Miscellaneous
Minister-led search panel yet to recommend Makaju’s successor
The four-year term of Dr Ram Kantha Makaju as the vice chancellor of Kathmandu University ended on Sunday, but a search committee led by Minister for Education Dhani Ram Poudel is yet to recommend his successor.Binod Ghimire & Manish Gautam
The four-year term of Dr Ram Kantha Makaju as the vice chancellor of Kathmandu University ended on Sunday, but a search committee led by Minister for Education Dhani Ram Poudel is yet to recommend his successor.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, in capacity of chancellor KU, will appoint the new VC at the varsity as per the recommendation of the Poudel-led committee which has Suresh Raj Sharma, former KU VC and Daman Nath Dhungana, chairperson of the Board of Trustees of KU, as members.
A meeting of the search committee on Sunday dwelt on a few names— Bhadraman Tuladhar, Mana Prasad Wagle, Janardan Lamichhane, Bhola Thapa and Mahesh Maskey. Discussions were also held about extending Makaju’s term.
Sources said Education Minister Poudel made a pitch for Lamichhane and Maskey as the new VC and that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal is also “positive” about these names.
The search committee members, however, did not agree on the two names.
“Instead, the members are looking for an extension to Dr Makaju’s term,” said a source, adding that the two members were of the view that if not Makaju, someone from within the varsity should be appointed as the new VC.
Dr Maskey, a former ambassador to China, is the only person among the discussed names who is not affiliated to KU.
Even in the case of Lamichhane, who is head of the Department of Biotechnology, the committee members, according to the source, expressed their reservations, saying such a sudden elevation [of Lamichhane] to the post of VC might not be fair when there are other deserving professors.
Sunday’s meeting spent a considerable amount of time discussing Lamichhane as the new VC, said the source. But after failing to reach an agreement, the committee decided to hold consultations with PM Dahal.
Janardhan Pokhrel, press adviser to Minister Poudel, said the search committee will meet PM Dahal on Monday.
Reports have surfaced that PM Dahal is pushing for extending Dr Makaju’s term if he agrees to grant affiliation to the Jhapa-based B&C Medical College Teaching Hospital and Research Centre. PM Dahal had inaugurated the college in March last year. Dr Makaju, however, has dismissed these reports.
Names under consideration
- Bhadraman Tuladhar
- Mana Prasad Wagle
- Janardhan Lamichhane
- Bhola Thapa
- Mahesh Maskey
- Ram Kantha Makaju (Search committee members are for extending his term)