Regarding nepotism in Kathmandu University, there has been number of letters published from the faculties as well as KUPA in e-kantipur (24-27 May). Similarly, there are other write-ups in Nepali languages dailies and weeklies. We, ex graduates of KU, have compiled all these and put them in the following blog;

www.changeinku.blogspot.com

All the graduates and ex-faculteis are welcome to give their opinion. Let us destroy nepotism in KU.

Felicity,
Nice to know that you too used to be terrorised by Bhadraman.

Anyway, were you there when we hit the Bhadraman with lola (colour filled ballon) right on his back at valley campus?

I think it was a sweet revenge for his terrorising antics.

AP98! though Suresh Raj Sharma is one of the founders, it does not mean that KU is a private institution. It is not private.Ministry of education has a certain budget allocated for KU. The UGC (university grant commission)takes care of it. So all nepalese taxpayers have the right to see whats going on there. Even if you talk of the land that KU owns, who paid the money for it? of course not KU. The nepalese government paid for it. So please go in deep before making any such comments.

I am neither a relative of Sharma nor Adhikari.
It is a private University and is run by self financing students.
The quality of students produced are at par with best Asian universities and job placement is almost 100%.
If the teachers feel they are underpaid and underpromoted,they can find a greener pastures.
Can I hear current students complaining?

Tisa, Its not private university with out getting any support from the govt again. I know, when I was there as a student, the governemt had allocated more than 20 million for KU and probabaly 1 billion to TU. It looks like TU has bigger budget but if you calculate the budget per student in KU and TU, KU is getting more money from government, period.

I am not an expert in Nepal's education and its laws regarding the universities.
But what I want to emphasize is if the VC and other people in the authorities have violated the law ,then there are other ways to show their concern like file a complaint in a disciplinary committee or education ministry.
What I hate to see would be KU going TU's way and more Nepali students compelled to leave the country for higher education.

Guys I respect your feeling for KU.

Aafoo ta bahira ko darshan pariyo. I did not know KU was not a private organisation.

Jobs are difficult to obtain in Nepal. tyasile, i gave the comment so as to retain the job. You cannot change the course of a vehicle unless you are the driver or a person who can motivate a driver. That is why i said chakari is also OK if it helps you.

Can anyone tell me whereabouts of a chemistry teacher..Durga Adhikary??

Tisa,
Like you, we too dont like politics in KU. However, in KU, something else is killing the academic activities. I am a 3rd Yr. Student of Comp Eng and I am really sorry that most of the times, our classes are not run properly. Reason: Teachers not available and when available not well prepared to teach.

There are reasons for this which is taking most of the times of our teachers. They are busy teaching in other colleges in Kathmandu and only on certain days they appear at Dhulikhel. We have complained to deans and other teachers also many times. Nobody listening. Nobody can remove Dr. Manish who is VC ko bhanja.

In such situation, we feel that we are betrayed and our investments are wasted. I agree that students' union and teachers' union can bring in politics. But, sometimes they can pressurize the management and such erring teachers to correct themselves.

Regarding academic calender, it is true that the exams are held on predecided dates but with whatever course covered by the teacher. Since the questions are also set by the same teacher, we do not have problems like in TU. As a result, you may not find it difficult to see every batch in comp engg having at least 3 to 5 students agreegating 3.5 to 4 gpa. Its so cheap! What a nice way to do justice with self-financing students! Get money and give gpa free of cost!

So manish le Ph.D. pani garna bhyaisakyo? Good-luck for the rest of facutlies in the computer science department.

RajaHarishchandra,
What Fragrance said is wrong. Manish has not done ph.d.. Yeah, he might have told students that he is Dr. Manish. This can cause confusion.

I am surprised to know that KU admin (Sitarama and Suresh Raj) has banned the blog opened by ex-KU graduates.

This is there message in www.changeinku.blogspot.com:

प्रतिबन्ध फिर्ता गर!

