Professor Kedar Bhakta Mathema, former Vice Chancellor of Tribhuvan University and a crusader for public causes, is worried about the non-performance of public institutions.
He said during an interaction program as the guest in Desh Sanchar Chautari ‘nonperformance of public institutions has resulted in exodus and loss of their importance’.
Mathema who began his career as lecturer in Tri Chandra Campus decades ago has served in many national and international institutions including World Bank.
He worked as VC in TU in 1990 for three years and then was appointed as ambassador to Japan in 1996 where he spent the following six years.
When asked what makes Nepal’s presence in the international forum meaningful and substantial, he said ‘we must be strong at home’ and the world will take note of us. ‘It is the easiest goal to attain that we need to be strengthened and responsible within, at first’, he opined. The envoy shouldering baggage of several scams and scandals here could not represent the country in an esteem manner, he added.
He said while the constitution of Nepal talks of socialism, the public sector here is crumbling. The working class has to pay for their education and basic health needs which makes it clear we are talking about ‘fake socialism’.
Absence of sense of ownership in the public institutions has to be dealt with, he said adding ‘we have to inject elements of the private sector like ‘cost consciousness’ in order to make the public sector perform’.
Politics of ‘Bhagbanda’ is largely responsible for the ruin of public institutions, he stressed.
Recalling his own experience as VC in TU he said ‘colleagues and leaders came out with suggestions that I must continue with the policy and practices of ‘Bhagbanda’ offering major posts to supporters of different political parties. But I refused and we agreed to work together with competent people occupying key post’.
After all, ‘VC is not a manager but a leader with vision for the growth of the institution’, he mentioned.