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.

sorry for multiple posts.

I thnk Durga Adhikary did marry renuka Bhandari.. and i too am interested in his whereabouts....

I agree with AshuJi.

This is an interesting thread and was brought to my attention by my brother who went to KU. I used to teach at Padma Kanya Campus. I had been following letter writing campaign by some former staff too.

Like AshuJi, I do not know these people, but I am familier with KU's reputation as being a good institution. I tried to get a treaching job there but did not pursue it any further.

I had also heard of some examples of "friendly/family hiring" by some of the high ranking officials. (My brother had something about it.) That needs to change, but can anyone name an organization that has not done this? Majority of them do. Just look at the NC party or the Maoists' CPI(M). Is there democracy in those organizations? For god's sake, let's not try to single out KU alone and begin dismantling it? The fact remains that it is a pioneering institution that has changed our educational direction. It is not just about Suresh Raj or Radheshyam Adhikari. No excsue, but like Ashuji says: keep some perspective here friends.

I think institutions do need to be monitored and sometimes pushed for reforms. A healthy debate is essential, but the way it has been potrayed in the newspapers is neither accurate nor healthy. The former employees' tactic of name calling seems petty and low.

First, a barrage of letters and accusatory writing by former employees should always be taken with some caution. No employees ever leave an institution happily. That is, we do not know the whole story. Taking money to study abroad and not going back to the parent institution sounds fishy. Secondly, just serving seven or nine years alone should not be the sole qualification from promotion or retention, especially in academic institutions.

The issue has gotten tangled with many complexities. It also looks like a classic labor/management conflict. The labor side wants to enhance its bargaining power by organizing an union and wants to bring out everything to discred the management. Just read the language used against the VC. That is neither civil nor informative.

Thus, they have found Suresh Sharma/Radheshyam Adhikari team as a pair of villian. The labor side is also trying to recruit the students, and they may get some help from the Maoist affiliated student unions. The day they get a student union at KU that will be end of KU's reputation and quality. Why do we need another TU and Trichandra? Don't we have enough of those already?

ST

Sarita Thapa jee,


Thanks for your views. However, I must tell you that two wrongs can
never make a right. Having or not having democracy in any other
political organizations are something different from the internal
functioning of Kathmandu University. Moreover, democracy has political
connotations, which is better not used in case of any
performance-based organization like Kathmandu University.
What the employees of Kathmandu University are demanding is their rights to
association and rule of law in Kathmandu University.

However, the KU administration, under the aegis of Suresh Raj Sharma
and Sita Ram Adhikari, has been trying to

i) term the demand of the employees to recognize their association as
a legitimate entity within the Kathmandu University set-up as a
political ploy and
ii) defame the same demand as politicking by the employees
(iii) defame the righteous, honest and hard working employees as
involved in political parties and trying to do politics in KU.
(iv) compare KU directly with TU and put all the mess in TU on those
students organizations who have been actively pursuing the cause of
students while blindly ignoring the roles of administrators of TU

Along the these lines the propaganda machinery of KU administration is
active and they are employing their relatives living and working
abroad as well as those employees who have been able to accrue undue
benefits after accepting servitudes of Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram
Adhikary.
In their perspectives, they are saying that politicking would destroy
this pioneer organization as if they are the only ones who would be
affected by bad performance of KU. If KU suffers tomorrow and there
would be no tuition paying students in KU, the first casualty will of
course be the employees both the administrative and academic. Despite
knowing it very well, the employees in KU are demandin
that there should be respective associations. Their demand for having
associations is not for the purpose of dislodging Suresh Raj Sharma
and Sitaram Adhikary. By having these associations they want to
streamline current activities of Kathmandu University.

HussuJi:

I have no problem in asking for change, rules, and transparency. But, the unionization and politicking are not the answer. TU was destroyed by politicking, and KU would be next. This is just my opinion. Then will come the student organizations. Where will all these lead? Nobody knows!

ST

Dear Sarita Thapa jee,

Thanks for your points of views. I too like to support your feelings that KU is a good institution and there is no doubt about it. Why KU is good institution is because of self-financing students and majority of teachers who are regularly doing their jobs. Yeah, I am saying “majority of teachers” only because not all the teachers or 100% of them are doing their job properly. Teachers are frustrated in KU because there is no policy to check those teachers who wantonly throw away academic values and engage themselves in teaching outside. If all the teachers behave like these teachers, who happen to be closest relatives of Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikary, then I am damn sure that KU would fall into such condition that no body, including your brother, would say that KU is a good institution.

