Kathmandu, August 24

Prime Minister Sushil Koirala today appointed vice-chancellors in four universities, namely, Tribhuvan University (TU), Nepal Sanskrit University (NSU), Purbanchal University (PU) and Far-Western University (FWU) amid protest from CPN-UML-aligned professors’ association.

In his capacity as Chancellor, the prime minister appointed Prof Tirtha Khaniya, Prof Kul Prasad Koirala, Prof Ghanashyam Lal Das and Prof Bhusan Shrestha as VCs of TU, NSU, PU and FWU respectively for four years.

The VC Recommendation Committee, led by Education Minister Chitra Lekha Yadav, who is also the pro-chancellor of the universities, had recommended the names to the Prime Minister on August 22.

The posts of vice-chancellor in seven universities of the nine universities the names of candidates were recommended and they were appointed without consultation. This is not acceptable.” He informed they had proposed that UML would hold three universities, including TU, while the remaining would go to other political parties. Appointments in three other universities — Pokhara University, Mid-Western University (MWU) and Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU) — are yet to be made.

According to a member of the VC Recommendation Committee, candidates close to CPN-UML such as Prof Chiranjibi Sharma, Prof Upendra Koirala, Prof Mahesh Dahal, Prof Ram Khelal Shah, Prof Bharat Pahari and Prof Tulasi Pathak and two candidates close to UCPN-Maoist Prof Ishwori Prasad Dhakal and Prof Punya Regmi are being discussed for vacant posts in the remaining three universities.

The committee member said that two candidates close to UML would be appointed in Pokhara University and MWU and one candidate from UCPN-M would get AFU.

Meanwhile, NUPTA today padlocked the offices of VCs in all four universities for indefinite period. Prof Shrestha is the first female VC of Nepal.