KATHMANDU, Nov 2: Tribhuvan University (TU) Vice-Chancellor Dharma Kant Baskota has said that he worked as a ‘refugee’ for a four-year term due to the lockout of students' and teachers' organizations from various parts of the university.
He said that now the chancellor of the university should not be the prime minister but an academic person who has acquired academic expertise.
Baskota's four-year term ends on Thursday. At the same time, Vice-Chancellor Baskota held a press conference on Wednesday and presented the progress made during his four-year tenure and complained that during the four-year period, the organizations of various parties locked themselves for 470 days and made them refugees.
During his work, he realized that the problems of many universities would be overshadowed when the chancellor of the university was the prime minister, and suggested that now the chancellor should be appointed through open competition.
"Since there is a provision in the TU Statute that the prime minister is the chancellor, the prime minister has to lead the government, as the president of the party, he has to manage the party, and as the leader of the parliamentary party, he has to spend the same time in parliament, so I experienced that the chancellor could not give time for the university," said Vice-Chancellor Baskota. “As many problems of the university will be overshadowed, the provision of the prime minister being the chancellor should be removed,” he suggested.
During his four-year term, he emphasized research, worked on improving the physical infrastructure of the university, improved the examination system, succeeded in establishing a technology-friendly university, and presented the progress report on the arrangement of the academic calendar and its compliance. He said that his tenure was very challenging.
In the 15-point progress report presented by Baskota, timely revision of the Act, rules and regulations of the University, emphasis on good governance, identification, protection and use of the university’s assets for institutional benefit, arrangement of sports in the college for students, internationalization of higher education, curriculum revision, effective regulation of individual and affiliated colleges. And he emphasized on the work of enhancing the capacity of teaching staff.
The activities of the student organization should be focused on the fact that the activities of the student organization are conducted on time/not according to the academic calendar, whether the examinations are conducted/not on time, extra activities, availability of laboratories for practical knowledge as mentioned in the syllabus, library, availability of textbooks, etc. told
"The research budget in the university has been increased from 50 million to 410 million rupees in the last four years, in which we have succeeded in increasing the government grant from 20 million to 100 million rupees," Vice Chancellor Baskota said, “But, unfortunately, we professors and officials are insecure in a sacred educational institution like TU. The place where we sweat day and night is not safe. I request that the government be sensitive about this.”