काठमाडौ विश्वविध्यालयमा विध्यमान कुरीति, नातावाद र कृपावादको विरोधमा त्यहाँ कार्यरत शिक्षक तथा भुतपूर्व प्राध्यापकहरुको अग्रसरतामा नेपालका प्रमुख छापाहरुमा का.वि.वि.सँग सम्बन्धित कुराहरु प्रवाह भई रहेको छ । यसमा का.वि.वि. प्रशासनले पनि पाठक पत्र तथा बिज्ञप्ति मार्फत आफ्ना भनाईहरु राख्दै आएका छन। जतिसुकै अतिरञ्जित, भ्रामक र आफ्ना अनियमिततालाई ढाकछोप गर्ने हिसावले आएपनि, का.वि.वि. प्रशासनले पनि आफ्ना भनाईहरु खुल्ला रुपमा राख्दै आएको छ। तर, आफ्ना भनाईहरु मात्र लादने निरँकुश प्रवृति का.वि.वि. प्रशासनले पुन: दोहोर्याउन चाहेको हामीले भेउ पाईसकेका छौँ ।

आजन्म उपकुलपति र रजिष्ट्रार हुने ध्याउन्नमा लागेका डा. सुरेश राज शर्मा तथा डा. सिताराम अधिकारी का.वि.वि. प्रशासनले सो विश्वविध्ालय भित्र गरेको चरम अख्तियार दुरुपयोग, सर्वब्यापी आर्थिक अनियमितता र अन्धाधुन्ध नातावाद र कृपावादका कुराहरु लोकतान्त्रिक नेपाल सरकार र सर्वशक्तिमान प्रतिनिध सभाका माननीय साँसदहरु समक्ष नआओस भन्ने हेतुले, समाचार प्रवाहलाई नै बन्द गर्ने षडयन्त्रमा लागेको हाम्रो ठहर छ । यसको पहिलो प्रयास डा. सुरेश राज शर्माले देशकै प्रतिष्ठित पत्रिकामा रोई-कराई गरेर का.वि.वि.का प्राध्यापक तथा प्राध्यापकहरुको भनाईलाई उक्त पत्रिकामा स्थान नदिन गरेको अनुनय-विनय हो । का.वि.वि.का शुभचिन्तक, भुतपूर्व विध्यार्थीहरु र प्राध्यापकहरु तथा प्राध्यापक सँघबाट प्रेषित बिभन्न पत्रहरु प्रकाशित नहुँदा के-कस्तो कारणले भएको हो, सोधखोज गर्दा यावत तथ्यहरु बाहिर आएको कुरा पाठकहरुमा जानकारी गराउन चाहन्छौ।

आफ्ना जागिरे जीवनको शुरुआत देखिनै दरबारसँग नजिक डा. सुरेश राज शर्माले, दरबारको निगाहाबाट भिन्न-भिन्न समयमा भिन्न-भिन्न स्थानमा महत्वपूर्ण पदहरु हासिल गरेको कुरा यहाँहरुलाई जानकारी नै होला। दरबारको ईशारामा नेपालको शिक्षानीतिलाई पनि दिशाहिन बनाउने बाटोमा लाग्दालाग्दै, डा. सुरेश राज शर्माले दरबारसँगको निकटताको अर्को उपलब्धी आज हाम्रा अगाडी प्रस्तुत गर्दै छन। त्यो हो, उहाँको मन्डले रुप। हो, यो सत्य हो, प्राज्ञिक स्वतन्त्रता र स्वाधिकारको डिँग हाँक्ने डा.शर्मा, आफ्नो विरोध र आफ्ना भ्रष्टाचारहरुको चर्चा-परिचर्चा हुँदा कुनै श्रिष शम्शेर र कुनै कमल थापा भन्दा कम छैन । यदि, साँच्चिकै प्राज्ञिक स्वतन्त्रतामा विश्वास गर्ने हुँदो हो त, प्राध्यापकहरुको सँगठनलाई मान्यता दिने, प्राध्यापकहरुका भनाईको उचित जवाफ दिने र सँवाद र सहमतिमा विश्वास गर्ने उनको प्रयास हुनुपर्थ्यो। तर, यसको विपरित प्राध्यापकहरुका भनाई कतै पनि प्रकाशित नहोस र कतैपनि नछापियोस भन्ने दुष्प्रयासले डा. शर्मा प्राध्यापन क्षेत्रमा भेडाको छाला अोढेका मन्डले हो भन्दा अत्युक्ति नहोला ।

