Dr Ram Kantha Makaju has been appointed as the Vice Chancellor (VC) of Kathmandu University (KU) on Friday. The post of VC at KU had remained vacant since December 11. 

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal in his capacity as Chancellor of KU appointed Makaju as the VC, the Prime Minister's Secretariat said.

The official term of the then KU Vice Chancellor, Dr Ram Kantha Makaju Shrestha, had ended on December 10.

The delay in appointment of the VC was widely criticised as KU remained without its head for the first in 25 years of its establishment.

PM Dahal appointed Dr Makaju following recommendation from a search committee led by Education Minister Dhani Ram Poudel with members including Dr Suresh Raj Sharma, former VC of KU and Daman Nath Dhungana, chairman of the Board of Trustees of KU.  

The search committee on January 6 had recommended five names —Janardan Lamichhane, Bhola Thapa, Dr Ram Kantha Makaju, Bhadra Man Tuladhar and Mana Prasad Wagle—for the post of KU VC.

Minister Poudel had been supporting Lamichhane, who is the head of Biotechnology department, who is close with the leaders of CPN (Maoist Centre).