Nepal Approves Higher Education Academic Calendar 2083/084

Government Approves ‘National Academic Calendar 2083/084’ for Higher Education

The Ministry of Education and Sports has approved the ‘Proposed National Academic Calendar 2083/084 for Higher Education’, as recommended by the University Grants Commission (UGC), and has decided to bring it into implementation.

Prepared primarily on the basis of the timing of the publication of Class 12 results, the calendar will bring all university activities—from admissions and teaching-learning to examinations and result publication—under a single integrated schedule and standard.

In accordance with the provisions of the University Grants Commission Act, 2050 and the Essential Services Operation Act, 2014, all universities and higher education institutions in the country have been directed to implement the calendar.

The government expects the decision to address long-standing delays in universities, uncertain examination schedules, and delays of several years in the publication of results.

Under the newly approved National Academic Calendar, the detailed schedule prescribed for undergraduate programs under the annual and semester systems is as follows:

Undergraduate Level Schedule: Semester and Annual Systems

• Admission applications open: From Asar

• Entrance examination and result publication: Within Shrawan

• Completion of admission process and commencement of classes under both systems: From Bhadra

• First-semester teaching-learning: From Bhadra to Magh

• First-semester final examination: In Magh

• Publication of first-semester results: Within Falgun

• Second-semester admission and classes: From Falgun to Asar 2084

• Second-semester final examination: In Asar 2084

• Publication of second-semester results: In Shrawan 2084

• Teaching-learning under the annual system: From Bhadra 2083 to Baisakh 2084

• Final examination under the annual system: In Jestha 2084

• Publication of annual-system results: Within Shrawan or Bhadra 2084

New Provisions on Admission, Teaching-Learning, and Results

• Digital Admission System: Universities will now be required to gradually adopt digital admission systems and centralized online admission systems.

• Basis for Admission: For general academic programs other than technical programs that do not require an entrance examination, admission will be based on the Class 12 GPA. However, entrance examinations have been made mandatory for professional and technical subjects to assess students’ interests and abilities.

• Deadline for Starting Classes: Teaching-learning activities must begin within eight weeks of the publication of Class 12 results.

• Semester Duration: Under the semester system, there must be at least 90 hours or 16 weeks of teaching-learning, and a semester break of no more than two weeks may be provided.

• Deadline for Result Publication: After an examination is conducted, results of regular examinations must be published within a maximum of 60 days, while final-semester results must be published within 30 days.

• Opportunity for Grade Improvement Students: A flexible provision has been introduced allowing students appearing in the Class 12 supplementary or grade improvement examination to also participate in entrance examinations.

• Graduate-Level Admission: Admission to graduate-level programs must be completed and classes started within 30 to 45 days of the publication of the final undergraduate-level results.

The government has adopted a strategy of limiting the time required to publish undergraduate-level results to within two months and using the time saved for teaching-learning activities.