Minister for Education, Science and Technology Devendra Poudel vowed to untangle all the policy level knots hindering the enrolment of students in Nepali college and universities especially in Medical and Engineering Education. Medical educators pleaded him to rescue the sector from the faulty provisions of the Medical Education Act promulgated 3 years back which has paralyzed the nursing education sector vehemently. Minister Poudel along with the Vice Chair of Medical Education Commission Prof. Dr. Shreekrishna Giri was posed an array of questions, grievances, queries and suggestions by the medical and engineering college owners and the stakeholders throughout Nepal. The participants demanded a prompt action from education minister to stop the ever increasing number of abroad going students and ensure the investment of private sector in an interaction programme “Higher Education in Nepal: Quality Management & Execution” on 3rd September, 2022 at Hotel Himalayan, Lalitpur. 

LP Bhanu Sharma addressing the programme shared his 35 years’ experience of teaching career expressed that our institutions are capable of quality education delivery as Nepali students are successful worldwide in their business and professions. We must refrain ourselves from the inferior complex and develop the notion that we are strong and focus on our originality and the spirituality of our land.

Vice President of AECoN, Prof. Er. Hari Bhandari welcomed all the delegates and briefed about the nature of the interaction programme. He showed the pathetic situation of Nepali educators who have invested their hard earned resources in higher education from private sector and requested the line ministry to be effortful to eschew the sector form politicizing.

The program organized on the backdrop of discouraging result of grade 12 added sorrow to the private sector educators/ investors that was visible on their gestures clearly. Research based and insightful papers were presented by the experts of their field highlighted the present status of the medical and engineering colleges that if the very Act prevails without modification, the colleges go to liquidation having long term adverse effects in Nepali socio-political, economic, medica-health sectors and quality of life. Er. Mandip Subedi from Engineering sector and Dr. Nirmal Sapkota from Medical sector presented the papers.

Ramesh Silwal, addressing the programme, shed lime light on the contribution of private sector in quality education delivery and asked the Education Minister and VP of Medical Education Commission for taking sole responsibility of the mess and crime upon the medical educators and the students.

Mr. Nawaraj Pande said the whole ministry and the medical education sector has been afraid of one single whimsical person as always at the time of admission he calls a sit-in –protest as his routine work. How can ministry be indecisive in front of an individual whose mission is to swipe away the private sector, Pande questioned.

The interaction programme was lively, vibrant and informative as thousands involved in this sector are eager to know the safety and security of their investment, profession, employment and livelihood.

The programme was addressed by VP of engineering Council Er, Ana Raj Timalsina; Dean of Science and Technology, Pokhara University Mr. Rajesh Kumar Thagurathi; Vice Chairperson of Medical Education Commission Prof. Dr. Shreekrishna Giri, QAA Director of UGC; VP of CFAN Mr. Satya Raman and others.

The programme chaired by Prof. Dr. Hirendra Man Pradhan was organized by AECoN and supported by HISSAN, OPEN, CFAN and educators across the country. Prof. Er. Hari Bhandari, Vice President of AECoN addressed the welcome speech whereas the program was hosted by AECoN General Secretary Nabaraj Pokharel.