Tribhuvan University (TU) has always drawn flak for allowing political interference while appointing high-level officials.

The tenure of the examination controller Chiranjibi Sharma, appointed three months ago, expired today. It seems likely that the long-followed ‘tradition’ of delaying appointments will continue this time too due to differences between professors’ organisations.

Due to pressure from parties like the Nepali Congress, CPN-UML and the UCPN-Maoist to have their ‘professors’ as the controller, the selection of controller was delayed earlier too. Generally, the tenure of controller is four years, but due to lack of consensus between professors’ organisations, Sharma was appointed only for three months.

TU has the position of seven deputy controllers across the country, but at present there are only four deputy controllers and they have been working for a year. The post of deputy controller has been lying vacant in Pokhara, Nepalgunj and Biratnagar regional offices. Absence of deputy controllers in regional offices means deputy controllers based in the central office in Kathmandu have to shoulder their responsibilities.

A deputy controller said it is difficult to assign serious responsibilities to the employees of regional offices. “Whenever there is some important task, we have to rush to regional offices. Due to such practice, regular activities such as examinations and publication of results get affected,” he said.

A TU Executive Council meeting held yesterday to appoint controller and deputy controllers ended inconclusively owing to lack of consensus between the authorities.

Prof Dr Hira Maharjan, Vice Chancellor, TU, said those present at the meeting were backing the professors close to their respective parties. Therefore, it became very difficult to build consensus on the candidates. He said they were talking to professors’ organisations too for the appointment of controller and deputy controllers.

Currently, Mahendra Sharma, Baikuntha Khanal, Dawa Sherpa and Krishna Acharya are deputy controllers of four regional offices. Sharma and Khanal are close to the UCPN-Maoist, whereas Acharya and Sherpa are close to the CPN-UML.

Sharma had demanded that his three-month appointment be extended. The delay in appointment of controller and deputy controllers is sure to hit the service seekers and the academic calendar of the university.

source: the himalayan times,1 may 2013