Most of the PLA top commanders- let alone other combatants- do not have the required educational level to qualify for higher posts in the Nepal Army(NA). [break]
Of the seven PLA division commanders, only three have intermediate level education. It is still not clear whether one of them had passed intermediate level before joining the PLA.
Similarly, of the 16 division vice commanders of the PLA, three have completed bachelor’s level education, and four, intermediate level. It’s still unclear when they passed their respective exams.
According to the seven-point agreement, the educational attainments of the combatants at the time of joining the PLA will be taken into account but they will be given a bonus of one level. That means, for instance, that if a commander had passed the SLC exam at the time of joining the PLA, it would be considered as intermediate level.
Similarly, there is a concession of three years in age, meaning that if a combatant was 24 when joining the PLA he/she would be considered to have been 21 for the purpose of his/her integration in the NA.
Their service period would be counted from the date of entry into the PLA. So, if a combatant joined the PLA in 2001 at the age of 24 or below and had passed SLC, it would be considered equivalent to his having joined the NA as a second lieutenant in 2001.
In the integration of officers, an assessment will be made of how far he would have risen in the NA hierarchy in 10 years and his placement decided accordingly.
Leaders and experts privy to the seven-point deal say almost none of the PLA commanders or combatants will make it to higher than major in the NA, based on these criteria.
Since the Maoist commanders were promised at the beginning by their leadership that one of them will be second-in-command in the NA or at least get to lead the proposed NA directorate, the commanders now say they don’t feel encouraged to go for integration. The education level and age of 19 top commanders and vice commanders is listed in the tables.
Division Commanders
Yam Bahadur Adhikari ‘Pratiksha’
First Division, Chulachuli, Ilam
Party Position: State Committee Member
Date of Birth: 1972
Birth place: Marpak, Dhading
Education: Higher secondary level
Date of Joining PLA: 1996
Suk Bahadur Roka Magar ‘Sharad’
Second Division, Dudhauli, Sindhuli
Party Position: State Committee Member
Date of Birth: 1969
Birth Place: Jelbang, Rolpa
Education: Higher secondary Level
Date of Joining PLA: 1996
Dhan Bahadur Maski Magar ‘Rajesh’
Third Division, Shaktikhor, Chitawan
Party Position: Central Committee Member
Date of Birth: 1976
Birth Place: Hapure, Dang
Education: Higher secondary level
Date of Joining PLA: 1996
Tej BahadurOli ‘Pratik’
Fourth Division, JhyaltungDanda,
Nawalaparasi
Party Position: Central Committee Member
Date of Birth: 1974
Birth Place: Mahat, Rukum
Education: SLC Pass
Date of Joining PLA: 1996
Kali Bahadur Kham ‘Bibidh’
Fifth Division, Dahaban, Rolpa
Party Position: Central Committee Member
Date of Birth: 1974
Birth Place: Hukam, Rukum
Education: SLC pass
Date of Joining PLA: 1996
Mahendra BahadurShahi ‘Prajwal’
Sixth Division, Dasharathpur, Surkhet
Party Position: State Committee Member
Date of Birth: 1977
Birth Place: NanikotKotila, Kalikot
Education: SLC pass
Date of Joining PLA: 1996
Santu Darai ‘Parawana’
Seventh Division, Kailali
Party Position: Central Committee Member
Date of Birth: 1965
Birth Place: Chitawan
Education: SLC pass
Date of Joining PLA: 1996
Division Vice-commanders
Ram BabuThapa ‘Sangram’, 30 years old
First Division, Chulachuli, Ilam
Party Position: State Committee Member
Education: SLC pass
Date of Joining PLA: 1997
Hari Bahadur Shrestha ‘Pramod’, 39 years old
First Division, Chulachuli, Ilam
Party Position: State Committee Member
Education: Higher Secondary Level
Date of Joining PLA: 1996
Gopal Pande ‘Uttam’
Second Division, Dudhauli, Sindhuli
Party Position: Maoist State Committee Member
Padam Lama ‘Sanjeeb’
Second Division, Dudhauli, Sindhuli
Party Position: State Committee Member
Uday Bahadur Chalaune ‘Deepak’, 33 years old
Third Division, Shaktikhor, Chitawan
Party Position: State Committee Member
Education: SLC pass
Date of Joining PLA:1996
JanakBista ‘Kuber’, 39 years old
Third Divsion, Shaktikhor, Chitawan
Party Position: State Committee Member
Education: Primary Level
Date of Joining PLA: 1996
BasudevGhimire ‘Pawel’, 33 years old
4th Division, JhyaltungDanda, Nawalaparasi
Party Position: State Committee Member
Education: BA
Date of Joining PLA: 1996
KalBahadurNath ‘Mahan’, 43 years old
4th Division, JhyaltungDanda, Nawalaparasi
Party Position: State Committee Member
Education: SLC pass
Date of Joining PLA: 1996
Ram Lal Roka Magar ‘Madan’, 37 years old
Fifth Division, Dahaban, Rolpa
Party Position: State Committee Member
Education: Higher Secondary Level
Date of joining PLA: 1996
Raj Bahadur Budha Magar ‘Abinash’, 45 years old
Fifth Division, Dahaban, Rolpa
Party Position: State Committee Member
Education: Class 10 pass
Date of Joining PLA: 1996
NepBahadurKuwarMagar ‘Bibek’
Sixth Division, Dasharathpur, Surkhet
Party Position: State Committee Member
Date of Birth: 1969
Birth Place: Lekhpokhara –Salyan
Education: Tenth Pass
Date of Joining PLA: 1996
Durga Prasad Chaudhari ‘Santosh’
Sixth Division, Dasharathpur, Surkhet
Party Position: State Committee Member
Nep Bahadur Chaudhari ‘Singh Raj’, 32 years old
Seventh Division, Talaband, Kailali
Party Position: State Committee Member
Education: Higher Secondary Level
Date of Joining PLA: 1996
Birendra Budha ‘Jeeban’
Seventh Division, Talband, Kailali
Party Position: State Committee Member
Daljeet Shreepaili ‘Prashant’, 41 years old
In-charge of Military Academy
Party Position: State Committee Member
Education: Higher Secondary Level
Date of Joining PLA: 1996
Birendra BM ‘Manjil’, 41 years old
PLA Headquarters, Kathmandu
Party Position: State Committee Member
Education: B.Com
Date of Joining PLA: 1996
Related story
Advisory task force recommends keeping marriage age at 18
