Gagan Thapa, the General Secretary of the Nepali Congress (NC), suggested a prohibition on professors, teachers, and students from becoming members of the NC. He argued that the education sector has been negatively affected by political involvement.

Thapa emphasized that the circumstances have changed since his own involvement in student politics, which was influenced by the restrictions imposed by an autocratic monarchy and the threat of Maoist insurgency, and that students and teachers no longer need to engage in politics.

During a program in his constituency of Kathmandu-4, Thapa questioned the need to appoint NC members as chairpersons of school management committees, campus chiefs, and vice-chancellors. He suggested that the matter should be debated within the party and that competent professors can enter politics after resigning if they wish to do so.

However, Thapa’s proposal has not yet been formally discussed within Nepali Congress.

Furthermore, Thapa criticized the Nepal Student Union, the student wing of the Nepali Congress, for physically assaulting and mistreating teachers and professors. On October 6, 2020, Tribhuvan University professor Prem Chalaune was physically assaulted by members of the Nepal Student Union. Chalaune had suffered critical injuries and has been vying for justice since.

Recently, the case was brought to public attention after a Cabinet meeting decided to withdraw the case, and following that, Chalaune was arrested for protesting the government’s decision. On 22^nd June, the Supreme Court issued an interim order to not withdraw Chalaune’s case.