अर्को तर्फ प्राज्ञिक मूल्य र मान्यतामाथि कुठाराधात गर्दै काठमाडौ विश्वविध्यालयका वर्तमान विध्यार्थी तथा प्राध्यापकहरुका समर्थनमा सन्चालित यस ब्लगलाई का.वि.वि.मा प्रतिबन्ध लगाएर डा. शर्माले आफु जन्मजात विरोध सहन नसक्ने, प्राज्ञिक स्वतन्त्रताको विरोधि र निरँकुशताका प्रतीक रहेको पुन:पुष्ट्याँई गरेको छ। डा. शर्मा तपाँई यदि आफुलाई साँच्चिकै लोकतन्त्रवादी भन्ठान्नु हुन्छ भने, का.वि.वि.मा यस बल्गमाथि लागु प्रतिबन्ध तुरन्त खारेज गर्नुस, अनि मात्र लोकतन्त्रको सम्बन्धमा बोल्नु होला। यस्तै, पत्रिकामा प्राज्ञिक स्वतन्त्रता सम्बन्धि लेखहरु लेख्नु अगाडी आफु हाल कार्यरत विश्वविध्यालयका प्राध्यापक तथा विध्यार्थीहरुका सू-सुचित हुने र निर्वाध छलफल र लेखपढ गर्न पाउने प्राज्ञिक स्वतन्त्रता बहाल गर्न हामी चुनौति दिन्छौँ ।

छोटो समयमा नै लोकप्रिय यस बल्गमा मुखरित भावनाहरुलाई अब कसैले ठेगेर थाम्न सकिन्न। तसर्थ, प्राध्यापक तथा विध्यार्थीहरुको आक्रोशको शिकार हुनु भन्दा पहिले नै वास्तविक धरातलमा टेकेर कार्य र व्यवहार गर्न का.वि.वि. प्रशासनलाई हामि सचेत गर्दछौँ । तसर्थ, डा. शर्मा तथा डा. अधिकारी लाई का.वि.वि.मा यस ब्लगमाथि लगाईएको प्रतिबन्ध तुरुन्त फिर्ता गर्न हामि अाव्हान गर्दछौँ।

I just enjoy this sentence from one of the postings above:


"आफ्ना जागिरे जीवनको शुरुआत देखिनै दरबारसँग नजिक डा. सुरेश राज शर्माले, दरबारको निगाहाबाट भिन्न-भिन्न समयमा भिन्न-भिन्न स्थानमा महत्वपूर्ण पदहरु हासिल गरेको कुरा यहाँहरुलाई जानकारी नै होला। दरबारको ईशारामा नेपालको शिक्षानीतिलाई पनि दिशाहिन बनाउने बाटोमा लाग्दालाग्दै, डा. सुरेश राज शर्माले दरबारसँगको निकटताको अर्को उपलब्धी आज हाम्रा अगाडी प्रस्तुत गर्दै छन। त्यो हो, उहाँको मन्डले रुप। हो, यो सत्य हो, प्राज्ञिक स्वतन्त्रता र स्वाधिकारको डिँग हाँक्ने डा.शर्मा, आफ्नो विरोध र आफ्ना भ्रष्टाचारहरुको चर्चा-परिचर्चा हुँदा कुनै श्रिष शम्शेर र कुनै कमल थापा भन्दा कम छैन ।"


I am no relative of Sharma.

I do NOT know him personally, though I have met him twice (in 2002 and 2004) at professional meetings. And I have nothing to do with KU in any capacity.

But even I -- a bystander to all this mess -- find the above (Nepali) paragrpah

so silly,
so khattam,
so jhoor

that I can say that such charges effectively undercut all other accusations against Sharma, and instead unwittingly makes him a victim of some political revenge.

My two cents?

Don't get carried away in a typical Nepali paara ko emotional way. [Those who do harm to YOU in 2006 need not necessarily be also devilishily plotting against larger Nepali democracy since 1986! Maintain a sense of perspective here.]

