Government Tightens Education Consultancy Business as Student Fraud Cases Rise, 18 Operators Arrested
The government has started tightening control over the educational consultancy business after students going abroad for higher education were left stranded through false assurances. After complaints increased that students had been cheated by institutions operating without permission, police intensified monitoring and arrested operators and representatives of 18 illegal consultancy institutions in the Valley.
The Ministry of Education and Sports has been receiving verbal and written complaints almost daily from students and parents, stating that they were cheated by consultancy businesses, with some complaints naming specific businesses. The ministry studies the complaints and takes action within its capacity. If further investigation is required, it sends the matter to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) of Nepal Police. Earlier also, the ministry had sent complaints to the CIB, requesting action against more than three dozen consultancy businesses.
According to Semanta Koirala, Deputy Secretary at the Educational Consultancy and Certification Section of the ministry, the problem has not stopped even after action was taken against those who trap students by giving wrong counseling. Due to institutions operating illegally, a serious problem has emerged in the overall business, and many students have faced difficulties after reaching foreign countries without proper counseling.
According to the ministry’s data, 53 Nepalis have lost their lives in Japan alone in the past one year. Most of those who died were students, and many were reported to be suicide cases. Deputy Secretary Koirala said the incident of so many deaths in a single country confirmed that students had not been properly counseled before going abroad.
Meanwhile, the Nepal Educational Consultancy Business Federation has repeatedly requested the government to bring those involved in wrongful activities, self-interest-driven work, and bargaining under the legal scope. Federation President Rajendra Baral has urged the Ministry of Home Affairs to resolve such problems in a lawful manner and has also drawn the government’s attention to ensuring that innocent business operators running their businesses legally are not treated unjustly.
After the ministry stopped the registration of new institutions in 2074 BS, registration had begun from the provinces. However, no government body has exact data on how many companies have been registered in which province. According to Deputy Secretary Koirala, among 924 consultancy companies registered at the federal level, only 759 have been renewed.
Education News