Hon. Minister for Education, Science and Technology Visits UGC

Honorable Minister for Education, Science and Technology Mr. Devendra Paudel paid a visit to the University Grants Commission, Sanothimi, Bhaktapur, on 14th Dec. 2021 and discussed with UGC Authorities and Vice Chancellors of different eleven universities on various issues of higher education. UGC Chairperson Prof. Bhim Parsad Subedi welcomed the minister at the office and informed him briefly about the history of UGC as well as its role for the development of higher education in the country.

Speaking in the meeting, Minister Paudel, with recognizing the Commission’s role for enhancing quality of higher education in the country, stressed on the need of strengthening UGC as a powerful body for regulating and coordinating higher education sector. Underscoring the importance of higher education for socio-economic development of the country, he suggested the UGC and universities to focus their academic and research activities on improving quality.

Minister Poudel suggested the universities to contribute national development process through innovation and research as they have knowledge and skills, the ability to develop and exploit new technologies. He also directed the universities to adopt the new technologies for effective teaching-learning and service delivery.

Minister Paudel advised the universities to develop the new programs of national priority and introduce subjects of market demand rather than traditional ones. He also noted that he was ready to facilitate the universities to make consensus among the political parties regarding the issues prevailing in the universities and the ministry would be happy for mediating in this regards. In the meeting, Vice-chancellors of different eleven universities briefed the progress of the universities along with issues and challenges facing at present. They unanimously requested the government and UGC to address the issues and problems of the universities.

Prof. Shankar Prasad Bhandari, Secretary, UGC, Mr. Yadav Prasad Koirala, Secretary and Dr. Hari Lamsal, Joint-Secretary, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, were also present in the meeting.