Kathmandu: Four universities have been without Vice Chancellors (VC) for nearly two months as the appointments have been delayed due to the political bickering over sharing of the posts.

The posts of VCs are lying vacant in Tribhuvan University, Sanskrit University, Pokhara University and Purbanchal University. The resultant vacuum has adversely affected important works including policy formulation and infrastructure development.

"The TU failed to hold this year’s convocation ceremony and students grace list could not be endorsed in the absence of the vice chancellor," said a TU official.

Prem Chitrakar, spokesperson of TU said that according to the university’s annual calendar, the event should take place on July 25. Meeting the schedule is unlikely because the university has not even held its annual meeting.

TU has provision that annual meeting should be held two weeks before the convocation ceremony.

Chitrakar said that TU is going to miss the deadline for annual meet which expires. In the near future, TU will see more official posts falling vacant as some them are retiring soon. This is going to further worsen the administrative glitches at the country’s oldest institution of higher studies.

The government passed a bill to set up Far Western University, Mid Western University and Agriculture and Forestry University one year ago. However, the government has not appointed official to initiate its processes.

The Prime Minister, in the capacity of the Chancellor of these universities should appoint the VCs at the recommendations of the selection committee.
The Ministry has formed

a committee under pro-chancellor and Education Minister Ganga Lal Tuladhar to make appointment recommendations.

A month ago, Tuladhar claimed that the government would appoint the VCs within 10 days. The pledge was not met.

Talking to The Rising Nepal Minister Tuladhar said that the delay in the appointment of VCs occurred as the government wanted to make appointments on the basis of consensus among key political parties.

Tuladhar said that Maoists and Nepali Congress had exerted pressure on the government to choose their candidates as VCs.

"We want to appoint a person, who has a vision, integrity and decision making power. The future VC must be at least a professor or Ph. D. holder irrespective of his/her party affiliation," he said.

The education minister claimed that the government would appoint all the university VCs within a few days.

Madhav Prasad Sharma, Bidur Prasad Paudel, Keshar Jang Baral and Ram Avatar Yadav served as the VCs of Tribhuvan, Sanskrit, Pokhara and Purbanchal University respectively before their terms expired.

Meanwhile, the office of the University Grant Commission (UGC) continues to be padlocked for the last one month.

The Maoist affiliated teachers padlocked UGC, demanding the posts of president and member secretary of the commission.

source:  Dhakal,Manjima(2011),"Four universities left without VCs for two months", RisingNepal, 23 June 2011