A report by University Grants Commission, the governing body, shows that of the total 569,665 students enrolled from the bachelor to PhD level last academic session, 500,717 were in TU colleges.

With a view to decentralise education, the government added 11 universities and autonomous institutions after the restoration of democracy in 1990 but the purpose has not been served.

Of the 1,276 colleges in the country, 1,041 belong to or are affiliated to TU, a large chuck of them concentrated in the Capital. Some 52.88 percent students are in the central region, 40 percent in Kathmandu alone. “A majority of the colleges are in Kathmandu and other big cities,” reads the report. Accessibility and cost for students have been attributed to TU’s massive enrolment.

Educationists say that opening new universities to serve political interests are to blame for the poor enrolment in new varsities. A report prepared by Tirtha Raj Khaniya, former member of National Planning Commission, four years ago warned that setting up universities without proper mapping and specialisation would lead to their failure.

Experts say that infrastructure, sustenance, academic environment and location must be studied before establishing a university.