Political wrangling erupts as Maoists inclined to appoint their candidate as VC
KATHMANDU, Dec 15: A committee assigned to appoint the vice chancellor at Kathmandu University (KU) is divided in two groups, wrangling over recommending the candidates due to political interests.
The four-year tenure of Ram Kanth Makaju as KU vice chancellor ended on Sunday. The three-member committee headed by Education Minister Dhani Ram Paudel was formed on November 28 to recommend the candidates to prime minister and chancellor of KU.
Other members of the committee are former KU VC Prof Dr Suresh Raj Sharma and Daman Nath Dhungana, chairperson of KU Board of Trustees.
However, the committee members are divided into two groups over the selection and nomination of the candidate, according to sources. Education Minister Paudel has taken stance to recommend three candidates. On the other hand, Prof Sharma and Dhungana are insisting on re-appointing Makaju as VC for another four years.
Due to the conflict of interests, the KU has been running without VC from Monday.
Minister Paudel is in favor of selecting three candidates-Makaju, KU Registrar Bhola Thapa and Janardan Lamichhane, head of the Department of Biotechnology. Prof Mana Prasad Wagle and Registrar Thapa are the other prospective candidates for the post of VC backed by Prof Sharma and Dhungana.
Prof Sharma and Dhungana have strongly lobbied to nominate only one candidate for the KU VC. However, Minister Paudel has been insisting on nominating three candidates for the post of VC.
“The existing rule provisions to recommend three candidates,” said Minister Paudel. “PM Dahal has also preferred nomination of three candidates,” he claimed.
Minister Paudel and PM Dahal want to appoint Lamichhane as KU VC. Lamichhane, who was recently appointed as department head, is junior in terms of experience in administration.
Former VC Sharma, the member of the committee, who held five consecutive tenures of KU VC, said that one to three candidates could be recommended for the post of VC. “It is already late. We are searching for a common candidate but are yet to agree on it,” he said.
From the beginning to fifth VC, only one candidate, Prof Sharma, was recommended while three candidates were recommended in the sixth term last time.
Prof Sharma said that the KU VC should be capable of maintaining standards, creditability, management, academic calendar, quality and fund raising capacity to run the KU. “We wanted to put the university away from politics,” he said. “The candidate should be non-political to promote quality education. However, the present working style of the government seems to be politically motivated. The VC needs to be appointed at the soonest.”
Minister Paudel said that the VC should be appointed this week as per rules but could not furnish the time-frame for the VC appointment.
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