Prime Minister Balen Shah has announced a decisive move to de-politicize Nepal’s academic and administrative sectors through a newly introduced ordinance. The government’s move effectively prohibits political party flags in educational institutions and partisan affiliations within the bureaucracy, aiming to dismantle the "sleeper cells" that have long compromised institutional integrity.
For decades, the dominance of party-backed organizations has shifted the focus from student welfare and professional service to partisan agendas. PM Shah noted that the culture of prioritizing political connections over actual merit and capability has severely eroded the public’s confidence in the national system.
Addressing the strategy of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Shah clarified that the choice to abstain from forming traditional student or employee wings is a deliberate effort to improve quality, not a lack of organizational capacity. He emphasized that simply adding more partisan groups would only further degrade the dignity of the civil service and the quality of education.
The newly enacted ordinance targets the core of institutional corruption by ensuring that appointments, transfers, and promotions are strictly based on expertise and legal procedures rather than political proximity. This shift is framed not as an infringement on rights, but as a necessary step to strengthen professional independence.
Prime Minister Shah envisions a future where students learn politics through philosophy and responsibility from their teachers rather than party leaders. Similarly, he urged civil servants to seek guidance from the law and serve the general public instead of seeking the "shade" of influential politicians.
This systemic overhaul is presented as a battle to rescue the country from partisan capture and set it on an institutional path. Calling for national solidarity, the Prime Minister asserted that real change is born from bold legislative decisions rather than rhetoric, promising that the government’s actions remain dedicated to the welfare of all Nepali citizens.
