The plan to set up the National Defence University, which was initiated eight years ago and is to be operated by the Nepal Army, is still in limbo owing to lack of infrastructure and a governing law.

The concept of defence university, the first of its kind in Nepal, started taking shape only after the then KP Oli government incorporated the concept in its policies and programmes in 2019.

The university is to be built at Sanga of Kavrepalanchok district, but construction has yet to start due to several hindrances. A bill on the university is under the consideration of the law ministry.

The university has a website, where it has outlined its objectives and rationale.

“With China’s rise as an economic powerhouse, the United States of America and its allies and partners are also determined to secure their own positions through the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS). Thus, if transatlantic relations were the key pivot of the international relations (IR) in the 19th and 20th centuries, the Indo-Pacific region including the Bay of Bengal and the Trans-Himalayas have emerged as the epicentre of global political, economic, and strategic importance,” said the website.

Balananda Sharma, former Nepal Army Lieutenant General who is leading a 12-member task force for the establishment of the defence university, admitted that construction could not be started as the government has yet to approve a budget.

The Sharma-led committee was tasked with preparing a detailed project report for the university building; ensuring legal, institutional, physical and human resources for its establishment, operation and management; making recommendations for land acquisition for the university campus in Sanga, Kavre; and ascertaining the structure and operational framework of the university and college, research centres and academic departments to be formed under the university.

Similarly, the committee is mandated to regularly apprise the government of its work, develop university curricula as per international standards and national needs, and draft a bill for the university. Moreover, it is to establish relationships of cooperation with national and international defence universities and similar international organisations.

The Nepal Army’s long-held plan to establish a defence university has already stoked a fresh debate among experts, as they have raised concerns over its modality, logistics, sustainability, financing—and above all, whether the country really needs it.

“As soon as we came up with the idea of setting up the new defence university, we noticed some concerns from neighbours and major powers,” a former official at the Ministry of Defence Ministry said, adding, “There were questions over whether Nepal needs such a university and questions about its operation, pedagogy, logistics, curriculum and manpower at that time.”

Before deciding to set up the university, Nepal Army held a series of consultations with various experts, saying its primary objective is to produce manpower on national security and defence matters. Such an academy would also enable the national defence force to expand military and civilian diplomacy by attracting foreigners at the university.

Nepal currently provides short-term training slots like High-level Command Course at the Staff College, Shivapuri and the Military Academy. Due to the lack of a dedicated university, Nepal has been sending dozens of its military and security officials abroad, including to neighbouring countries, for courses related to national security, defence, military cooperation and diplomacy as well as other emerging foreign policy and security issues.

Officials say once the university is set up, Nepal will have its own facility to offer Masters, MPhil and PhD degrees. The Army has proposed the prime minister as chancellor, defence minister as joint chancellor and Army chief as deputy joint-chancellor of the university.

As soon as the government’s plan was made public, countries like India, China, United States, and Pakistan among other nations expressed their interest in helping set up the university, but the government politely declined the offers, according to another government official.

The government formed a 12-member national defence university infrastructure development committee in 2020. General Shamra, former ambassador Shambhu Ram Simkhada and former attorney general Yubraj Sangroula were appointed as public intellectuals while nine other members were appointed from various ministries and the Nepal Army.

Former ambassador Simkhada heads the academic sub-committee, which is responsible for developing the curricula.

Simkhada said he has already readied the curricula.

“On the academic side, we have formulated the curricula for all streams with the help from professors from various universities and other experts. Initially, we were planning to run the academic session from the end of 2023, but due to lack of budget, we are sure to miss the 2023-end deadline. Hopefully we will get the budget and the law after the formation of the new government,” said Simkahada.

Professor Sangroula heads the management sub-committee and is working on the law for the university. Sitaram Khadka, Major General of Nepal Army, heads the physical infrastructure sub-committee.

General Sharma said it could take another two-three years to construct the building and only then would academic studies begin.

In the midst of the planning phase, there was a dilemma over setting up such a university due to fears that major powers and neighbours might compete for influence on the university’s operation.

Nepal has been receiving foreign assistance in multiple areas, including security. In 2017, China built the Armed Police Force Academy in Kathmandu. During his visit to China in October 2018, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Ishwar Pokhrel had requested the Chinese side to support Nepal to set up a defence university. The Chinese side expressed readiness to extend its cooperation to Nepal, according to officials.

Similarly, during his Nepal visit in 2019 February, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for South and Southeast Asia, Joe Felter, had also expressed an interest in expanding every kind of support for setting up such a university in Nepal. India has already offered such help in building the Nepal Police Academy.

Some advise caution while moving ahead with the plan, as it involves a wide range of concerns, especially given the current state of regional and global geopolitics.

“It would be good if we started by setting up a defence college and gradually upgraded it to university,” said former Major General Purna Silwal, adding, “Such a university would help produce defence experts tailored to our needs.”

“We need our own experts to discuss pressing global issues, do research and brainstorm issues of global and regional importance. So we need such an academic institution, but I recommend a step at a time—set up the college first and then the university,” said Silwal.