Lone hunger striker spurs Nepal to action

Countrys system of political patronage in science exposed.

Smriti Mallapaty 18 February 2014

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Narayan Maharjan/Demotix/Corbis

Govinda KC

ent on hunger strike in protest over inter!erence in acade"ic appoint"ents by the Nepalese govern"ent#

$%to"tronic$ super!luid re"e"bers ho it has been stirred Geno"e o! &Clovis boy' raises (uestions on handling o! Native %"erican re"ains )K reveals deconta"ination procedures !or terror attacks

% hunger strike by a senior acade"ic in Nepal has !orced the govern"ent to backtrack on its syste" o! political patronage in acade"ia and highlighted the da"age it has in!licted on "edical services* education and research# Govinda KC* a physician and pro!essor at the +nstitute o! ,edicine -+.,/* part o! the leading 0ribhuvan )niversity -0)/ in Kath"andu* began a protest !ast on 8 February# 1is de"ands included the reinstate"ent o! the "edical institute's !or"er dean* or the appoint"ent o! a ne one2 disciplinary action against sta!! involved in granting unregulated licences to private "edical colleges2 and the establish"ent o! public "edical colleges in rural areas# 3o4ens o! his colleagues staged a alkout in solidarity* causing outpatient services at 0) 0eaching 1ospital to grind to a halt# KC's hunger strike as triggered by the resignation in 3ece"ber o! the +., dean* 5rakash 6aya"i* !ollo ing pressure on hi" to grant a!!iliations to private "edical colleges# 6uch colleges "ust be !or"ally a!!iliated to a university* and can beco"e pro!itable businesses through student !ees once this is achieved# 6aya"i had beco"e concerned about the (uality o! education that they o!!ered# ! am fasting "ecause ! #ant to end the corruption in the education and health institutions.$ .n 11 February* ithin hours o! being s orn in* 5ri"e ,inister 6ushil Koirala set a 247hour ulti"atu" !or 0) to appoint a ne dean# 0he university duly selected senior physician 8akesh 6rivastav 9 a decision elco"ed by KC* but one that as not enough !or hi" to call o!! his protest -he had ended previous hunger strikes a!ter being pro"ised re!or"s/# :+ a" !asting because + ant to end the corruption in the education and health institutions*; he said# :+ a" con!ident that "y de"ands ill be "et#; KC !inally ended his !ast on 1< February* a!ter the govern"ent agreed to "eet al"ost all o! his de"ands#
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5olitical appoint"ents in acade"ia are not unusual in Nepal# :,e"bers o! the leadership tea" in universities are selected by the ruling party or coalition*; says Kedar ?hakta ,athe"a* a !or"er vice7chancellor o! 0)# Fro" e@ecutive level to depart"ent heads* :it is people ho can push and pull the levers o! political po er that can get into these positions;* 5ita"ber 6har"a* a !or"er 0) pro!essor* told Nature# ?ut by sidelining acade"ic "erit* the research culture in Nepal has su!!ered* acade"ics say# Leading positions are given to individuals ho are unable to bring in research !unding* argues Ka"al Krishna Aoshi* another !or"er 0) vice7chancellor# Bith govern"ent !unding and student

!ees providing the bulk o! the universities' li"ited !unds* researchers have had to rely on their o n connections and e!!orts to bring in cash* he says# 5olitical "eddling has also e@acerbated an unco"!ortable reality in the country# :8esearch as never taken seriously in acade"ic institutions in the past* it is not taken seriously even no *; says 6har"a# Borst a!!ected are young scientists* "any o! ho" have le!t to study and ork abroad# ,ost o! the !unding !or the Nepal %gricultural 8esearch Council and the Nepal %cade"y o! 6cience and 0echnology* both in Kath"andu* co"es !ro" the govern"ent and is spent on salaries# % 2010 survey by the acade"y !ound that C8D o! participants clai"ed to have insu!!icient e(uip"ent !or their research needs# 6har"a adds that* !ro" his o n observations* Nepal is at a substandard level on "any "easures* including the (uality o! its Eournals and the nu"ber o! publications in international Eournals# ?ut there are so"e positives# Last year sa spending on agricultural research 9 a crucial sector in Nepal 9 "ore than triple co"pared ith 200F* !ro" <20 "illion to 1#G< billion Nepalese rupees -)6H<#2< "illion to H1G#C "illion/# ?ut ho "uch KC's !ast ill change things re"ains to be seen# 1ira ?ahadur ,aharEan* the current 0) vice7chancellor* denies clai"s o! party inter!erence# :+n a de"ocracy* everyone carries a political ideology# %ppointed o!!icials Eust happen to have a certain ideology* hich is not related to their appoint"ent*; he says# 0he govern"ent re!used to co""ent on the issue# Nature %&'( 2GF -20 February 2014/ doi=10#10I8J<0C2GFa
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