The federal parliament has endorsed the University of Nepal Bill, clearing the way for setting up the first of its kind public university in the country.

The bill that was endorsed from the National Assembly in July last year got through the House of Representatives on Monday. It will come into effect once it gets authenticated by President Ramchandra Poudel. The university was conceptualised half a decade ago by a group of academics and professionals. Then in June 2021, the government formed the Infrastructure Development Preparation Board led by Dr Arjun Karki to lay the ground for the university.

Those who conceived the university say their annual conference to be held latest after Tihar (mid-November) will constitute the Board of Trustees, which will start the process to start infrastructure construction together with setting the foundation to begin the teaching-learning process.

“If everything goes as planned, we aim to start enrollment of the first batch in August-September next year,” Bipin Adhikari, professor at the Kathmandu University School of Law who is also a member of the board, told the Post.

Along with Dr Karki and Adhikari, a number of academics and professionals who have made their names in Nepali academia have been putting their efforts together to set up a world class varsity in the country.

The university will have its head office and central campus in Gaindakot Municipality in Eastern Nawalparasi. The local government has already recommended the federal government to provide 100 bighas land to the to-be-constructed varsity. (A bigha of land is equivalent to 0.67 hectares of land.)

Along with Gaindakot, Madhya Bindu Municipality and Hupsekot Rural Municipality in the district too have offered the land to the university. Based on the recommendations from the respective local governments, the federal government will decide on allocating the land.

Adhikari said at least Rs250 million is needed for the infrastructure construction in the first phase. The total estimated investment in the multi-disciplinary university is Rs25 billion in the next 10 years.

As per the bill, a fund would be established to operate the university. All tiers of governments, Nepali individuals and organisations and foreign nationals and organsations can put money in the fund.

Adhikari said though they are expecting some contribution from different layers of governments, they will also approach different hydropower companies, finance and insurance companies and other business houses to contribute some chunk of their profit to the university.

“We have also received positive responses from different individuals, organisations and companies abroad,” Adhikari told the Post. “Now that we have the law in place we can formally approach them for their investment.”

The representatives from the Gaindakot Municipality say they are very excited to learn about the endorsement of law which has cleared the way to proceed with the construction of the university.

“The municipality is also ready to put money in infrastructure development,” Madan Bhakta Adhikari, mayor at the municipalty, told the Post. “We want to see the university operate as soon as possible.”

Unlike the existing universities, the new university will operate under a board of trustees and will have complete authority over its management, including the appointment of its vice-chancellor. Most of the existing universities have the prime minister as their chancellor and the government appoints the vice-chancellors, who serve as the executive heads of the varsity.

The academics who conceptualised the university say their aim is to set up an inter-disciplinary university of international standards that will not just keep Nepali students from flying abroad for higher studies but will also attract international students.

For the last few years, more than 100,000 students have been acquiring ‘No Objection Certificates’ annually to travel abroad for higher studies for the international degree.

“Not just the Nepali academics,” said Adhikari, the professor, “but even the internationally acclaimed professors are ready to spare their time to teach in the university.”