KATHMANDU, March 25: A government with a near two-thirds majority is set to be formed under the leadership of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). Ahead of the elections, the party released a pledge paper that included a controversial proposal: Point 61 calls for a complete ban on political involvement by teachers and professors, aiming to keep universities and schools free from party influence. The pledge also seeks to prohibit all political programmes within educational institutions to curb chaos, vandalism, forced strikes and other disruptions carried out through student organisations.
If implemented, would this lead to the abolition of party-affiliated student and teacher organisations? The question has sparked widespread debate.
Student groups as political incubators
Suraj Sejuwal, spokesperson for the Nepal Students’ Union (NSU), the student wing of the Nepali Congress (NC), said political parties form affiliated organisations to communicate their ideas, policies and programmes to targeted groups.
“Parties establish student, women, labour, farmer and youth unions to reach people with their political vision,” he said. “These organisations also groom future leaders.”
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Sejuwal noted that many of Nepal’s top leaders—including Sher Bahadur Deuba, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, KP Sharma Oli and Gagan Thapa—began their political careers in student politics.
“Student organisations are not just platforms for protecting student rights; they have also served as grounds for producing future leaders and mobilising support for political movements and change,” he added.
Regarding their future, the NSU advocates reform rather than an outright ban.
“Recently, student groups have prioritised party agendas over educational reform, so they need restructuring,” Sejuwal said. “Their main role should be to advocate for student rights, oppose fee hikes and demand scholarships. However, political interference in universities and campuses has grown significantly.”
Autonomy and reform within party wings
Deepak Dhami, chair of the All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU), the student wing of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) (CPN-UML), highlighted ANNFSU’s role in educational reform.
He stressed that ANNFSU operates under its own constitution with minimal interference from the parent party. “Even as a party-affiliated organisation, ANNFSU makes its own leadership decisions and addresses internal challenges independently,” Dhami said.
He added that the success of student organisations depends on active engagement with students. “On March 30, ANNFSU’s central committee will meet to chart a path forward with direct student involvement,” he said.
Legal perspective
The Constitution of Nepal guarantees the freedom to form organisations, making a direct ban difficult. However, amendments to the Political Parties Act, 2017 could restrict direct party interference in schools, colleges, universities and government bodies.
Some parties are also discussing internal restructuring. At Tribhuvan University, long a hub of political debate, student organisations have gained significant influence. Excessive interference, pressure over appointments and influence on admissions have disrupted the academic environment, raising questions about the necessity of party-affiliated student bodies, said NC leader Minendra Rijal.
“Politics is not required in every sphere. The Nepali Congress has 1.1 million active members and received 1.7 million votes. Politics is not needed everywhere,” Rijal said.
He added that political activity is unnecessary even in universities, colleges and schools. “Old parties could not curb affiliated organisations. Now, if the RSP intervenes politically to ban them, it could be beneficial for the country,” he concluded.
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