KATHMANDU, Jan 25: For the first time in the history of Tribhuvan University (TU), women have applied for the position of Vice-Chancellor.
Minister for Education, Science, and Technology Ashok Kumar Rai, the coordinator of the three-member Vice-Chancellor recommendation committee, had made a procedure and asked for applications openly. About 43 professors have applied for the vice-chancellor position till the January 24 deadline for applying. Among them, two women candidates are contesting for the vice-chancellor position of TU.
According to Vice Chancellor Recommendation Committee member Chandrakala Ghimire, two women professors have applied for the post of Vice Chancellor for the first time in the history of TU. She said that 43 people, including two women, had applied for the post of vice-chancellor. The committee is verifying the applications received.
“It is a positive aspect that two women professors have applied for the position of Vice-Chancellor now, claiming to be qualified and competent. It is a huge struggle in itself,” said Ghimire. It is clear from the application for vice-chancellor that women are also equally capable of reaching leadership positions.
According to Ghimire, now the committee will proceed with the selection process according to the procedure. For the position of Vice-Chancellor, the names of three candidates will be selected and recommended to the Chancellor and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal based on their qualifications. One of the three will be appointed as the Vice-Chancellor.
Erosion of professors’ prestige
“We are preparing to recommend the names of three qualified vice-chancellor candidates to the chancellor,” said Ghimire. She said that the selection of the Vice-Chancellor of TU will not be supported by any political manipulation.
Professor Kusum Shakya, who applied for the post of Vice-Chancellor, expressed her happiness that the Vice-Chancellor of TU is going to be selected through an open competition. She claimed that she is a capable and worthy candidate for the post of Vice-Chancellor.
“In earlier days, competent and qualified candidates never got an opportunity due to the selection process by political manipulation for the Vice-Chancellor position,” said Shakya.
Shakya informed Republica, “I have gained administrative, academic, and leadership experience as the head of the Central Department of Economics, Dean of Humanities Faculty in TU.”
“I have the ability and competence to lead the university through a crisis. I have been teaching at the university for 35 years. Not only as a woman but as a competent and qualified candidate, I have applied for the position of vice-chancellor.”
Professor Sangita Rayamajhi has also applied for the post of Vice-Chancellor. She also claimed that she was qualified for the post of Vice-Chancellor. Earlier, she complained that because there was no open application for the post of Vice Chancellor of the university, qualified and capable professors, who had no political access, weren’t selected.
But this time, the Chancellor's announcement to appoint a capable and qualified vice-chancellor was positive, she said. “I have been teaching at TU for three decades. I have full competence, ability, and confidence to lead the university out of the transitional period,” she said, “The whole country is monitoring how and who will become the vice chancellor of TU. I am confident that the committee will make selections and recommendations based on procedures and criteria.”
The spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Shiva Kumar Sapkota, said, “The Vice-Chancellor's Recommendation Committee is verifying the applications received. The committee will soon recommend the names of three candidates to the Chancellor.”
According to the Vice-Chancellor Selection and Recommendation Procedure- 2080, 43 people submitted claims after the application for the Vice-Chancellor was requested. Among the professors who applied claiming to be a capable candidate for Vice Chancellor are Shiva Lal Bhusal, Guna Nidhi Neupane, Sangita Rayamajhi, Kushum Shakya, Tanka Nath Dhamala, Sanjay Acharya, Anand Ballabh Joshi, Akkal Dev Mishra, Ridish Kumar Pokharel, Narayan Parsad Belbase, Chandramani Poudel, Gyanendra Prasad Poudel, Lekhnath Sharma, Binay Kumar Jha, Shuba Narayan Pathak, Mahananda Chalise, Surya Bahadur Thapa, Bedanath Sharma, and Hemraj Panta.
Similarly, professors Bhoj Raj Aryal, Bhimsen Devkota, Prakash Ghimire, Ramchandra Basnet, Ekraj Ojha, Tirtha Raj Khaniya, Kedarnath Ghimire, Mahendra Prasad Sharma, Binod Parajuli, Dev Bahadur Khadka, Krishna Raj Tiwari, Keshar Jung Baral, Gobinda Subedi, Raj Kumar Pokharel, Nabaraj Devkota, Balmukunda Joshi, Ram Prasad Regmi, Chitra Bahadur Budhathoki, Indra Bahadur Karki, Tri Ratna Bajracharya, Pramod Kumar Jha, Nanda Bahadur Singh, Prakash Ghimire have also applied for the post of Vice-Chancellor.