Therefore, KU is good institution, despite having such academic thugs who are earning lots of money without fear as they enjoy patronage of Suresh Raj Sharma and Sita Ram Adhikary. And this “good institution” tag has been made possible because of sheer hard work of all other respected teachers who happen to be daughters and sons of Nepali and who are in no way related to Sharma and Adhikari. Thanks for recognizing the efforts of all these teachers by repeating that KU is a good institution. Please try again, I hope you will find yourself amongst such dutiful teachers in KU.

What you heard about KU like "friendly/family hiring" is true and even if you have some connections, I am damn sure that your appointment is a foregone conclusion. What is the most important issue in getting appointment in KU is not your caliber, your enthusiasm for teaching or your interest to pursue academic activities, but your connections with some insiders and your readiness and interests to bear servile attitude towards Sharma and Sitaram for life.

Yeah, you are right that there are few organizations in Nepal where nepotism, and all other –isms are not present. We cannot deny that. And we cannot keep on such cancerous tumors. Then, there comes the question where should we begin the clean-up program? – In my opinion, this should start from Educational sector. For instance, in a bank, if nepotism and favoritism were present, these would remain within the organization and may spread to some other banks only if we believe that such practices in one bank induces managements of other banks.

However, if it is allowed to grow and sustain in academic organizations, it is likely that it would spread like wildfire and may affect each and every organization of Nepal. I am saying so because I believe that each student of KU who graduates from KU not only carries the formal education he/she has earned in KU but also the informal education imparted to him/her by the nepotistic administrative & academic set-up of KU. Since the students acquire education cognitively also, we should not have NEPOTISM in KU any longer, as it is likely to pollute young and innocent minds, which will have to decorate various organizations both in and outside Nepal. Educating our students in such vicious atmosphere of Nepotism is, therefore, preparing future Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikary who would make it a habit to turn every organization into a family business.

Therefore, for god’s sake, let us start dismantling this vestige of nepotism in situ before it spreads to all other organizations in Nepal. For the very reason of its being such an influencing institute, we have to single out KU and subject it to strongest ever dose of anti-nepotism by making perpetrators of Nepotism pay the price for such mindless system in any academic organization.

Only after this, it will matter of factly establish itself as a pioneering institution that can change both our educational direction and value system. We must keep some perspective here friends, and we should not get carried away be some so called big names who are making mockery of the whole educational system of Nepal.

On the other hand, for initiating a healthy debate on the current state of affairs in KU, the present faculties tried a lot. Similarly, when the faculties went to dean, registrar and vice-chancellor to give their opinions on variety of issues, they were accused of politicking and were asked to resign immediately. Never before in any organization, some administrators have resorted to such naked partisan and cruel treatment of faculty members that they need slightest reasons to persecute the faculties. For instance, some of the ex-faculties who were ready to honor their contracts were shamelessly dragged into the courts despite their readiness to pay back whatever they owe to KU as a contractual obligation. This simply shows that Suresh Raj and Sita Ram would never let go a single chance of mercilessly looking down upon the faculty members of KU. Moreover, it is their pastime to resort to name calling game for the faculties and one mistake they would start blasting the faculties. Now, what to talk about their blatant attempts to assassinate the characters of highly dignified faculty members.

Therefore, everybody should know that just because it did not come to their notice, they should not misconstrue that Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikary are saints and all other teachers are sinners. It must be emphasized that it is these two administrators who are resorting to name calling games by giving unjustified and objectionable epithets to the victimized faculty members.

Moreover, when all the responsible officials of KU are maintaining extremely abusive, threatening and insensitive attitude towards everyone who is concerned about the future of KU and who are trying to help saner voices prevail in KU, it is imperative that like minded people come to open and start discussing everything in front of everyone. Therefore, given such ruthless structure and despotic mindsets of VC and registrar, there would never be any healthier approach than approaching a broadsheet and speak whatever injustices are heaped on KU, future of KU, and faculties of KU. This is in no way petty and low, rather courageous and stands out as symbol of righteousness.

Regarding barrage of letters and accusatory writings, it should be made clear that these letters were not pointed at defaming anybody. These are just to point out anomaly in one of the influential academic sectors. The faculties there, being associated with academia for a long time, too have a knack for what is good and what is bad for KU. Moreover, when the same students who were taught by themselves starts bossing around them just because they happen to be daughter, sons, and nephews of Sharma and Adhikary, it is natural on the part of the faculties to point out these anomalies.

These are anomalies because the people who are now bossing around are not qualified to do so academically and administratively as well. And the only power they have comes from their blood relation. If any organization were to be molded or likely to be molded in such abhorable model, then every conscientious faculty would stand up and call a spade a space. The nepotism is opposed in KU not because all other faculties are incompetent. They are opposing nepotism in KU because incompetent people are being unduly promoted.

