Kathmandu, 27 April (H.S.)Ninety‑eight former Nepali students of Sangai International University in Manipur, India, now face uncertainty over the validity of their academic degrees. Nepal’s Tribhuvan University, which is reviewing the case, has publicly listed the names of all 98 ex‑students and issued them a 35‑day ultimatum to submit documents proving the authenticity of their qualifications.

The Curriculum Development Centre (CDC) of Tribhuvan University has started investigations into the equivalency certificates issued to these former Sangai International University students. In an official notice, the university says: “Your name is under verification in relation to the equivalency certificates issued by this centre. Therefore, from the date of publication of this notice, you are required to submit, within 35 days, the original copy of your equivalency certificate and any other documents that can substantiate the validity of the academic degree you claim to have obtained.”

Failure to meet this deadline, the circular warns, could jeopardize the recognition of their degrees in Nepal, affecting their prospects for higher education, government jobs and professional certifications.

The concern stems from the stance of India’s University Grants Commission (UGC), which on May 15, 2024, removed Sangai International University from its list of recognised institutions. The UGC also declared academic degrees awarded by the university invalid for higher education and government jobs in India, raising questions about the status of qualifications issued even before the derecognition.

Several of these Nepali students had earlier approached Tribhuvan University for equivalency certificates so that their foreign degrees could be recognised in Nepal. The Curriculum Development Centre, which handles such matters, has now disclosed the names, addresses and subjects of the 98 students as part of its transparency‑driven verification drive.

For the affected candidates, the 35‑day deadline is critical: they must now gather original transcripts, mark sheets, university‑issued certificates and any supporting evidence that their academic records are genuine and were obtained through legitimate study. Tribhuvan University’s CDC has indicated that it will reassess each case only after receiving these documents, and may ultimately decide whether to affirm, revise or cancel the equivalency status of the disputed degrees.

Academic lawyers and student‑rights groups in Nepal say the move is necessary to maintain standards in higher education but also warn that the tight timeline and stigma of public listing could place an unfair burden on students who may have been unaware of the Indian university’s later de‑recognition.

As the 35‑day window runs, the case of the 98 former Sangai‑linked students is becoming a high‑profile test of how Nepal’s education regulators balance quality‑control with due process in the growing space of transnational academic credentials.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar