BANEPA, Dec 20: The reputation of Kathmandu University (KU) is slowly faltering in the mind of the general public as the university now has become increasingly subjected to unabated political and constitutional interferences.
Parents once used to feel proud to say that their children study in KU. The university was known to produce quality human resources as per the demand of the market. It used to timely complete admission of students, complete its course and publish its results. But gone are those days and the reputation of the university.
“The university did not face any interference from political parties from the first people's movement in 1990 till the second in 2006. But things have changed after the second mass movement,” said an administrative officer of KU.
The first apparent political interference in KU was known when the then Vice-chancellor and founding member Dr Suresh Raj Sharma resigned under pressure from the then Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai, who was the 18th chancellor of the university, according to the administrative officer.
While celebrating its silver jubilee this year, it was stated that the quality human resources produced by the university stands at 23,340 so far, out of which 11,047 are medical professionals.
“Medical education is considered very expensive compared to other degrees. And as a lot of money is involved, medical education in KU is subjected to interference from both the political parties and constitutional bodies,” said a professor of KU School of Sciences.
The anti-graft body, Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, had filed corruption cases against 17 high-ranking officials of KU and Nepal Medical Council in February 2015 accusing them of granting MBBS affiliation to Devdaha Medical College of Nawalparasi.
KU Exam Controller Prof Panna Thapa; Dr Jagdish Chataula, responsible for monitoring basic science; Dr Ramesh Prasad Singh, responsible for monitoring clinical science; and Pradhyumna Shrestha, head of the Hospital Management, among others were charge sheeted by the anti-graft body. This barred the top officials of the university from their regular duties.
The Special Court (SC), however, acquitted all the accused after the corruption case landed there.
This is an example of how even a constitutional body like CIAA has been interfering into the internal affairs of the university without substantial evidences against top ranking university officials. Multiple sources at the KU have expressed deep concerns in the direction the university is heading to.
The university is running without vice-chancellor for the first time owing to differences between Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and the VC searching committee of the university. Recently, the university has appointed Bhola Thapa as acting VC for the time being after the responsible authorities failed to produce a consensus candidate to lead the university.
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A committee formed to recommend candidate for vice chancellor of the university on November 28 by Education Minister Dhaniram Poudel had suggested Ram Kantha Makaju, Mana Prasad Wagle, former Registrar Bhadra Man Tuladhar as prospective candidates. Both Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Education Minister Poudel are not convinced with the recommendation. Instead, they are trying to appoint Janardan Lamichhane, a professor who is said to be close to the Maoist party, as the vice chancellor.
Miffed by the decision made by the recommendation committee, Education Minister Poudel has been skipping the meeting. KU Officials are for reshuffling the search committee meeting by calling a University Senate meeting. “We have now reached at a very difficult situation,” said the university's chief administrator.
Locals worry whether the dispute over appointing VC could spoil hard earned reputation of the University in the last 25 years. “KU officials should be appointed in accordance with its law. The university's image may not remain intact if appointment of key positions is politicized,” said Saptakaji Bajracharya, former mayor of Panauti Municipality.