Now regarding who sent letter, every body must know the truth that there is only one former employee who sent a letter to a publication. Most of other dispatchers are still employed in KU itself and they have done it because they could no longer remain mute witness to daylight murder of academic values in KU by the forces of Nepotism.

Therefore, trying to paint the whole episode, as a fight between bad employee and good administrators, is also a part of the propaganda of KU administrator Sharma and Adhikary. So far, they have named some of the faculties who have left KU. However, KU administrators, Sharma and Adhikary, have such a deep-seated grouse against the faculties that they would give any name to any other faculty who take on them face to face. Therefore, misleading stories of Sharma and Adhikary should not sway us. Rather we should look at the truth and honesty of the faculty members to find out whose dealings are fishy? Is it the administrator duo who are hell bent in promoting Nepotism or a faculty member who is ready to bear all the expenses?

No body has ever claimed that serving for nine-years should be the sole criteria for promotion or retention in academic field. It is the question of equality. Why certain faculty members alone are provided opportunities to go for higher education on KU arranged scholarships and why other faculties are not provided the same opportunity?

Why Sitaram sends his sons for Ph.D. after every two years on full salary paid leave and why not does he send other teachers? Sharma and Adhikary have formulated these draconian provisions with ulterior motives. First they would promise all the faculties that they would be treated equally. Then, they would linger on the issues of other teachers’ going for higher education while silently sending their own progenies for higher education.

In the meantime, when their sons and daughters earn degree abroad, they would run the university with the same lot of teachers who are yet to upgrade themselves on qualifications. And finally when their sons and daughters are in possession of requisite qualification and come back to the institute, they fire all other faculties so that these faculties would not bring up inconvenient issues of seniority and uniformity and oppose blatant but systematic promotion of nepotism in KU. Could there be any more instance of systematic exploitation of human sensitivity, feelings and dedication than what is happening in KU?

Therefore, if Sitaram and Sharma were not interested to promote other Nepali’s sons and daughters in KU, they should have told them so at the earliest. In that case no body would have ever complained. Moreover, if any University, which is fountainhead of knowledge, cannot ensure equality in treatment of the faculties, how can it effectively preach about honesty, ethics, and equality to all the students?
Therefore, to cover up their inability of maintaining organizational equity, KU administrators Sharma and Adhikary are now spreading rumors that these teachers are really incompetent and therefore they have no option but to fire them. As a matter of fact, Sharma and Adhikary grossly destroyed the faith academic administrators are generally supposed to nurture amongst the members of the academic fraternity. By hitting all the faculties below the belt, they have shown that to capture KU and turn it into their family fiefdom, they can go to any extent. They can make false promise, they can incorporate impractical clauses in KU statute, they can remain blind towards inefficiencies of their progenies, they can clandestinely approve of numerous study visits for their progenies and they can ultimately kick on the stomach of the families of honest, and diligent teachers by making such dutiful teachers jobless.

Similarly, to prevent opposition to their highhandedness, ruthlessness and nepotism, they have been consistently keeping all the faculties always divided. Sometimes, they put up one faculty against another. Sometimes, they resort to inducements and sometimes they resort to intimidation. Having witnessed their tricks for a long time, the faculties of KU have ultimately decided to form their own association so that arbitrariness of Sharma and Adhikary can be checked. With a strong teachers association, it is likely that Sharma and Adhikary would never be able to exercise their monopoly in KU, as they will have to bow down before the legitimate demands of all the faculty members.

And to paralyze this move of the teachers, they are picking some conflict theories and circulating the current problems in KU around as the conflict between the labor and management. They are claiming that teachers represent labor side and they want a raise in salary. Nonsense! This is open to everyone that teachers of KU think that they are also the stakeholders of KU and they have every right to have their say in KU administration both in Executive Council and in the Senate. They are not simply demanding raise in salary, they are demanding their right to decide the academic atmosphere of KU so that academic sanctity can be restored and nepotism can be wiped out from KU. Now, regarding the language, however big he may be, he must know that he could be criticized in harshest terms for such blatant promotion of Nepotism in Kathmandu University. When King Gyanendra was not spared, who the hell Suresh Raj Sharma is? Therefore, only those who are directly or indirectly benefited by their past or present association with Suresh Raj Sharma would blindly overlook gross nepotism Suresh Raj Sharma is presiding over in KU. For all other faculty members who believe that there should be rule of law, systematic procedure and prominence of ability, it is natural that they dislike Suresh Raj Sharma and use strongest terms to criticize this academic charlatan.

Therefore, Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram are villain by their spread of nepotism in Kathmandu University. People are terming them as villain only because their designs are slowly destroying academic environment of KU while vitiating your impressionable minds of the students. If these two thugs are not removed from KU, it is sure that KU would become worse than some other colleges in Bihar. Thus, it is high time that every body wakes up from their slumber and give their contributions for forming an investigation committee to look into the affairs of KU. Only this way, KU can be saved and this budding institution can avoid looming crisis.

Save KU!

Dear PaankopatJee:

Like you, I would also like to see KU suceed and become one of the finest institutions in Nepal leading the way for others. Obviously, the whole team of staff, teachers, faculty, and administrators get the credit. But, Suresh Raj has played a major role in it (I think), and we cannot deny that.

Nepotism charges, if true, must be corrected. But, politicking is not the right approach. Add to it student and administrative organizations and unions with affiliations with NC, UML, CPI(M) and you can kiss KU good bye. Wrong medicinne will kill the patient.

Further, those who have come out now after leaving KU may not be telling the whole truth. Incompetence of A does not automatically make B competent. That does not mean the irregularities at KU need to go unnoticed and ignored. I would like to take a larger perspective here.

Nehru promoted his daughter and was criticized vehemently, and yet his legacy in shaping Indian polity and destiny cannot be denied. Suresh Raj's contribution is not trivial regardless of what the former employees write in blogs. That does not give Suresh Sharma an unlimited rights to play with the rules of KU however. But, the latest attacks seem more destructive than constructive. These former employees should go to court and establish their competence, unfair termination and demand justice, instead of creating blogs and giving materials to newspapers who are always looking for sensational masala.

ST

Saritathapa ji,

Let me add my 2 cents too. I went KU ane TU as well. I know there is more politics in TU than education. But what I have experienced is different than you thought. In TU, you need to work hard to pass the exams but in KU. If you are a son/daughter of some powerful persanality, then no need to worry about being failed. All you need to do is show up to take the test. Dinesh Raj Joshi was one of them. If there is some quality of eduction in KU, that is due to young lecturer not the management. This is the truth. I will give an example how KU works.

There was a guy named Narayan Adhikary, he was the chief administrator, but later VC sharma appointed his brother Mukunda as the chief administrator and Narayan was assigned to work as a PA to VC in KUSOM ( lalitpur). Poor Narayan! such things happens not only in adminstration, also in academic part too. Getting paid study leave, promotions, getting scholarship every thing depends on hw close you are with the VC and Registrar.

I am the first batch of school of Engineering at KU
My advise to KU:

1. First, get rid of Mr. Bhola thapa. I remembered doing first semester project and the advisor was Mr. Thapa. His attitude really sucks and he doesnot know how to talk and respect other human beings. He gets a job at KU because he is a neighbour of registrar. It's so pitty that mec Engineering has such a person as HOD and Ass. Dean and he doesnot know how to calculate derivative of a function, being a mechnical engineering graduate and a lecturer for Thermodynamics. It really sucks. He is very very proudy fellow.

So, pls get rid of this man ASAP

2. Regardless of all nepotism, what I believe that KU would be very highly successful institution based on its graduate success. All we need to make mangement very effective and free of any kind of discrimination. EOE policy should be developed and throughly investigation required for all allegations.

3. It's a time for a new VC and a registrar. Give yourself a little bit rest!!!!!

4.Provide good trainings for faculties and staffs.

5.Spend money on improving its facilities rather than spending on relatives.

6.Help students rather helping your relatives.

7.Set an example of being a dynamic university and always follows prime objectives of the university.

8. KU is progressing in a very big way so believe yourself and keep us beliving on you until it gets too late.

God Saves KU!!!!

Dear libraJi:

I agree with many of the points you mention. I do, however, want to put things in perspective. TU, of which I am a product of, does not just have 1, 2, or 3 bad apples. In fact, the half of the teachers never show up because, most of them are either busy consulting or doing politics for various parties. The other one-half are busy guffing and are not that good in their job. A few didicated ones are frustrated like you and me. That is, TU has many more Thapas. But, calling these men (Sharm and Adhikari) thugs can hardly make things better. What do we call then Prachand, Girija, Gyanedra, Joshi, Deuba and all the money making NGO folks and leaders?

In fact I would be very interested in seeing the qualification of Damodar, Suresh Sharma's daughter, and the vita of the person who charged nepotism in the paper (the person who was fired after 7 years of service.) The charge was brought out publicly and so it would be nice to see their vita too. Let's judge their qualification here in public. I am not saying that these men have not made any mistake. Probably they have and they will, but calling them thugs is hardly justifiable.

