Deans and administrative officers of the schools under Kathmandu University (KU) have demanded immediate meeting of the Senate amid delay in the appointment of vice-chancellor at the varsity. 

The post of VC at KU has remained vacant since December 11.  

The Senate is the highest body of the university that is chaired by prime minister in capacity of the chancellor. 

The senior KU officials have submitted a memorandum to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Education Minister Dhani Ram Poudel and Daman Nath Dhungana, chairman of the Board of Trustees of KU, drawing their attention to the delay in appointment of the new VC. 

They have demanded that the five names recommended by the search committee led by education minister should be kept aside and a Senate meeting should be called to discuss the international practices, trends, process and criteria to appoint the VC. 

The senate meeting, the memorandum states, will help the institute nominate a capable and academically sound VC to steer the institute.

The officials have also expressed their concern about the five names recommended for the post of VC, saying that the process is not in line with the KU Act and previous practices. They have also said that people were kept in dark about the criteria that were followed while recommending the names. 

The memorandum has been signed by Subash KC, dean of School of Management; Bipin Adhikari, dean of School of Law; Mahesh Nath Parajuli, dean of School of Education; Bhupendra Bimal Chhetri, dean of School of Engineering; Sanjay Nath Khanal, officiating dean of School of Arts; Panna Thapa, examination controller; Subodh Sharma, director of Research Development and Consultancy; Deepak Subedi, director, Student Welfare; and Mukunda Upadhyay, chief administrative officer of Kathmandu University.

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. 

Dr Makaju is the immediate past VC.

Thapa is registrar and acting VC of the university. 

Similarly, Tuladhar is former registrar, Wagle is former dean of Education Department and Lamichhane is serving as head of the Department of Biotechnology. 

The search committee, led by Education Minister Dhani Ram Poudel, has Suresh Raj Sharma, former VC at KU and Dhungana as members. 

Earlier, the search committee had failed to find unanimity during meetings held for picking the new VC at KU.