By Shashi P.B.B. Malla
In a section of the print media a debate has been raging about Tribhuvan University (TU) denying equivalent certificates to students who have completed their studies in foreign countries.
It is a corrupt system in which foreign degrees have to be certified by TU that they are in order/genuine, and compatible with Nepalese educational standards of higher education!!!???
Still many have been denied such certification.
Many students have not only been harassed – many have been de-motivated and returned abroad.
There is no explanation for the high-handedness, sneaky envy, colossal ineptitude and sheer laziness!
The question was first raised by The Himalayan Times and was followed up in subsequent articles highlighting the plight of students with ‘external certificates’ – all in the front page.
In such an important matter, neither the Minister for Education nor his ministry has taken any notice.
We read only of denials from the concerned office of the TU. For them everything seems to be running quite normal!
Now, Kedar Bhakta Mathema, himself a former professor, ambassador and vice-chancellor of TU has jumped into the fray and sharply criticized the audacious behaviour of the said department in a commentary in the weekly, The Annapurna Post (July 17).
Hopefully, the government will now take notice.
In the first place, it is hard to understand why such a bureaucratic procedure was introduced. It should be abolished forthright.
The office issuing the so-called ‘equivalency” certificates should also be scrapped.
There should be no difficulty in recognizing the college/university certificates/diplomas/degrees of well-known educational institutions in foreign countries at face value.
Degrees from lesser known colleges/universities could be verified by the nearest Nepalese embassy/consulate/honorary consulate or the education ministry of the concerned country. This should do the trick and bypass the unnecessary bureaucratic rigmarole.
However, the ongoing cruel scam has highlighted the necessity for immediately establishing an ombudsman – a public official who investigates citizens’ complaints against maladministration.
The writer can be reached at: shashipbmalla@hotmail.com
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