Save KU.. Yes... but from going down hill and from politics..

ST

Dear Sarita Thapajee,

Thanks once again for your affable attitude towards students, teachers and staffs of KU. We are really grateful to you that you have recognized their contributions in shaping up the KU. Obviously, their contributions are recognized because these contributions are devoid of ulterior motives. They all want to work, study and teach there in KU while dazzling the name of KU. It is a matter of great pride for the KU fraternity that many amongst them have been able to prove themselves as trailblazers. This has been possible largely because they were taught to work hard, with honesty and integrity and they too translated whatever they were taught into concrete reality.

However, the same thing cannot be said about the coming graduates of KU as they are silently learning that to succeed in life what one needs to have powerful, corrupt and nepotistic parents. In terms of KU, they are likely to presume that to be a successful in one’s life, one has to have father and uncles as Registrar and VC respectively. This is so because they have learnt that despite incompetence, and inefficiency one can get easy chances of studying abroad for both the masters and PhD’s if they are lucky to have Registrar and VC as their guardians. With such lessons given by KU setup, I am wondering what effect it will have on their formative minds.

And this detestable environment is set up in KU by none other than VC and registrar themselves. When they took initiative to provide leadership in KU, people thought that an egalitarian leadership is emerging in academic area of Nepal. Everybody, at that time, whole-heartedly supported them. Moreover, they were praised and lauded openly because everybody believed that they would develop an impartial, fair, totally academic organization, which is free of corruption, nepotism, and despotism. So, at that time, No body thought that these two gentlemen would put the University at the service of powerful people, turn it into a certificate issuing organization for the limited number of offsprings of powerful people and even collaborate with the palace to perpetuate their reign in KU and ultimately turn KU into family fiefdom.

What was appreciation for the great initiation initially has by now turned into widespread boos because Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikary have given birth a monstrosity called greed for eternal power. There would now be few people who would claim that Suresh Raj Sharma is an academician. People now prefer to refer to him as administrator because his promotion of nepotism in KU, his jettisoning academic values at the altar of his insatiable greed for power has now left no doubt that his initiatives for establishing KU was solely for self-promotion.

Now nobody is under his spell to believe in his false promises that there will be equitable organization in Nepal. In return of their innocent faith and belief, what people got is an organization heavily infested with Sharma and Adhikary clan and where family members are promoted at the cost of values, ethics, morality and spirit of academia.

This is the reason why people now consider Suresh Raj Sharma as a master manipulator, Machiavellian thug, academic fraud and glib charlatan. Now, tell me how can we respect this person despite knowing very well that his cruel, heinous, and murderous act against the academia of Nepal is going to stagnate the development of academic sector for some time to come. No conscientious person would ever respect this man called Suresh Raj Sharma and he also knows it very well.

Consequently, he has moved into PR overdrive by mobilizing all his contacts who were unduly benefited by his reign in KU to salvage his image and he has exhorted everyone of his contacts to start pleading in public forum that everybody needs to respect Suresh Raj Sharma. Yeah, Suresh Raj Sharma will be respected now onwards only by his vigilantes, sycophants and some parasites.

Now regarding nepotism charges, there is no doubt that it is 100% true. All the students are aware how registrar and VC groomed their relatives in KU. First they would employ their relatives, sons and daughters as some kind of trainee. In the process, they would try to get their progenies familiarize themselves with the system of KU. Meanwhile, both Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikary systematically sound out all others responsible positions like Dean, HODs and Incharges of their desires of having these relatives in KU.

Since nobody is in position to go against the wishes of VC and registrar, everywhere, be it the selection committee or be it at the interview, these offsprings of VC and registrar are automatically qualified. In nut shell, VC and registrar uses their good offices to influence everybody in KU to hire their sons, daughters and other relatives as faculty members, and managers in KU. In addition, if needed, they can even manipulate or change basic norms/regulations like lower ceiling of required percentage for entrance into certain course, or indispensable eligibility criteria for entrance into academia as a teacher.

After making systematic changes for inducting their relatives, they finally claim that everything is honky dory in KU. They exclaim that they have few relatives in KU and their inductions in KU were also conducted in usual manner by the usual selection committee. While making these claims, it is true that they would have altered those decisions, which were effected simply for the purpose of inducting their sons, daughters and other relatives in KU. Since KU is run with iron fist, they are in position to make every change and still come clean.

This is why everybody is claiming that Nepotism is systematic in KU. And everybody knows that everything that is so systematic gives an impression to an outsider as a logical approach. And then the outsiders starts making demands like let us look into vita, qualifications and so on.