Stick to the issues; look at the facts only; and try to bring an external commiitee to look at the mess in a fair manner. You say you are the wronged party; no one expects you to provide an impartial take on these issues. So re-store your own credibility by involving neutral parties as soon as you can.

Take the complaints to the KU governing board, and NOT to the newspapers at this point. The results of washing the dirty laundry in public have NEVER been favorable
to the plaintiffs in Nepal (in my limited observations!). Nepali newspapers print so many bad things about so many people all the time that nobody believes them for anything any more except read the stuff for juicy gossip for a day or two.

If the KU governing board says no to your request to look into the matter, then take your complaints to the court.

If all else fails, leave KU for somewhere else. There are many good colleges and universities around.

******

On a larger note, this KU story is the SAME as what pretty much happens in almost all Nepali NGOs and private companies and government bureaucracies where one or two
netas with unchecked power use the institutions as their personal office to dole out jobs to their favorites and squash opposition from others.

Around last year, it was Dinesh Prasain versus CVICT's Dr. Bhogendra Sharma .
This year, it's some KU Teachers versus Dr. Suresh Sharma.

The season has changed; the issues are the same!

oohi
ashu

Ashu,
Let me also quote from “जनआस्था साप्ताहिक,ज्येष्ठ २४, २०६३” which goes on like “सदनबाट पास गर्राई आफ्नो बुताले खोलेको विश्वविद्यालय ठानी लौरो टेकेर भए पनि आजन्म उपकुलपति र रजिष्ट्रार बन्ने षड्यन्त्र गरी त्यहीअनुरुपको संयन्त्र उनले तयार पारेका छन् ।”

Yeah, it is true that Suresh Raj Sharma has developed very good machinaries in KU. The first is KU adminstrative machinary where you will find every strategic position filled with his own relatives. Like those unfortunate teachers who were terminated after 9 years of service in KU, no body would get justice in KU because of the same administrative machinary patronized by Suresh Raj Sharma.

Let me give you one instance. These victimized teachers, who were terminated after 9 years of service in KU” first went to the dean. Dean listened to them and told them to meet Registrar. Then, they met registrar and registrar asked them to wait till Executive Council deliberates on it. However, when the Executive Council deliberated on it, Suresh Raj and Sita Ram ruthlessly sacked these teachers. Thereafter, these teachers contacted some members of the governing board, the senate, and pleaded their case with the member. First, the member was very arrogant and was not ready to entertain the complaints against Suresh Raj Sharma and Registrar. When the faculties pleaded for half an hour, out of sudden, he was inquistiive about Suresh Raj Sharma. It appeared as if he was testing whether the faculties were genuine victims of Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikari. Thereafter, while agreeing with most of the complaints of those sacked facutlies, the senate member was telling that he has also heard about many instances of the corruption and nepostism of Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikary.

When the faculties asked him why then the senate, the governing body of KU, is not taking action against Suresh Raj Sharma, then he outrightly said that he was chicken. He explained that he did not want to be a sigle member to raise such questions at the senate meeting and he suspected that Suresh Raj Sharma usually sounds out other senate members on how should they respond to his recos beforehand. He said that in some past meetings also, he tried to raise some issues and then he was shouted down by the spoons and chachas of Suresh Raj Sharma. Thereafter, he thought it useless to raise such issues in senate meeting. At last he said that all you faculties have worked with Suresh Raj for 9 years and you knew how he behaved.

Perhaps, the parting sentence of the senate member throws light on the personal characterisctics of Suresh Raj Sharma. Having developed such good administrative machinery which involves some clerical accountant to high profile senate members, another machinary that Suresh Raj and Sitaram have developed over the years is their propaganda machinary.

