KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress central committee member and chief of the party’s Education Department, Nain Singh Mahar, has expressed dissatisfaction over the postponement of the Tribhuvan University (TU) Senate meeting.

He said the directive from Prime Minister and TU Chancellor KP Sharma Oli to halt the meeting scheduled for today (Sunday) is not a positive development for an academic institution.

“The position of TU Vice-Chancellor has remained vacant since Chaitra 15 (March 28). In such a situation, it is not appropriate for the annual Senate meeting of TU to be cancelled under the Prime Minister’s directive,” Mahar told reporters briefly outside the Nepali Congress central office following a party meeting.

As TU is an academic institution, Mahar stressed that its operations should strictly follow the academic calendar. He warned that such delays could send a message that the government is indifferent towards Nepal’s education sector.

Mahar noted that the School Education Act has been under discussion for a long time, and the government’s commitment to pass the Act by Asar 15 (June 29) has not been fulfilled. He criticized both the government and parliament for failing to make significant progress on drafting necessary laws, stating this could further erode public trust and increase frustration.

“It is unfortunate that the meeting, which was called to approve TU’s upcoming fiscal budget and the grace list of around 90,000 students, was postponed at the directive of the Chancellor. The Prime Minister should take the path of reform and ensure the university moves forward accordingly. Exams, admissions, and all other activities must proceed as per the annual calendar,” he added.

TU had scheduled the annual meeting for Sunday after it was postponed from last Friday due to the Prime Minister’s visit to Spain. However, even the rescheduled meeting was called off following another directive from the PM.

TU had already passed the budget through its Planning and Executive Councils and was prepared to table it in the Senate for approval.

Professors from outside the Valley had already arrived in Kathmandu for the session. However, Prime Minister Oli is now heading to Humla on Sunday to inaugurate a bridge, leading to disruption in TU’s programs.