New ordinance proposes King as chancellor of all the universities: Reports
An ordinance that is still under consideration has proposed to make His Majesty the King as chancellors of all the universities in the country, reports said.
At present, His Majesty is the chancellor of Tribhuvan and Mahendra Sanskrit University only while there is the provision of Prime Minister serving as chancellor of universities including Kathmandu, Purvanchal and Paschimanchal universities.
Talking to reporters Thursday, chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), prof. Bidur Prasad Upadhyay said the new university ordinance was being drafted with a view to making higher education more systematic and to stop politicization in the education sector.
The draft proposes that either the King remain the chancellor of all the universities or he hold the overall authority to appoint chancellors for four-year terms.
The Himalayan Times daily quoted prof. Upadhyay as saying that with the Prime Minister as the chancellor, the insecurity that creeps within the employees and the teachers will not be there. A final meeting is due and the ordinance will be in force, he added.
The UGC has already held consultations with education experts and the Ministry of Education and Sports regarding the proposed ‘University Ordinance,’ reports said.
Meanwhile, senior educationists have flayed the idea saying that the move aims at curtailing academic freedom in the seats of teaching and learning. Talking to Kantipur daily, vice chancellor of Kathmandu University prof. Dr. Suresh Raj Sharma asked, “His Majesty is the chancellor of Tribhuvan University. Has it helped TU from becoming politicized?
Former Vice chancellor of TU, Kedar Bhakta Mathema, said monitoring universities could be justified but there should not be any act to control academic freedom. Educationist Dr. Min Bahadur Bista said the new provision is control-oriented and centralized in nature. (The thing is that) there is a need to decentralise and diversify the education sector as much as possible, he added.
Interestingly, a study commissioned by UGC and conducted by prof. Upendra Bahadur Pradhanang last year had recommended that the King should be give the role of ‘protector’ even in TU and Mahendra Sanskrit University and Prime Minister should be made the chancellor.
In the present council of ministers headed by His Majesty himself, there is no provision for the Prime Minister.
Meanwhile, law experts have cautioned against issuing ordinances—that last for only six months.
“It is against the spirit of the country’s constitution to make far-reaching changes in the existing laws in the absence of the parliament,” advocate Dinesth Tripathi told Nepalnews.
Elections to the new House of Representatives are due for the last three years. nepalnews.com by June 24 05
