All Nepal National Independent Students Union (Revolutionary) and National University Teacher’s Association of Nepal released a joint statement on Thursday condemning the government’s decision to appoint vice chancellors in various universities of the country based on political power sharing.

Appealing all university professors, students and staff to protest the decision, the two organisations demanded that the appointment process be scrapped.

“Sharing VC seats hampers the reputation of universities as past appointees have time and again been found to be engaged in corruption and irregularities,” the statement read. It further stated that appointments should instead be made on the basis of qualification, capability, experience and seniority.

Earlier, PM Sushil Koirala had appointed VCs in five universities, including plagiarism-accused Tirtha Khaniya at Tribhuvan University. Kul Prasad Koirala was appointed the VC of Nepal Sanskrit University, Ghanshyam Lal Das of Purbanchal University, Bhusan Shrestha of Far-Western University and Ishwari Prasad Dhakal of Agriculture and Forestry University.

Dhakal is the member of UCPN (Maoist)-affiliated Nepal Professors’ Association while the remaining four are members of Nepali Congress-affiliated Nepal Democratic Professors’ Union.