On the other hand, VC and registrar can never escape their moral culpability and they are likely to be caught red handed. This has happened once earlier also, when they, I think VC, started bragging on his meeting with chairman of Infosys Narayana Murthy. Yeah, at that time when VC was going eloquent on his meeting with Narayana Murthy, then one teacher quipped him,

“Sir, what is the best quality of Narayana Murthy?”

Then, VC, Suresh Raj Sharma, “Of course, it’s his vision to have world class software company,”

The teacher, ”No, it is the good foundation of Infosys which prevents induction of one’s relatives in Infosys”

That teacher had unfailingly delivered the message that nepotism destroys organizations and because of that Narayan Murthy always despised such practices in Infosys. Moreover, by that interaction, the concerned teacher told Suresh Raj Sharma in unequivocal terms what is ailing KU and why he should not consider himself at par with Narayana Murthy. However, VC listened but did not speak because he knew that he could never be like Narayana Murthy as he has been blatantly destroying academic foundation of KU. Therefore, even Suresh Raj Sharma knows that he is spreading Nepotism in KU and there is no confusion about its existence in KU.

Now, when there is nepotism in KU and Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikary are running KU with their nepotism Party, it is natural that they object to ordinary Nepalese challenging them at their own citadel. And whenever someone challenges this Nepotism party of Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikary, they start passing on different traits to the challenger. They start labeling that challenger as belonging to NC, UML, CPI(M) and, they claim that that challenger is trying to do politics in KU.

In their definition, however much nepotism, unhealthy practices they resort to by establishing their nepotistic family group in KU, it is OK because their actions can never be questioned. But, if some other faculty member starts speaking; it will be branded as politics. For them, their own family party alone should rule KU and no other person should come forward in KU. This is the vicious mindsets of Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikary that they see rise of saner voices as politics in KU while their unpardonable blunders would be touted as indispensable dutiful work.

Therefore, everybody must know that the teachers, who are alleged to be linked with NC, CPN-UML or even CPN-M, is never resorting to any politicking in KU. Neither any student is doing politics in KU. Therefore, no student or teacher is responsible for slow deterioration of academic values in KU. The only politics that is responsible for putting KU slowly on deathbed is the politics of Sharma and Adhikary family, which espouses nepotism as a sole driving principle in KU.

Destroy Nepotism in KU!

Dear PaankopatJi:

Thanks for the long writing on nepotism. I am not joking but, I think NC cadres should read this and go after Girija and clean the NC party. It applies to NC party 100%. It would have solved our problem a long time ago and we would not have seen the maoists problem. We should also go after the nepotism stuff in NGOs. It is pretty bad there too. My own relative runs two different NGOs with a big time family network.

Back to KU:

One of many disputes at KU perhaps, but the accusatory letter written by Mr. Bhatta in TKP represents a typical situation that was well too common in Nepal.

1. Teacher A comes to US with some scholarship (TA,RA,Fulbright,Humphry);
2. Asks for study leave and gest salary for 2/3/4 years with the commitment that he/she would return to Nepal to serve the motherland. He/she writes that in the personal statement to get admissions.
3. Once the Talabi Bida is over starts asking for Betalabi Bida.
4. Towards the end of thesis writing time, starts applying for jobs in the US, and when the parent institution in Nepal begins to bug, resigns.
5. Those under Fulbright and other status run to Canada to kill that two/three years requirement.
6. Eventually gets lost in the lands of opportunity, and goes to Nepal as a tourist.

What I am curious is, did Mr. Bhatta draw salary from KU while he was on a study leave in the US?
Did he promise to return?
Did he string out the stay in the US by several years and yet asked for Bida?
Did he eventually say, no I am not coming?
Was he fired for not fulfilling his end of the bargain?

We do not know these details, so we should not pass any judgement neither on KU nor on Mr. Bhatta. Both should come clean on their explanation. The explanation of KU on Bhatta and Bhatta's explanation both are not very clean.

I have been told that there is another letter in TKP by Mr. Bhatta. I have not read it. But, I don't know who is telling the truth. They should both go to court and settle it instead of doing it in the newspaper.


ST

I agree with Ashu, and Saritathapa for their view with balanced perspectives.

Saritathapa wrote:

"In fact I would be very interested in seeing the qualification of Damodar,...."

I know a bit about Mr. Damodar Gautam. I had once attended his lectures in the Adminstrative Staff College (I still recall, they were on Development Administration). The course ran for a month and we had several experts (including senior professors from TU) delivering lectures on range of topics. And Mr. Damodar Gautam was the one with best impact in the class in terms of both his way of presentation and depth of knowledge. I was particularly surprised by his academic strength despite his position then as a senior civil servant (Secretary). His bio blurb then read that he had graduate degree of some US university. Later, he served as the Chief Secretary.

