KATHMANDU, May 25: The government is preparing a new regulation aimed at strengthening oversight of colleges affiliated with foreign universities, Education Minister Sasmit Pokharel has said.
Speaking at an event on Sunday, the minister said the move comes in response to growing complaints about the functioning, quality, and regulatory gaps in foreign university-linked institutions operating in Nepal.
He said the Ministry of Education has already prepared a draft regulation, which has been forwarded to the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs for necessary review and suggestions. After receiving their feedback, the draft will be presented to the Council of Ministers for final approval.
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According to the minister, the new regulation will clearly define key criteria for granting affiliation to foreign universities, including eligibility standards, monitoring mechanisms, and conditions for approval or rejection of partnerships. He stressed that the aim is to bring clarity and consistency in a sector that has remained loosely regulated so far.
The minister noted that while Nepali universities and domestic colleges are subject to established regulatory frameworks, foreign-affiliated institutions have not been effectively monitored, creating policy gaps and concerns over academic quality and governance.
He further informed that the ministry is currently working on three major regulatory frameworks at the same time. These include amendments related to general education rules, regulations governing educational consultancy (study abroad agencies), and the new framework for foreign university-affiliated colleges.
The Education Act itself could not be tabled in the ongoing parliamentary session, he added, which has led the government to move forward with regulations as an interim legal mechanism.
“We have completed the final draft and sent it to the concerned ministries. After receiving their comments from Finance and Law, we will forward it to the Cabinet for approval,” he said.
The government also plans to proceed with teacher quota adjustment in schools as part of broader reforms in the education sector, he said.
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