KATHMANDU, Jan 4: The National Examination Board (NEB) and the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) have been running without chairperson and member secretary respectively for several months.

The NEB was formed about seven months ago following the implementation of the new Education Act, which dissolved the Higher Secondary Education Board and School Leaving Certificate examination board after school education was redefined up to Grade 12. However, the government is yet to appoint the chairperson of the NEB. The secretary of the Ministry of Education is automatically posted as the vice-chairperson of the NEB.

The NEB chairperson is appointed through the recommendation of a committee chaired by the Public Service Commission.

According to the ministry, the NEB has an organizational structure of 13 members. The board members include three educationists, two experts and the remaining members include departmental chiefs. 

“The posts of chairperson and three educationists as well as two experts have been lying vacant since the beginning,” said the MoE officials.

Meanwhile, CTEVT has been running without member secretary as Dr Ram Hari Lamichhane resigned from his post of member secretary about five months ago. 

“The ministry is in the process to appoint the officials in both of the state bodies,” said Dr Hari Prasad Lamsal, spokesman for the MoE. “Two different committees have been formed to recommend the candidates for these vacant posts,” he said, adding that the recommendation committees were formed two weeks ago.

A three-member committee headed by Umesh Mainali, chairperson of the Public Service Commission has been formed to search the candidates for the NEB while another three-member committee coordinated by secretary at the MoE Shanta Bahadur Shrestha has been formed to recommend the candidates for the member-secretary of the CTEVT. 

“The committees will nominate the candidates after they complete the working procedure on rules to select the candidates,” said Lamsal.

According to reliable sources, the power-sharing politics between the ruling parties Nepali Congress and CPN-Maoist Center has hindered the appointments at the vital posts. “Both of the parties are eyeing for the post of NEB chair,” said the sources requesting anonymity. “On the other hand, blame-game of bribing Education Minister Dhani Ram Paudel luring millions of rupees has been whispered ear to ear in the CTEVT,” said the source.

The post of member-secretary is vital to issue affiliation to the institutions belonging to vocational education and trainings. On the other hand, the post of NEB chair is equivalent to the minister for state.

 
• national examination board
 
• council for technical education and vocational training
 
• chairperson
 
• member-secretary