It is so pity that one poster in this thread compared Mr. Damodar Gautam with Lok Man Singh Karki.

Surely, there must be some management problems, but the question is how to deal with them. Labeling Mr. Suresh Raj Sharma as a Mandale, corrupt or villain of KU does not help in putting the issue in right perspective. On the other hand, Mr. Sharma deserves a respect for what he has done as a visionary leader to bring KU to its present form and shape.

As an outsider I do not know the internal operational practices of KU. But I can not buy all arguments put forward against the KU management. I can not imagine that the present KU management can afford firing or discriminating against "an able and competent faculty member" just because he/she happened not to be a relative of KU executives.

As saritathapa rightly pointed out, it has been common practice in Nepal to use one's instituional affiliation just as a steping stone for advancing own's interest and not honor the conditionalities in the contract.

And I am surprised that the complains are coming from faculty members. Rather, it should have come from student community since they deserve more qualified teachers for the amount of money they are paying.

Neutral
-----------------------------

neutralJi:

I don't know Damodar gautam, but after reading your assessment of him, I did some google search and found out that he taught at Michigan State University, Mankato as a visiting professor.

Like you, the Chair of the Political Science Department was impressed with his presentation years ago, and had arranged some visiting money to come and teach at his university (asd a fulbright scholar).

http://www.mnsu.edu/news/read.php?id=old-1037858400

This is remarkable that an ex-bureaucrat had scholarly flare to have made an academic impression on a Chair of the American University.

I would also be interested in knowing if he has any other scholarly writings to deserve a spot at KU.

The point is that instead of launching a sweeping smear campaign against KU's management, we need to find out the truth.

So, my question about Mr. Bhatta still remains unanswered as posed above..among many,

did he draw salary from KU during his studies in the US? If so, for how many years?
Did he get a studies leave from KU? If so, how many years?

Currently, he seems to have landed an assistane professor position (his letter in TKP two days ago). (More power to him, but does he feel that he has some obligation towards his institution?) These are all unanswered questions? Similarly, KU also needs to state the case clear and perhaps go to court.

Similarly, it would still be interesting to find out about the qualification of those who got fired and see how they fare against the "kins and siblings" like Suresh Raj's daughter and Damodar Gautam.


ST

"visionary leader?"
Wow, I had heard it quite often when I was there in KU. Everybody there in KU
claims that Suresh Raj Sharma is visionary. Later on when I checked the credentials of those people using such ingratiating words, I came to know that they were either deans, or hods or someone vying for professorships. Perhaps this was coined by one professor of KUSOM who managed to get professorship even without Ph.D. .

So, I think that this little bit answer about the "visionary leadership" of Suresh Raj Sharma. Had he stuck to his original plan that he used to talk about around 1995s, I think he would have been an undisputed visionary leader. But, instead of considering all the teachers as his own children and giving guardianships to every son and daughter of Nepal, he preferred to close to himself within his family, his clan and his sychophants.

Now, after getting his own not so bright daughter earn all the degrees in KU itself by exerting every conceivable influence, he has managed to bring her in KU to boss around those teachers who taught her. Very nice vision!

Let us just compare with Girija, I think Girija, irrespective of his numerous failings, has never promoted his daughter Sujata in such wanton manner.

There are instances when Girija denied election tickets to Sujata also.

We would have accepted Suresh Raj Sharma as a visionary leader only if he had not done these things.

HusuuJi:

Nepotism or no nepotism the record of NC's Koirala problem is hardly trivial.

Girija Koirala
Nona Koirala
Shekhar Koirala
Sujata Koirala
Sushil Koirala
Shashank Koirala
Shailaja (Acharya)

Part of the problem is perception too, and perhaps that's what's happening at KU too, and it all gest mixed up with the real problem.



ST

Dear Neutraljee,

Thanks for nice info on Mr. Damodar Gautam. By putting his name alongside Mr. Lok Man Singh Karki, I wanted to prove that every chief secretary can not be accorded professorship. This you have also proved as you have meticulously mentioned that Mr. Gautam is a through scholar. Buying that point from you, I presume that Damodar Gautam deserves to be a professor of Kathamandu University.

However, there is a flip side also. To every deserving scholar, it may not be possible to accord professorship. I am saying so as all these promotional aspects of academia have certain procedural aspects also. Therefore, the main question is what procedure is being employed in Kathmandu University and how it is applied whenever someone is accorded professorship.

