colleges

In Nepali politics, students have played a very important role—be it during the movement to overthrow the Panchayati regime in 1990 or the anti-monarchy movement in 2006 to usher the country toward the republican system. The students have always stood on the frontline. They have also played a key role in raising voices against the hike in prices of various commodities. Their role in raising public awareness and garnering wider public support in many movements can never be underestimated.It is the same student politics that has produced some prominent young leaders who have made a mark in national politics. However, keeping aside their contribution in politics, their activism is severely affecting the standard of the government-run educational institutions.The government colleges today have become synonymous to student politics. Strikes and lock-ups have become a regular affair in the government colleges which has not only politicized the entire academia but also affected the classes disrupting the academic schedule. This has put the students’ future in jeopardy and more and more students are now opting to join the private educational institutions.

To make matters worse, student unions themselves are now found involved in financial irregularities in the constituent colleges of the Tribhuvan University. The 51st report of the Office of the Auditor General has unveiled some disturbing facts. It showed that student unions took more than Rs 5.6 million from colleges only last year without any proper maintenance of its record. According to the report, these unions have taken huge money from Nepal Commerce Campus, Tri-Chandra College, Public Youth Campus, Saraswati Multiple Campus, Sanothimi Campus, Amrit Science Campus, Pulchowk Campus and Public Administration Campus. Little or none of this was spent for infrastructure building such as setting up libraries and computer labs. They haven’t even produced details of their expenses. There is an urgent need to investigate this blatant misuse of college fund and bring the guilty to book.

It is sad to note here that the student union activism has become anarchic in the recent years. Student leaders not only take full control over administrative and financial activities of colleges but also do not hesitate to hold college officials hostage to meet their vested interests. Last year, they held chief of RR Campus into captivity for a night forcing him to enroll new students even as the deadline of admission was about to expire. Such anomalies have become a routine affair in the government colleges, which is not only aggravating teaching and learning but also putting their very existence on the line.These irregularities and hindrances have completely affected the standard of the government colleges which has discouraged the poor and needy students to join them while number of private colleges is increasing by many folds each year.

Student politics is integral to institutions of higher studies across the globe. Student activism takes place in one form or other even in the Western universities. And if utilized properly, student unions can serve as the perfect platforms to groom and prepare competent leaders for the nation. But as far as Nepal is concerned, student unions have done very little except for serving the interests of their mother parties most of the time. As things stand, politicization and undue meddling of student unions in administrative, financial and academic domains has badly deteriorated education quality of government colleges. And despite significant rise of private colleges, government colleges are still the only options for vast majority of poor and lower middle class students, for they cannot afford expensive private colleges. Thus undue meddling is ultimately going to affect the very people for whom the student leaders claim to work. There is a clear need for student unions to salvage their image and establish themselves as agents of reforms in the government colleges. Sooner they do so, greater their respect will be among the people.