A year after applying for his Bachelor of Engineering’s provisional certificate, Yagya Dhakal finally received the document from the Office of the Controller of Examinations (OCE) at Balkhu in Kathmandu on Wednesday. Thousands of Tribhuvan University ( TU ) students like Dhakal have been hit hard by the OCE’s sluggish pace of work.

The OCE is a TU office responsible for evaluating students, conducting examinations, publishing results, and distributing academic certificates. Recent publication of university results and large number civil service vacancies opened by the Public Service Commission and the Teacher Service Commission at the same time has increased the number of service-seekers at Balkhu these days.

Initially, Pant was told by OCE officials to come back after 15 days and then again after a week, but on both occasion he has compelled to return empty handed. On Wednesday, he carried a hidden camera to capture the image of the OCE officials who failed to provide him with the provisional certificate this time as well.

The OCE’s central office at Balkhu is the sole office which provides transcript, migration, provisional, and original certificates to students of all TU affiliated colleges. Long serpentine queues of 500 to 1,000 service-seekers are a regular sight in its premises due to centralisation of all works related to the nation’s oldest university in Balkhu.

First of all, service-seekers who reach Balkhu have to get their respective forms from the main inquiry desk. Then the amount required for the service(s) they seek has to be deposited at the bank counter located on the OCE premises. Since all people have to pay for the services they seek, there is always a long line of service seekers in front of the bank.

Thereafter, the invoice from the bank has to be registered at room no 1 inside one of many OCE buildings on the premises. There again service seekers have to deal with a long queue. After facing all this hassle, students are given a date to collect their document, but this time-frame is hardly ever complied with.

“As academic certificates are of highly sensitive nature and have to be kept confidential, only a few employees are authorised to handle them,” said Shankar Bhandari, acting controller of OCE. “With 20,000 to 25,000 students graduating from TU every year, we are hugely understaffed to process all applications for academic certificates in due time.”

Arjun Ghimire, who graduated from Eastern Region Campus in Dharan, was standing in line in front of one among many OCE rooms for his provisional certificate. “Collecting one’s academic documents from one’s own college must be made possible,” Ghimire said. “Or even from nearby regional office of the OCE.”

According to Bhandari, OCE is arranging resources to entrust its regional offices with more responsibilities. “ TU is a big organisation and decentralisation of its work and responsibilities would definitely take some time,” he said.

Sobit Pant is another student who has visited Balkhu repeatedly as his name was misspelled in the mark sheets of BBS first and second years. Officials have neither rectified the error nor offered him any solution.

“They ask me to wait, but for how long? My degree is at stake here,” Pant grumbled. “Why do I have to suffer for TU ’s silly mistake?”

“We are aware of the difficulty students are facing right now. I request them all to be patient,” Bhandari assured. “In three to four month’s time, all works carried out by OCE will be streamlined.”

source: the kathmandu post,6 feb 2015