For decades, the shadow of partisan politics has stretched across the hallways of universities and schools in Nepal, manifesting as student unions that operate less as advocates for the youth and more as the muscle of established political machines. The recent directive from the government to dismantle these structures within a 60-day window is a necessary and overdue intervention to salvage the integrity of the educational system. The time has come to recognise that these unions have forfeited their legitimacy. They no longer serve a genuine cause. Rather, they are remnants of an era that the modern student has outgrown.

The tale of student organisations in Nepal began with the Jayatu Sanskritam movement in 1947 and the establishment of the All Nepal National Free Students’ Union (ANNFSU) in 1965. These groups once played a pivotal role in the restoration of democracy in 1990. However, the transition from revolutionary catalysts to institutionalised political wings has been disastrous. Today, these unions are the primary vehicles for political interference in education, leading to a decline in academic standards. They have turned campuses into battlegrounds for mother parties, where the welfare of students is routinely sacrificed for partisan loyalty.

The existence of these unions is no longer justified. They have lost all relevance to the contemporary academic experience. The traditional pipeline that once saw student leaders rise to national prominence has been broken by Balendra Shah’s ascent to the Office of the Prime Minister. This serves as a definitive signal that the youth are moving away from established party-led wings. When top-rung student leaders are in their forties, sometimes with children who are themselves students, the facade of representation crumbles. These ‘eternal students’ use their positions as a launchpad for national politics, remaining disconnected from the realities of classroom life.

Furthermore, the operational reality of these unions is a chronicle of violence and inefficiency. Campuses have become notorious for the presence of ‘goons’ rather than student leaders. Violence and vandalism are frequent. Union members are often involved in destroying university property and assaulting faculty. Academic calendars are neglected, and infrastructures are left to rot as resources are funnelled into political manoeuvring over student welfare. Strikes and school closures, called at the whim of party bosses, have severely impacted education.

The government’s plan to replace these partisan entities with non-partisan student councils within 90 days is a welcome move towards reform. While student leaders decry this as ‘authoritarian’ and a violation of constitutional rights, their arguments ring hollow. Article 17 of the Constitution of Nepal guarantees the freedom to form unions and associations, yet this does not explicitly mandate the existence of political unions within educational institutions. The government is not banning the act of organising. It is removing the partisan rot that has paralysed the university system.

Education should be a meritocratic ladder, not a playground for political parties. The current system of Free Students’ Unions has failed to hold elections on time, leading to a lack of democratic representation and the rise of handpicked leaders who serve the interests of party officials. The move to amend the University Act and other legal provisions to scrap these partisan structures is a vital step in reclaiming the autonomy of educational institutions.

For too long, these unions have held the future of the nation’s youth hostage. Nepal cannot afford to let its universities remain as training grounds for ‘goon leaders’. The scrapping of partisan student unions is not an attack on democracy. It is a defence of the right to a quality, undisturbed education. It is an acknowledgement that the youth deserve better than to be used as fodder for the power struggles of the old guard. The era of the partisan student union must end, and it must end now.