History classes at the Post Graduate Campus Biratnagar are currently not being conducted due to a lack of students.  

Because of this lack of students, the five teachers who teach the subject in the campus have no work to do. They regularly go to the campus, and then return home after registering their attendance.

College authorities said that this year, only four students have taken admission forms for the master’s in history programme at the campus, and they are unsure whether all of them will enrol in the course. Last year, only three students had enrolled for the course. None of them appeared for the board examination.

The same is the case with the Sanskrit department: there are currently four students and as many teachers in the department. The English department too is also in the same state.

“The number of history students has significantly plunged,” said Prof Anil Pokharel, the head of history department. He said that the teachers do not have work, as there are no- or very-few students in the department. Along with Pokharel, Ramesh Kumar Shrestha, Medini Prasad Sedhain, Gunanath Gautam and Gopal Pokharel are the other professors in the history department. “The teachers sometimes teach other related subjects, while others are doing their PhD,” said Pokharel.

According to Pokharel, the dwindling number of students in the history department is a national issue. He said there was not even a single student in the central department of history in Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, last year.

As per the record available at the Biratnagar-based campus, the number of students in the history department

has been dwindling for the past 12 years. There was not a single student in four academic years between 2006 and 2018.

The situation is just the same in the bachelor’s level as well. There are just eight students each in history and Sanskrit departments at Mahendra Morang Adarsha Multiple Campus, Biratnagar. “These two subjects are not taught in the 2 level. As a result there are very few students in the bachelor level,” said assistant campus chief Sushil Adhikari.

Pokharel said, to make use of his free time, he completed his PhD and is currently involved in various other research works. He added that he was not personally happy for getting regular salary without much work.

“I don’t know what the other teachers feel but I do not feel good for not having work,” said Pokharel. He said the history department has been carrying out research work on various issues by coordinating with five different universities of India.