8/13/2019 Lone Hunger Striker Spurs Nepal to Action

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Lone hunger striker spurs Nepal to action

Countrys system of political patronage in science exposed.

Smriti Mallapaty

18 February 2014

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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

http://www.nature.com/news/lone-hunger-striker-spurs-nepal-to-action-1.14735#auth-1http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/1.14735!/menu/main/topColumns/topLeftColumn/pdf/506279a.pdfhttps://s100.copyright.com/AppDispatchServlet?author=Smriti+Mallapaty&title=Lone+hunger+striker+spurs+Nepal+to+action&publisherName=NPG&contentID=10.1038%2F506279a&publicationDate=02%2F18%2F2014&publication=Nature+Newshttp://www.nature.com/news/atom-circuits-a-step-closer-1.14709http://www.nature.com/news/ancient-genome-stirs-ethics-debate-1.14698http://www.nature.com/news/uk-rolls-out-terror-attack-plan-1.14696http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/1.14735!/menu/main/topColumns/topLeftColumn/pdf/506279a.pdfhttps://s100.copyright.com/AppDispatchServlet?author=Smriti+Mallapaty&title=Lone+hunger+striker+spurs+Nepal+to+action&publisherName=NPG&contentID=10.1038%2F506279a&publicationDate=02%2F18%2F2014&publication=Nature+Newshttp://www.nature.com/news/atom-circuits-a-step-closer-1.14709http://www.nature.com/news/ancient-genome-stirs-ethics-debate-1.14698http://www.nature.com/news/uk-rolls-out-terror-attack-plan-1.14696http://www.nature.com/news/lone-hunger-striker-spurs-nepal-to-action-1.14735#auth-1

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% hunger strike by a senior acade"ic in Nepal has !orced the govern"ent to backtrack on itssyste" o! political patronage in acade"ia and highlighted the da"age it has in!licted on "edicalservices* education and research#

Govinda KC* a physician and pro!essor at the +nstitute o! ,edicine -+.,/* part o! the leading

ribhuvan )niversity -)/ in Kath"andu* began a protest !ast on 8 February# is de"andsincluded the reinstate"ent o! the "edical institute's !or"er dean* or the appoint"ent o! a neone disciplinary action against sta!! involved in granting unregulated licences to private "edicalcolleges and the establish"ent o! public "edical colleges in rural areas# 3oens o! hiscolleagues staged a alkout in solidarity* causing outpatient services at ) eaching ospital togrind to a halt#

KC's hunger strike as triggered by the resignation in 3ece"ber o! the +., dean* 5rakash6aya"i* !olloing 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 theyo!!ered#

! am fasting "ecause ! #ant to end the corruption in the education and health

institutions.$

.n 11 February* ithin hours o! being sorn in* 5ri"e ,inister 6ushil Koirala set a 247hourulti"atu" !or ) to appoint a ne dean# he university duly selected senior physician akesh6rivastav 9 a decision elco"ed by KC* but one that as not enough !or hi" to call o!! hisprotest -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*; hesaid# :+ 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" inuniversities are selected by the ruling party or coalition*; says Kedar ?hakta ,athe"a* a !or"ervice7chancellor o! )# Fro" e@ecutive level to depart"ent heads* :it is people ho can push andpull the levers o! political poer that can get into these positions;* 5ita"ber 6har"a* a !or"er) pro!essor* toldNature#

?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* arguesKa"al Krishna Aoshi* another !or"er ) vice7chancellor# Bith govern"ent !unding and student

http://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/490331ahttp://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/474543ahttp://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/sj.jp.7211486http://www.nature.com/news/lone-hunger-striker-spurs-nepal-to-action-1.14735#related-linkshttp://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/490331ahttp://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/474543ahttp://www.nature.com/doifinder/10.1038/sj.jp.7211486http://www.nature.com/news/lone-hunger-striker-spurs-nepal-to-action-1.14735#related-links

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!ees providing the bulk o! the universities' li"ited !unds* researchers have had to rely on theiron connections and e!!orts to bring in cash* he says#

5olitical "eddling has also e@acerbated an unco"!ortable reality in the country# :esearch asnever 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 orkabroad#

,ost o! the !unding !or the Nepal %gricultural esearch Council and the Nepal %cade"y o!6cience and echnology* both in Kath"andu* co"es !ro" the govern"ent and is spent onsalaries# % 2010 survey by the acade"y !ound that 8D o! participants clai"ed to haveinsu!!icient e(uip"ent !or their research needs# 6har"a adds that* !ro" his on observations*Nepal is at a substandard level on "any "easures* including the (uality o! its Eournals and thenu"ber o! publications in international Eournals#

?ut there are so"e positives# Last year sa spending on agricultural research 9 a crucial sectorin Nepal 9 "ore than triple co"pared ith 200* !ro"