Tribhuvan University (TU) has revised its earlier provision, which allowed unpaid leave to be counted toward pension eligibility. The decision was made by the Executive Council, with formal signatures completed by members on Sunday following a meeting held on Friday.
According to an official from TU, the institution had been providing pensions against regulations, a fact previously reported by Onlinekhabar. “Unpaid leave will no longer be counted in the pension period,” the official stated.
Investigation Committee to Be Formed
While TU has now restricted the practice, it has not yet decided whether the pension amounts previously issued under this system will be recovered. Sources indicate that a committee will be formed to investigate the matter further.
“There needs to be a study on how many professors received pensions by including unpaid leave and how much money has been spent. The Executive Council has raised the issue of forming a committee for this purpose,” the official added.
Legal Provision and Regulation Details
According to Rule 32 of the TU Teachers and Staff Service Regulation, 2050 BS, provisions for extraordinary (unpaid) leave are clearly outlined. Permanent teachers or staff must submit an application citing valid reasons for the leave. If the reason is deemed reasonable, TU may approve unpaid leave not exceeding one year at a time and not more than three years in total during the entire service period.
During such unpaid leave, no salary or allowances are granted. Only employees with a minimum of five years of permanent service are eligible to apply, and the Executive Council is responsible for approving.
Before the amendment of Rule 32 in 2068 BS, the regulation allowed up to three years of unpaid leave if no other leave remained or if applied for by a permanent teacher or employee.
Provision for Temporary or Contract Employees
For those in temporary or contract positions for over two years, unpaid leave may be granted for up to two months at a time, with a maximum of six months in total. In case of project-based positions with a tenure of over 15 years, up to three months of unpaid leave was allowed, to be used within that period.
However, the regulation did not specify that such leave should be included in the service period. In Nepal’s civil service, unpaid leave is also not counted in service years for pension purposes.
Financial Burden on the University
Allowing unpaid leave to be counted for pensions has reportedly placed a significant financial strain on TU. According to current records, a total of 4,156 faculty members, from Associate Professor to Professor rank, are receiving pensions.
An investigation by Onlinekhabar found that 126 professors had taken unpaid leave, which was counted toward pension calculations. TU officials claim that the actual number may be even higher.
Just from these 126 professors, TU has reportedly spent more than NPR 67.3 million annually on pensions, including unpaid leave. Some former TU officials are also among those who benefited from this system.
New Directive on Unpaid Deputation (Kaj)
The Executive Council has also ruled that unpaid deputation (Kaj) will not be counted toward pension unless the Council approves it for Ministers. Previously, TU professors had accepted deputation assignments in various institutions, which affected academic operations.
“Only deputations approved by the Council of Ministers will now be counted for pension. For all others, it will no longer be included,” a TU official confirmed.
