Agriculture and Forestry University probes misuse of faculty study leave

The Agriculture and Forestry University has formed an internal inquiry panel to examine the status of study leave granted to its teaching faculty and administrative personnel, following concerns over potential irregularities and non-compliance.

According to an official letter issued by University Registrar Prof. Dr. Suveer Singh, the probe follows directives from the Ministry of Education and Sports and the University Grants Commission, alongside an endorsement from the university's Executive Council. The committee's formation was reported by Lokaantar, Ratopati, Nepal Live and Baahrakhari.

The university has tasked the investigative panel with reviewing every study leave approved since the institution's establishment, extending the scrutiny to faculty and administrative workers transferred or adjusted from other institutions.

Dr. Gandhiv Kafle, Dean of the Faculty of Forestry, chairs the five-member committee. Other members include Dr. Krishna Prasad Thapaliya, Associate Dean for Administration at the Faculty of Agriculture; Rajendra Basyal, Associate Dean for Administration at the Faculty of Animal Science, Veterinary Science and Fisheries; and Joint Administrator Sahadev Chaudhary. Dinesh Adhikari, Acting Deputy Administrator in the Personnel Administration Division, serves as the committee's member-secretary.

Under its mandate, the committee will evaluate the complete administrative trail of leave approvals, track whether beneficiaries met their stated academic goals, and verify whether staff fulfilled the obligations tied to their furloughs. Investigators will also examine what beneficiaries did while they were on leave.

The committee has been instructed to conclude its investigation and deliver a detailed findings report to the Registrar's Office by Poush 13, 2083 BS.