There are two sides within the Maoists on the appointment of the University Vice Chancellor

The selection and recommendation committee has recommended the names of Budhathoki, Baral and Tankanath Dhamala, the former head of the mathematics department, respectively, according to merit. Budhathoki and Baral are close to the Maoists, while Dhamala is considered to be close to the UML, but he claims to be independent. Academicians have been suspecting that the UT Vice-Chancellor is on his side in the power coalition and the selection process is questionable as they are trying to appoint him from the Maoist quota. While professors and other stakeholders are raising questions about the process of selecting and recommending the vice-chancellor, the recommendation committee has also been accused of unnaturally giving the highest number of marks to Budhathoki. According to sources, he got 18 (90 percent) marks in the presentation of 20 full marks . Sources said that Budhathoki was ranked the best among the 3 candidates by giving only 7 points (35 percent) to some competitors who scored more than him in the evaluation of personal details, action plan and thinking paper.

A total of 35 full marks were given based on the presentation and interview. A source close to the Vice-Chancellor's Selection and Recommendation Committee said, "Weak budhathoki were given marks in the presentation in such a way that even if they were given the minimum marks in the interview to be recommended, there was a provision to explain the reasons for giving less than 35 percent and more than 70 percent marks in the interview. But a mistake was made in making the procedure by keeping any number of marks in the presentation. That's where the fight happened. Out of the 43 who applied for

, 14 were selected for the presentation and interview. Suresh Adhikari, a member of the recommendation committee and education secretary, said that the committee recommended the names of 3 people in a transparent and fair manner by appointing experts. Out of the 14, he said, he was recommended for appointment from those who gave smart, excellent presentations and interviews. He also requested that there should be no doubt in the selection process according to the procedure. However, Congress MP Pradeep Paudel, who is also a former student leader, questioned the selection method and asked to make the process public. He said that even though they will be appointed in an open and transparent competition, the selection is only a ritual.

According to Ministry of Education sources, Education Minister Ashok Kumar Rai and former Education Minister Devendra Paudel have been putting pressure on Budhathoki to be appointed as Vice-Chancellor by recommending Budhathoki as number one since the appointment of the expert. Maoist leader Paudel was assigned by the Prime Minister and Chancellor Pushpa Kamal Dahal to facilitate the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor. Rai is the coordinator of the Vice-Chancellor Selection and Recommendation Committee. Budhathoki and Maoist leader Poudel are residents of Baglung district. Budhathoki's wife Dhana Thapa and education minister Rai did politics together in the CPN-Male party 30 years ago.

Maoist center leader Barshman Pun also pressured Budhathoki to be number one, sources said. Again, a member of his secretariat said that the Prime Minister was in trouble after Paudel and Education Minister Rai put pressure on appointing the person recommended as number one. "On the basis of previous experience and ability, the Prime Minister wants to make Professor Kesharjung Baral, who was recommended as the second vice-chancellor," he said. He said that the Prime Minister is free to choose and appoint people. But after the open competition, he said that it would be appropriate to select the one who is number one. "In the race of sports competition, whoever reaches first is the first, international practice is also the same, we have only suggested that making the first vice-chancellor will send a good message . The Prime Minister is free to make his own decisions, he said. Apart from that, he said that he had no role in selecting and appointing the vice-chancellor. He also pointed out that it would be appropriate if only 1 name was recommended by the recommendation committee after open competition.

On Monday, Budhatho had been campaigning on social media saying that he was appointed as the vice-chancellor after getting the first recommendation. After that, Prime Minister Dahal gave a clarification to the media on Tuesday that the appointment of the Vice-Chancellor is in process. Regarding making Budhathoki the vice-chancellor, there is dissatisfaction among professors, students and staff who are close to the Maoists within the university . Baral and Budhathoki both belong to tribal (crocodile) community . A leader said that Maoist's tribal organization is lobbying to appoint Budhathoki. A group of professors close to Trivika Maoists have met the Prime Minister and requested him not to appoint Budhathoki as Vice-Chancellor. It has been argued that he is a junior professor within the Maoists and that he should not be appointed over someone senior to him.

Budhathoki was also elected Dean of the Faculty of Education from the Maoist quota. He is also a person who was prosecuted by the Academic Council for working against the rules last July. He was alerted at that time and that's why it was decided to remove him as a member of the council. According to the council, action has been taken against him for enrolling students in the M.D. program without approving the course. It was decided not to do such things again for changing the name of the subject of education without special needs approval and establishing the subject of inclusive education.

He will become the 20th Vice-Chancellor if the Prime Minister appoints him on the basis of obtaining high marks. But since the names of 3 people have been recommended, the Prime Minister is not obliged to appoint them on the basis of merit, according to the recommendation committee. In the Tertiary Act, there is a provision that 1 person can be appointed from among those selected. "The dean was appointed to the Maoist quota rather than the old man's ability," said a former official of the university, "the performance does not look great." He pointed out that it is not possible to believe that the university, which is in crisis, will be improved by becoming the vice-chancellor because he could not fulfill the responsibilities of the dean well.

Budhatho, who graduated in health education from Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, was appointed as Dean from Assistant Dean. The professors of the Faculty of Education say that he was selected among 14 people because of his excellence in studies. He made a team and submitted the necessary action plan and thinking paper for the evaluation and submitted it to the recommendation committee. Baral, who was the vice-chancellor of Pokhara University from 2064 to 2068, is a professor who retired two years ago from the management faculty of Prithvi Narayan Campus under the University. Those close to him said that the Prime Minister wanted to make him the vice-chancellor of the University, who has Palpa as his permanent home.