According to them, they developed KU as if they spent their own money. In every meeting, both internally and outside, both these gentlemen would speak in tandem on the history of KU while praising themselves. Students, faculties and some senate members can now verbatim produce back how these two gentlemen would speak and what they would speak. Yeah, there were occasions, when some speakers have sarcastically remarked that since both these great men have already spoken about KU, there was nothing left for him to inform. This is the first part of the propanda of indiscriminately dominating the history of KU so that everybody would eulogize them. Similalry, by interwining themselves with KU’s history, they have tried to give false impression that they own KU and the ownership of KU should flow in herediatary manner. Faculties who saw through this game plan already left KU because Suresh Raj and Sitaram are systematically claiming ownership to estblish first herediatery academic leadership in the entire world.

On the other hand, if some one ever contradicts what Suresh Raj Sharma has spoken, then it is sure that Suresh Raj would never forget that person and starts nursing the grouse for entire life. There are instances when some upright people confronted Suresh Raj Sharma face to face and they realized only on those moments what constitutes this man. They were really shocked to find Suresh Raj Sharma unleashing verbal diatribe against that person. Having cursed seven generations of that person, Suresh Raj immidiately broke down into emotional hysteria in order to evoke some pity from the same person. His emotional hysteria was, no doubt, targeted to evoke pity for his greed on becoming vice-chancellor of KU for life.

Perhaps, this is what meant by the parting sentence of that senate members who were met by the sacked faculty members. If the adminstrative machinery developed by Suresh Raj Sharma ensures that no complaints on his highhandedness is entertained, then the propaganda machinery coupled with his histronics ensures that no body ever dares to take on him. With these two traits, he has remained in KU for 15 years as vice-chancellor while promoting those who bown down before him and who accepts his servitude unquestioningly.

In these 15 years, there are many faculty members, who left KU, not because they are not interested in serving in one of the budding academic institutes, but because they can no longer bear such vicious machinations of Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikari.

In view of such machinations and mechanims, it is highly likely that nobody would ever get justice in KU system, be it executive council or be it the senate itself. Since all the doors of KU are closed for the hapless but diligent workers of KU, the only one option they have left is to go to the newspapers and tell the entire world how justice is denied to them and how they were exploited in KU by Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikari.

Moreover, if Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikary are above board, not corrupt, not promoting nepostism and not getting undue benefits, then they should not have any problem if some one complains at an opportune forum. Moreover, if both Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikary can use KU’s hard earned money for their personal propaganda and countering the complaints of the faculty members in the media, there is no way to deny the same rights to othe complainants. Thus, by going into media and by telling the truth to the entire Nepalis from Mechi to Mahakali, who are the real governing board of entire Nepal, the sacked faculty members and other faculty members did the most reasonable thing. Therefore, trying to hinder the voices of the faculty members from getting heard is dictatorial and smacks of some unseen unhealthy practices in KU by Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikari.

Regarding the word “mandale” we should not be confused by now what Suresh Raj has done by sacking those faculty members. Mandales may attack one physically, but Suresh Raj has preferred to attack one’s entire family by making the breadearner of the family jobless. Moreover, the past misdeeds of Suresh Raj Sharma during his tenure in Budhanilkanth School and other orgnizations also point out that throughout his administrative carerr, Suresh Raj has always remained anti-teacher and dictatorial.

#######################
On a larger note, we should not forget that in KU, the fight is between one of the stakeholders of the entire university, the teachers, and one greedy, corrupt, and nepotistic adminstrator Suresh Raj Sharma. Unlike other institutes where generally tug of war ensues between two competing candidates, in KU, the tug of war is between the stakeholders and the adminstrator duo. These two individual adminstrator are being criticized not because all the teachers want to occupy their positions or posts. All the teachers want rule of law in KU not the rule of whims and fancies of Sharma and Adhikary. Therefore, we need to view ongoing tussle in KU in somewhat different way because it involves prevailing academic culture and greed of two academic administrators of Nepal.

Peace!

Yes, Its true, KU needs transparent management. There is always nepotism. But in the case of KU there is too too much nepotism. Since it is not private institution, this nepotism should be crushed.

Agreed!
There are problems in KU. Problems are there becuase of nepotism. Too much nepotism in KU has killed the academic life. In academic circle, even brothers are supposed to take opposing views. This is not possible in KU becuase it is always outsider vs. insiders.