When there are instances of faculties without Ph.D.s getting professorship in contravention with KU's own promotional policy, it is likely that some one may question the efficacy of the management in promoting someone related to them. Like in those cases when some sychophants were made professor without care of its own norms, it is quite possible that in his case also some leniency might have been observed. Therefore, when KU management is systematically breaching its own regulations and laws, every decision is likely to invite suspicions and criticisms.

Therefore, the most important question that is highlighted by sheer nepotism in KU is that KU management can throw the rules and regulations to the winds if they have to promote their relatives, their bootlickers and their other parasitic sychophants.

Politics is different from an academia. In politics, everybody is entitled to vie for top job and just because one belong to certain political party, he or she can never be denied an opportunity to present himself/herself for the top job. However, at the same time, it has been consistently heard and noticed that people prefer no leader to unduly promote their offsprings.

Hussujee has rightly mentioned that despite the greatest desire, Girija Prasad Koirala could not give election ticket to his daughter Sujata Koirala. This could have been done by senior Koirala under the pressure of his partymen. However,time has shown that whatever may be her weaknesses, Sujata has also been trying to make inroad on her own. This is politics and she has every right to make use of her fundamental rights. Therefore, there is no point in arguing about these examples related to politics.

But in academia, same rules never applies. Like the fundamental civil rights that entitle one to contest elections both inside and outside the political parties, there are rights in academia also if one wants to make him/her a faculty member.

However, these rights come with some demanding requirements and these requirements entail one to work hard, meet all the necessary preconditions and then qualify oneself to be employed as a faculty member or in other positions. When we talk about KU and how Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikary groomed their daughters and sons, we must be left in no confusion that they used the influences of their offices to remove every hurdle in the path of their progenies' successs. Had these two gentlemen not been there, I have a hunch that it would have been quite impossible for these progenies of Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikary to establish themselves in KU.

And this esatblishing of their progenies in KU have come at the price of academic values, ethics and irregularities. So, no body should be in any doubt that both Suresh Raj Sharma and Sitaram Adhikary are guilty of blindly promoting nepotism in KU.

Regarding why Suresh Raj Sharma is mandale, I have already given lots of examples that this person is quite dictatorial, against academic freedom, and wants to rule KU exactly in the same manner some Ram Kumar Subba of certain zonal office did in Nepal.
I believe that his past hobnobbing with the royal palace, his close promixities with royalists, and mandales have turned him into another mandale.

May be friends might have been confused by sheer definition of mandale. Gone are the days when mandales were seen holding Khukhuri at the the gate of TC as epitomized by Kamal Thapa during the 30s. The same old mandale Kamal Thapa has by now metamorphed into a cunning but smooth operator who would not hesitate to massacre the entire protestors. Likewise, there are many such smooth operators who emulate the dictator and mold them into lesser dictators. Therefore, all these people who are in habit of inflicting pains to other mortal fellows would be more suitably described by the word mandale.

If you want further proof of why Suresh Raj Sharma is mandale, please visit the following link to read "special editorial"
www.changeinku.blogspot.com

Down with Nepotism and Despotism in KU.

Dear Paan ko Pat
I am surprised about the KU in media news so much. Being an Alumni from KU and being a first batch like you, why are you so much intended to spoil KU's reputation? Listen man dont be angry with me. If we spoil KU's name it will destroy our own reputation. I know you and your friends are now well settled in Mountain view California and you never have to get anything more from KU again. But think of our little brothers and sisters's luck. They could never sell them to any good comapny or any good University later on. I know there are certainly some problems in the system but if we disclose our problems to road nothing gonna happen. Only people outside from KU is going to LOL. Lets Try to find a legal way. Stop barking. If you bark again and again nothing gonna happen , You gotta bite.
I am ready to listen now. Go on man.

I am a bit surprised by the double standard about the nepotism in NC and in KU.

"Despite many failures, Girija never promoted Sujata..."
(First, I have hard time buying the argument that Girija never promoted Sujata. Even if it is true, then why are we making excuses for Girija if he was a failure?)

We can flip the argument for Suresh Sharma
"Inspite of the promotion of his daughter, Suresh Sharma succeeded making the KU a brand name.." .. With this, Suresh Sharma still comes out fine, and certainly does not deserve all the name calling.

I too talked to some KU graduates and they are not very happy about the letter writing campaign by these former teachers. They all feel that creating a blog to destroy the reputation of KU is a betrayal.

The arguments can go both ways, but like Kuian, I too would like such debates to be more about substance than name calling...

Still awaiting some answers about:

1. Damodar Gautam and Suresh Sharma's Daughter's qualification versus the ones who got fired.
2. Mr. Bhatta's salary info from KU while being on study leave (plus other unanswered questions.)



ST

Well said sarita jee