KATHMANDU: Prime Minister and Chancellor of the Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU), KP Sharma Oli, has appointed the Registrar, the Chair of the University’s Service Commission and the Dean of the Faculty of Forestry.

Accordingly, Prof Dr Sharada Thapaliya has been appointed the Registrar, Prof Dr Kalyani Mishra Tripathi has been appointed the Chair of the Service Commission and Prof Dr Balram Bhatta has been appointed the Faculty of Forestry Dean.

The appointment of the Registrar and the Dean was made on the recommendation of the AFU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Punya Prasad Regmi while the Chair of the Service Commission was appointed on the recommendation of the Minister for Education Krishna Gopal Shrestha, who is the pro-chancellor of the University, the AFU stated.

AFU has not been able to convene its University Senate as the post of the Registrar had been lying vacant for long. The day-to-day functioning of the University was also hampered due to the same reason.

Meanwhile, a lockout is in place at the central office of the university. The Nepal Progressive University Teachers Organization has padlocked the central office in protest against what it called the ‘arbitrary’ appointment of the dean and research director by the Vice Chancellor before this. The Organization has also demanded the resignation of the Vice Chancellor.