BY MANOJ KUMAR KARNA The government is in a dilemma in appointing the authorities in the universities in the country. The government has, however, appointed the Vice-chancellor of the central and the oldest university, Tribhuvan University (TU). Recently the government has announced the application from the capable candidates to appoint as the chiefs in the different universities. The conventional practice in Nepal to appoint the authorities in the universities is through a ‘search committee’ under the chair of pro-chancellor, the Minister for Education. The general voice of the people is that the authorities are unable to perform the task in the chaos of politics and they are only degree holders and political cadres rather than efficient as the chiefs in the universities. Though, there are various problems which need proper, wise and strict steps as solution to bring the universities on the track for fair intra-competitions. This article focuses on the appointment system, adversities and the possible solution so that the semester classes will produce the research oriented efficient human resources from our universities. In a weekly newspaper some former VCs mention that an academician does not like to go for administrative post amid political tug-of-war in Nepal because they are bonded to implement their and such research oriented personality has to discontinue the research journey. These luminaries have raised the question on the new process of appointing the universities’ authorities. They focus the conventional way, that is, appointment through a ‘search committee’ and they claim that the government should call the fitful desirous candidates to interview own self through search committee. The news appears from various sources that the sufficient number of application is not seen and most of the applicants are from TU. The present government had formed such a search committee for TU and has recently appointed the VC. But the very nominees by the same committee have been used for another political appointment also (Nepal Medical Council) without being formation of the new search committee. Except TU, the government has announced the application from the candidates with vision and plan, however, the cases between TU and other universities may be different. Briefly to mention some existing problems in the universities, it is necessary to categorize the problems at student-teacher level as classroom problem; the academic problem; the bureaucratic-administrative problem for pure academic activities created by some ill-thinkers; the fair examination conduction, and the political influence created on the university authorities by the political wings. The general trends at classroom situation mostly in TU and in the other universities are irregularity of the teacher and students, punctuality, unpreparedness of the teacher of the course, disobedience of the guideline about duties prescribed by the related faculties’ dean offices, trying to follow the old method of teaching through teacher-centred approach in the lack of home preparation of designing various classroom activities, students seeking forcefully good marks in the internal examinations, plagiarism in the thesis and ignorance by the teacher under pressure of some student leaders and so on. A country cannot contribute the human society by such practice where the research is compromised and such problems universities bear painfully. In the same way, the Examination Controller Office (say in the TU) has many deputy controllers under a controller but there is question on its fair examination, question setting-moderation, whole year conduction of the examination by disturbing other classes and so on. These are the burning challenges of the university authorities and one can say that these all challenges will not be met by a single personality of a VC in a university. Therefore, the government should take care of some points. First, whoever you appoint as the VC but give him/her a ‘team of academicians’ so that the VC will work academically. The VC should be appointed by the provision in the act from senior, experienced and capable personalities either through ‘direct interview’ or ‘search committee’, but one must have clear goal in the tenure. However, there should be provision for extraordinary deserving candidate who might have experience of administration, research but lacks the degree and post as Prof/Dr. Kedar Bhakta Mathema is such example as former VC of TU without all hard and fast criteria but had been an admirable VC in the views of all political colours. The government can decide a VC from a job holder or retired one. The VC must be fair to appoint the other chiefs as dean, directors, campus chiefs and assistant chiefs and so on under him/her as per the academic excellence rather than political influence. The government should really listen to the other team mates’ name forwarded by the VC in the university where the VC can make the team on performance rather than political ideological base. Likewise, the examination controller must curb the problems at any cost raised by the commoners, but the government should appoint such a luminary from government bureaucracy, army, police also for one or two tenures by reforming the act in the case of disappointment situation today, and whose performance is well and has been well character in every ratio in the service having doctorate (Ph.D.) degree. In the Bihar state of India, an IPS officer, Nagamani, had been practiced by the government to conduct the fair examination and to control the misfit some student loggerheads. The deputy controller, at the same time, has shorter tenure so there should be provision in the act that after one or two final semester or annual examination, the candidate will be returned to teaching job if fails to show the ‘effect’ in the given assignment. But it is quite advisable that the government must not misuse any act for own sake and bypassing the opposition political parties and other stake holders in the university. The deans should be appointed from those who have first own good teaching experience as regular and punctual in the class. The dean must be firm to implement all activities of the student-teacher in the classroom situation. Similarly, the campus chiefs, assistant campus chiefs and head of the departments should be generally senior but capable. According to performance in academic activities they must not be the barriers under students’ political pressure by which the morality of the honest and good teacher is very low today in many campus of the TU. The government should deploy personal body-guards for safety of the authorities. The government’s current announcement for universities’ authorities collect few applications and from those who have already been the deans in the university. Some people may show previous post as an ‘eligibility’ but is not necessary to be as a true eligibility because the previous trend to appoint was not on performance and the quality rather political influence. In such a case, his/her performance can be made as base along with the degrees. But in any situation, the government must decide first that what kind of the authorities they want to have: a puppet providing job for party cadres and to implement the government’s party policy in the university or the reformer of the institution? (The writer is a lecturer at the Patan Multiple Campus, Lalitpur. He can be reached at: manojkarna77@gmail.com)