KU Student Alleges Bias in Scholarship Selection Process
A student studying at the Kathmandu University School of Engineering under Kathmandu University (KU) has alleged discrimination in the scholarship selection process and claimed that the university administration created problems after he raised questions about it.
Bhanu Pokharel, a first-year student in the Master in Health Informatics program from Rukum, said in a complaint filed with the University Grants Commission that he had been treated unfairly.
Pokharel said he had applied for the UGC’s “Formula Funding Scholarship.” Although the scholarship is primarily intended to be need-based, he claimed that students from accessible areas around Kathmandu and Dhulikhel were given priority in the selection process.
He alleged that the scholarship was distributed on the basis of access and influence, while he was overlooked despite coming from Rukum, a remote district of Karnali Province, and having a weak family financial condition.
“Out of the five people who gave interviews, four were selected, but I was not. Even though I was eligible under the remote-area quota and on the basis of need,” Pokharel said.
He complained that when he repeatedly visited the department and the Dean’s Office to seek clarification, instead of receiving an official response, he was subjected to mental stress.
Pokharel said, “An even more serious issue is that now, after I have already studied for four months since enrollment, there are indications that my registration may not be processed at all. I was indirectly threatened that problems could arise in my registration.”
He said the university was trying to put him in difficulty by making excuses such as a mismatch in registration.
Stating that the university administration’s behavior had left him mentally distressed, he submitted an application to the University Grants Commission seeking necessary investigation and justice. Questioning the transparency of the scholarship distribution process, he also asked for an impartial decision on possible discrimination.
The university officials concerned could not be reached for comment on the matter. Pokharel said he was ready to knock on every possible door for justice, saying that he had been treated unfairly.
