KATHMANDU: The students’ union of ruling Nepal Communist Party, ANNFSU padlocked the office of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) protesting the government’s decision to appoint Dr. Dr Divya Singh Shah as its Dean.

The government had on Wednesday evening appointed Dr Shah as Dean of the IOM under the Tribhuvan University.

Dr Shah is Prime Minister KP Oli’s personal physician.

A recommendation committee formed under the chairman of Prof. Dr. Prem Gyawali had earlier recommended the names of three candidates to Tribhuvan University Executive Council.

The ANNFSU said the decision to appoint her as the Dean was based on nepotism and haste.

The committee had recommended Prof. Dr. Pradeep Vaidya, Prof. Dr. Shah and Prof. Dr. Uttam Krishna Shrestha to the post.

Prof. Dr Vaidhya, also a Vice-Chancellor of Tribhuvan University, is considered close and favored by Giriraj Mani PoKharel, Minister for Education, Science and Technology.

Likewise, Prof. Dr Shrestha Manmohan is the Executive Director of the Manmohan Cardiothoracic Vascular and Transplant Center.

The post was lying vacant from June 3 after then Prof. Dr. Jagdish Prasad Agrawal retired due to age limit.