The committees led by Education Minister Chitra Lekha Yadav, pro-chancellor of the universities, will recommend three names each for all the universities. The prime minister will select one of the nominees for each of the universities.

According to legal provisions, a committee led by the pro-chancellor recommends three names and the PM, as the chancellor, makes appointments from among the nominees.

The VCs at Tribhuvan University (TU), Pokhara University, Purbanchal University (PU), Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU), Nepal Sanskrit University (NSU), Mid-Western University (MWU) and Far-Western University (FWU) retired on Saturday on completion of their four-year tenures.

According to Lava Deo Awsathi, chief at the Planning Division under the Ministry of Education, informal discussions have started for the recommendations and it would take a few days to pick the names. As both the PM and the education minister are from the Nepali Congress, a majority of the new VCs are likely to be NC sympathisers.

Four years ago, the government of CPN-UML leader Jhala Nath Khanal appointed four VCs from the UML quota, two from the NC and one from the UCPN (Maoist).

Leaders from the Progressive University Teachers’ Association (PUTA), close to the UML, say they hope for a similar arrangement this time. “As the UML-led government had given two VCs to the NC we expect a similar share this time,” said PUTA Chairman Bijay Silwal.

The Democratic Professors’ Association (DPA), affiliated to the NC, is effortful to get as many as VCs in its fold as possible when its party leads the government. The PDA is using its clout to get at least five VCs including in TU, which is considered the most significant of all given its size and history.

The PDA on July 28 submitted a list of candidates to Minister Yadav. It recommended its Chairperson Basu Ghimire, incumbent TU Rector Guna Nidhi Neupane, former vice-chairman of Higher Secondary Education Board Tirtha Khaniya and Amar Raj Joshi, among others, for the TU seat.

Madhav Raj Gautam, Prem Kumar Acharya, Purushottam Dahal and Kartikeya Jha have been recommended for the NSU while Badri Nath Shrestha and Ghanshyam Lal Das are listed as candidates for Purbanchal University. The PDA also recommended Basanta Raj Sharma and Kali Prasad Pandey for the MWU, and Bednath Sharma and Binod Shrestha for Pokhara University. Chetnath Bhatta and Bhusan Shrestha, and Jagat Lal Shrestha have been suggested for the FWU and the AFU respectively.

Earlier, the UML had appointed VCs in the TU, the FWU, Pokhara and the AFU, while the MWU and the NSU were headed by those close to the NC.