KIRTIPUR: Students at Tribhuvan University (TU) will now receive academic credits not only for their academic performance but also for their talents and contributions in extracurricular activities.
This marks the first time in the country that a university has introduced a policy formally recognizing extracurricular involvement as part of academic credit.
Dr. Dipendra Parajuli, Director of the Directorate of Student Welfare and Sports, explained that students who excel in areas such as social service, disaster management, sports, fine arts, science and technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, and management will have their achievements evaluated and reflected on their academic certificates.
He emphasized that students will not earn credits simply by submitting certificates of participation or achievement from competitions, programmes, or opportunities inside or outside the university. Instead, all student activities will be centrally monitored, documented, and verified through an official system before credits are awarded.
To implement the policy, coordinators at each campus for the National Service Scheme, National Service Corps, Vice-Chancellor Cup Sports, Fine Arts, and Science, Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship (SITE) programmes will be responsible for submitting verified records of student participation, engagement hours, and performance each semester.
These records will be certified and validated by the Directorate of Student Welfare and Sports. Additionally, a centralized digital system will be established to record all student activities, participation hours, and accumulated credit points.
An integrated dashboard using Google Forms and Google Sheets will provide a comprehensive overview of credits earned by individual students, completion of required programme hours, and comparative progress across campuses.
Only after thorough central monitoring and certification will the achievements reflected in students’ submitted certificates be considered in their academic grades.
According to Dr. Parajuli, the policy aims to enhance students’ overall academic performance while helping identify, nurture, and institutionally support hidden talents across diverse fields.
Students involved in national service programmes, the National Service Corps, Vice-Chancellor Cup sports, fine arts, and SITE programmes—already embedded within TU’s educational framework—will directly benefit from the initiative.
The policy also proposes appointing top-performing students from each central department as teaching or research assistants, providing them opportunities to contribute within the university. In addition, special admission facilities are being considered for students who demonstrate exceptional achievements in fields outside the university.
Dr. Parajuli stated that a concept paper is currently under preparation and that the policy will be formally implemented after approval by the Academic Council. “For the first time in the country, we are integrating extracurricular activities into the academic credit system,” he remarked.
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