Kathmandu, September 17:

‘Regional varsities setting up colleges in Valley’ .

Professor Jagat Bahadur KC, vice-chancellor of the Purbanchal University (PU) said today that due to a lack of clear-cut policy of the University Grants Commission (UGC), most of the campuses under regional universities are based in the Valley. “The UGC needs to formulate a policy to bar regional universities from establishing colleges in the Valley. This is imperative, because the law does not bar the universities from doing so,” said KC during a press meet held here. “The UGC should set up a mechanism to monitor matters after drafting a regulation on the issue.” He said that the University Service Commission should be unified and that it should be put under the UGC so that all the universities have a uniform process of appointment of teachers and employees.

“Most of the universities still have no service commission. We, however, are planning to make the Purbanchal University service commission more effective for better performance,” said KC. He said PU has been concentrating on having its own programmes in order to avoid duplication of Tribhuvan University programmes. PU has 8,000 students in 80 campuses. It has also started four-year diploma courses in Dairy Technology, Interior Design Technology, Food Technology and Hospital Management from this academic session. The UGC provides Rs 180,00,000 as yearly budget and PU is expecting at least $10 million from the Higher Education Project-II if it works out. “There should be a University Umbrella Act but with the condition that the existing universities should be autonomous,” said Professor KC. Purbanchal University is also organising a national level conference on Sepetmber 29 of the principals of all affiliated campuses to improve the quality of education in PU. The conference will be held at Biratnagar.