There was a disagreement with the Chancellor and Prime Minister Oli in the first meeting, it is the tradition and practice of the university to pass policies and programs and budget, but only the budget was passed after stopping the policies and programs.
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Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli accepted the resignation of Tribhuvan University Vice Chancellor Kesharjung Baral on Thursday. Even though Baral had resigned on 15th March, it was kept on hold saying that he had to verify his identity. Although the resignation was accepted two weeks later, the responsibilities of the Acting Vice-Chancellor have not been specified.
Baral resigned from the post saying that there was non-cooperation and interference of Prime Minister and Chancellor Oli. He alleges that Oli has been uncooperative since he was appointed as the Prime Minister and has recently interfered with the autonomy of the university. He was appointed Vice-Chancellor for four years. Why did you resign in 13 months?
Chancellor and Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli did not help me. Differences were evident in the first meeting with him. He stopped the policy and program that was submitted to the University Assembly last July. It is the tradition and practice of the University to pass policies and programs and budgets. However, only the budget was passed by stopping the policies and programs. According to my thinking, the university reform plan was included in the policy and program. I made policies and programs under the 'Triviko Plan 2020-2030'. But after stopping, I expressed my displeasure in the meeting. I thought I would resign at that time. Since then, he has no intention of disagreeing with the Prime Minister.
The prime minister directly interfered in the appointment of the dean. Gave me a seven-day ultimatum. It was done by holding an informal meeting at Singh Darbar and putting pressure on it.
UML General Secretary Shankar Pokharel even satirized the dean appointment as an ugly joke of 'meritocracy'. Obstacle was created in the work of appointment on the basis of merit. Despite that, I was able to get Dean appointment on the basis of 60% merit. Similarly, 90 percent of campus heads are appointed on the basis of merit. 100% merit has been applied to the appointment of the Controller of Examinations which is my sole jurisdiction. Despite obstacles from the Prime Minister and political parties, meritocracy has been firmly established in Trivim.
Do you also have to try to coordinate with the Chancellor and the government?
There was no suggestion to upgrade the Kirtipur cricket stadium on the university land. Prime Minister Oli himself directed to upgrade the stadium within 300 days. There was a discussion among us officials that even if the stadium is made of international standard, we should proceed only after assessing the environmental impact. Professors, staff, students were suggesting me to move the stadium or the university itself. The university becomes chaotic when there are games. The government did not see that side. Instead, on the instructions of the Prime Minister, bulldozers were forced to run on the university land. This directly interfered with the autonomy of the university. Even then, I thought that I should not sit in the position anymore.
is not only that. Even verifying the decisions of the Assembly was hampered by months of delay. My phone was also not picked up at the Prime Minister's office. No response even when messaging. Non-cooperation started to be more than cooperation from the Chancellor. In a meeting, Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel suggested that a university would not be built due to the conflict between the Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor. He suggested that a solution to the conflict should be found. After that, it became clear that I was having a conflict with the Prime Minister. I felt that one should not stay in the position by always quarreling with the Chancellor. After that, I have resigned that the above mentioned will be done while paving the way.
How was your coordination with the rector, registrar and your own team? The support of the
team was great. While working with the rector, registrar, there was a disagreement about something. But it cannot be said that it was uncooperative. I got good help. The
was accepted only about two weeks after the resignation. Have you tried to return it?
I resigned and came home to Pokhara. He came to Pokhara to say that the rector and registrar should reconsider. They wanted to return. The Minister of Education had also telephoned that if the Prime Minister asked him to return, he should not say no. I kept saying that teachers, staff and students should also return, sir. But the prime minister did not respond to my phone messages and did not say anything. That must be what he wanted.
How did you find the university after being in the leadership of the university for 13 months?
There are two big problems in the university right now. One subject of contracting part-time teachers and another subject of contract, gradeless staff management. There is pressure day and night to solve these problems from teachers and staff. This problem cannot be solved without the help of the government. But the government does not support it. On the other hand, the court ordered no internal competition. I myself have always been a person of the side that there should be no internal competition. So this is a big problem. It also has to be solved. I am not running away from problems. This problem should be avoided so that I don't get a black spot.
Another major problem of the university is politics. There are separate ideological organizations of each party. Students, staff, teachers have their own organizations. Apart from that, there are common unions of students, staff and teachers. Those organizations come to the university with demands and issues. There will be problems when party talk starts in the university. Listening to them is more confusing than any other work.
What were the improvement plans you were going to make in Trivima?
Trivi's course of action is clear. Whoever comes as vice-chancellor has to do the same thing. The 'Trivi Yojana 2020-2030' was made when Tirtha Khania Sir was a V.C. Dharmakant Baskota also continued it. That's what I'm about to do. At the same time, there was a plan to restructure the university as a whole and especially to restructure the central body. This work has become very necessary. I also aimed to re-evaluate and distribute the posts of teachers and staff by conducting ONM (Organization and Management) survey. I had put forward the idea of organizing scholarships for the benefit of students, conducting student support programs. The academic calendar was implemented. I wanted to implement a model where the university would provide jobs and wages to poor, needy students. This model was starting even when he was a Vice Chancellor of Pokhara University. But it was not fully implemented and continuous. Many foreign universities have been doing this practice. Many students and universities also benefit from this. The habit of labor is developed in the student. Study expenses are also covered. On the other hand, the shortage of staff in the university is reduced. As the students themselves would work, the situation of having to hire employees under contract would be over forever.
