Press Conference: Government and Consulting Organizations Debate Over No Objection Letter Provision

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EDUCAST Last year, on the 18th of Chaitra, Nepal government implemented a provision to obtain a study permit for foreign education and guidelines on foreign study approval. However, various educational consultancy organizations are demanding the abolition of this provision instead of its implementation. The Nepal Educational Consultancy Professional Association (Ad hoc Committee) held a press conference to put forward their demand. They protested against the government’s decision to ban foreign universities and educational programs, diploma courses, and language studies without consulting the concerned organizations of Nepal.

Rajendra Baral, the coordinator of the Ad hoc committee, said that the government should immediately eliminate the system that discourages students and that there is no mechanism for acquiring a no-objection letter for international study. Shesharaj Bhattarai, vice president of ECAN, stated that although they have no objections to the guidelines, the government should have communicated with professionals in educational consulting before putting them into effect. President Prem Pandey of Nair criticized the guidelines, stating that they violate the rights of students who wish to pursue Vedic studies.

The president of Jalsan, Ramesh Devkota, pleaded that the government boycott the order and immediately overturn it. He continued by saying that a phased protest would begin if the government did not act. The law was also opposed by Hemant Bhattarai, president of IRIN, who said that the previous administration should have considered the advice of educational advisors before introducing any such legislation.

The requirement to get a study permit for overseas education and the regulations on international study approval was both the subject of a protest at the press conference that was attended by many journalists, educational consulting experts, students, and parents.