Tribhuvan University’s latest directive requiring professors and staff who failed to return after completing study leave to report within 15 days is a long-overdue attempt to restore accountability in Nepal’s oldest and largest university. The university has warned that those who ignore the notice will face legal action under the agreements they signed and the provisions of university rules. The move targets individuals who either did not return after completing their studies or left university service before fulfilling the mandatory service period required after receiving study leave benefits. The directive comes amid growing concern over the misuse of a facility designed to strengthen the university itself. TU grants study leave to help produce capable, research-oriented, and internationally competitive academic personnel. In return, beneficiaries are required to serve the university for a specified period after completing their studies. The arrangement is simple: the university invests in human resources, and those beneficiaries contribute their skills and knowledge back to the institution. The scale of the problem has become difficult to ignore. According to TU, around 50 professors have already repaid more than Rs 118.4 million after failing to meet their obligations. The university has also made it clear that recovery of outstanding amounts will continue. This indicates that the problem is not confined to a few isolated cases but reflects a broader culture of weak enforcement and institutional laxity that has persisted for years.
PM Shah holding meeting with vice chancellors of universities,...
TU should be commended for confronting an issue that has drained financial resources and academic potential. A professor on paid leave, financially supported and backed by the institution while pursuing a higher degree, is effectively a recipient of public resources. If a faculty member abandons these commitments, it is not only a betrayal of the university but also of taxpayers and students. The reasons behind this trend are fairly clear. Often, faculty members who go abroad for higher education encounter better career opportunities, higher incomes, and more attractive working conditions than those available in their home country. Returning to an institution burdened with bureaucratic delays, political interference, and inadequate research funding, some prefer to remain abroad. Others return to Nepal but engage in private consultancies, international projects, private colleges, or other professional pursuits that offer greater financial rewards while continuing to benefit from TU-linked privileges. Study leave is not a scholarship without conditions; it is an investment made with clear obligations. If those conditions can be ignored without consequence, the entire system loses credibility. Honest and diligent faculty are disadvantaged, while those who violate rules rarely face consequences. Departments suffer shortages, students lose access to experienced teachers, and efforts to strengthen academic programs are undermined.
In a country already struggling to improve higher education standards, such losses are particularly damaging. TU’s latest action should therefore mark the beginning, not the end, of reform. Authorities must ensure that every outstanding case is investigated and resolved. Recovery mechanisms need to be strengthened, service agreements strictly enforced, and regular public reporting introduced to enhance transparency. Future study-leave approvals could also be linked to stronger monitoring systems that track academic progress and post-study obligations. Accountability is the foundation of any reputable institution. By acting against those who have defaulted on their commitments, TU sends an important message: rules matter. The next challenge for TU is consistent follow-up and ensuring that public expenditure in higher education is used for its intended purpose, rather than for individual gain.
