“An Earthquake for Tribhuvan University”: Mahabir Pun’s Call for a Shake-Up, Not a Collapse

Mahabir Pun’s metaphor calls for a shake-up of ideas, not a collapse of institutions.

By Rameshwar Yadav

When social innovator and Education Minister Mahabir Pun said, “We need to bring an earthquake to Tribhuvan University,” it wasn’t a threat — it was a challenge.

He wasn’t talking about shaking buildings, but about shaking systems — the rigid, outdated, and overly politicized culture that has held back Nepal’s oldest university for decades.

“The earthquake we need is one of ideas, innovation, and integrity,” Pun has often implied through his reformist tone.

A University Stuck Between History and Hesitation

Founded in 1959, Tribhuvan University (TU) was meant to be Nepal’s academic backbone. Today, it has become a symbol of bureaucracy, slow reform, and political influence.

• Student unions act as political wings of major parties.
• Top appointments are driven by connections, not competence.
• Curriculums remain trapped in decades-old models.
• Research and innovation are practically absent.

TU now risks becoming what many call “a sleeping giant” — large in size but stagnant in spirit.

Pun’s Earthquake: Reform, Not Ruin

If Mahabir Pun were to design the shake-up himself, his “earthquake” would likely center on three principles: Innovation, Integrity, and Implementation.

1. Innovation: From Rote Learning to Real Learning

Pun’s vision always revolves around solving real problems. He could push for a complete curriculum overhaul, making education problem-based and community-driven. Imagine each faculty having a “Student Innovation Corner”, where students prototype solutions to local challenges — from water management in rural areas to digital literacy in city schools.

Partnerships with the National Innovation Center could turn TU into an incubator of ideas rather than just a conveyor belt of degrees.

“Education should not end with exams; it should begin with problems,” Pun often says.

2. Integrity: Cleaning the System from the Inside Out

Reform starts with trust — and TU has lost plenty of it. Pun’s approach would prioritize transparency and accountability:

• Launch a TU Transparency Portal to publicly display budgets, grants, and appointments. 
• Introduce anonymous teacher evaluations by students to promote quality teaching.
• Replace political appointments with merit-based leadership through open competition.

Integrity, in Pun’s terms, means “no more invisible hands guiding public education.”

3. Implementation: Turning Words into Work

Nepali institutions often die in the gap between planning and doing. To close that gap, Pun could propose a TU Reform Task Force — including educators, students, and private-sector experts. The task force would design a measurable action plan within six months and ensure reforms within two years.

Digital transformation would be another step: All forms, results, and certificates available online; blockchain-based verification to end fake credentials.

“Innovation without implementation is just imagination,” Pun might say.

Rebuilding Trust in Academia

If these reforms materialized, the shockwaves could be felt far beyond TU.

A reformed TU could become a national think tank, shaping not just students but Nepal’s future itself.

A Call to Awaken, Not to Destroy

Mahabir Pun’s “earthquake” isn’t about demolishing what exists — it’s about awakening what’s asleep. Tribhuvan University doesn’t need another building; it needs a new mindset — one that values curiosity over comfort, purpose over politics.

“TU doesn’t need to fall apart,” Pun would say. “It needs to shake itself awake.”

Nepal’s education system can’t afford to wait for another generation. The ground beneath our universities must move — not with fear, but with reform.