Tribhuvan University Recovers Over Rs 100 Million in Study Leave Misuse Crackdown

Tribhuvan University is tightening the screws on one of Nepal’s biggest academic accountability scandals, with more than Rs 100 million already recovered from professors who misused study leave and failed to return to service.

The latest figures show that 41 professors have repaid the university so far, while 62 more are currently in the process of settling their dues. The repayments come after a government-backed investigation identified 398 professors who either did not return after going abroad for study or did not complete their studies as required.

A growing financial and institutional cleanup

The issue has drawn attention because study leave is meant to strengthen the university’s academic capacity, not become a long-term exit route. According to the investigation, many of the cases involved faculty members who left with the expectation of further education but never came back to resume their duties.

Earlier reporting from the university indicated that 191 professors had gone abroad and failed to return, while 207 completed their studies but were also flagged in the wider review of study leave misuse. TU officials have said the total amount that could ultimately be recovered may reach as high as Rs 2 billion.

Where the money is going

Tribhuvan University has said the recovered funds are being directed into its pension fund, with some reports also noting plans to support infrastructure development. The move matters because TU operates its own pension system and does not rely on government support for this obligation.

That makes the recovery effort more than a disciplinary action. It is also a financial repair operation for one of Nepal’s largest public universities, which has had to absorb the cost of faculty absences and the disruption they created.

Why this case matters

The scandal highlights a deeper challenge in higher education governance: what happens when leave policies exist on paper but are weakly enforced in practice. In TU’s case, the misuse of study leave appears to have created both a staffing gap and a long-term financial burden.

For a university that depends on faculty continuity to maintain teaching quality, research output, and administrative stability, the recovery campaign is also a signal that the institution is trying to restore discipline after years of lax oversight.

What comes next

With dozens of professors still repaying their dues and the investigation having identified hundreds of cases, TU’s cleanup is not finished. The scale of the repayments suggests the university may continue to pursue refunds, formal notices, and administrative action against those who have not yet resolved their cases.

For now, the headline is clear: Tribhuvan University has turned a major governance failure into an active recovery drive, and the total amount recovered is still climbing.