Nepal, Feb. 13 -- Nepal's higher education is already in a deep doldrums. Questions around the quality and availability of courses and an incessant mass exodus of youths for university education are a few indicators of the looming crisis. According to the latest official figures, during the first half of the current fiscal year alone, 54,000 students exited the country. The national exchequer bled out nearly half a billion dollars from foreign currency reserves to 'import' educational services.

However, these outcomes are hardly surprising in light of the absolute nonchalance of the State in all possible aspects, including legal, institutional, and economic, that impact the country's higher education. The country lacks a well-articulated...