KU needs transparency. Senate should not appoint teachers representative neither senate should be appointed on the reco of exe. council. Things are arranged in such a way that Sharma and Adhikary can manipulate everything. When they are in position to change or alter senate who are others?

If you can not match these two villains, you have better leave the place. But transparency must be there everywhere in our public life.

Ram Kumari Jee,

Please come to KU also. Why you are leaving KU from your agenda.
We need strong students union in KU also so that all these wrong works like nepotism in KU can be wiped out.


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http://www.nepalnews.com/archive/2006/jun/jun11/news03.php

Student leaders demand student unions in private universities

Student leaders have said demanded to form student unions in private colleges ad universities to resolve various academic and administrative problems.

Speaking at an interaction in the capital on Friday, they said various problems have cropped up in private colleges and universities in the absence of students’ unions in such institutions.

Calling for the formation of students’ unions in private campuses and in universities, Ram Kumari Jhakri, chief of the Publicity Department of the All-Nepal National Free Students’ Union (ANNFSU) accused the private universities and campuses of concentrating on profit making.

“They don’t want to see the student bodies interfering in their profit-making endeavours,” she added.

Kishor Singh Rathore, the president of the Nepali Congress (Democratic)-affiliated Nepal Students’ Union (NSU), said, “There is a misconception that student politics and student unions would affect the academic environment.”

“Time and again, the student unions have kept track of misdeeds of the campuses and universities,” Rathore added.

Mahendra Sharma, chairman of the Nepal Students Union, expressed solidarity with the protest launched by students against the Purbanchal University (PU).

Demanding that their 15-point demand be met as soon as possible, the students of the Purbanchal University locked out its administrative department a month ago.

Among other demands, the students of the Purbanchal University have been seeking the resignations of vice-chancellor, rector and the registrar of the PU, urging the PU to allow students to form their councils or unions in all the constituent and Purbanchal University-affiliated campuses, provide affiliation to those campuses that meet the Purbanchal University-set criteria and effectively and regularly monitor the Purbanchal University-affiliated and constituent campuses. nepalnews.com pb June 11 06

It is very good to see this effort to bring some positive change in the environment of KU education. Surely there has been some malpractice by some instructors especially those who are the relative of VC and not putting any effort to deliver proper education. As an alumni I have also been through that stage and I know how unfair it is for a student not to get proper education. So i strongly support that his malpractice has to be stopped in KU.

KU sounds 100 times louder than what it is. The administration is a junk collection of relatives of VC and Registar, so the corruption inside does not come in media. Besides that Suresh Raj is cunning enough to know when to hit the Iron. KU will never be a malpractice free institute unless the network of this nepotism is wiped off.

KU is full of nepotism. Suresh Raj's daughter and daughter in law got MBBS seats from Manipal. Manipal was given affiliation on this basis only. The administration there is full of their relatives. And to talk about the quality of its education. well may be in other streams it is ok, but the Kathmanu University Medical School is thw worst medical college in nepal, worse than even Janaki Medical College Janakpur n medical colleges of Bihar. Its a shame that the medical council has given provisional recognition to such a college.

KU is full of nepotism. Suresh Raj's daughter and daughter in law got MBBS seats from Manipal. Manipal was given affiliation on this basis only. The administration there is full of their relatives. And to talk about the quality of its education. well may be in other streams it is ok, but the Kathmanu University Medical School is thw worst medical college in nepal, worse than even Janaki Medical College Janakpur n medical colleges of Bihar. Its a shame that the medical council has given provisional recognition to such a college.

and by the way, i am also interested to know the whereabouts of Durga Adhikary. Did he marry Renuka Bhandari?

KU is full of nepotism. Suresh Raj's daughter and daughter in law got MBBS seats from Manipal. Manipal was given affiliation on this basis only. The administration there is full of their relatives. And to talk about the quality of its education. well may be in other streams it is ok, but the Kathmanu University Medical School is thw worst medical college in nepal, worse than even Janaki Medical College Janakpur n medical colleges of Bihar. Its a shame that the medical council has given provisional recognition to such a college.

and by the way, i am also interested to know the whereabouts of Durga Adhikary. Did he marry Renuka Bhandari?