Prime Minister and Chancellor Balendra Shah appointed Prof. Devendra Adhikari as Pokhara University's new Vice-Chancellor on Asar 19, 2083 (July 3, 2026), selecting him from a shortlist of three finalists after one of the largest applicant pools in this round. He took the oath of office and secrecy the same day, administered by Education and Sports Minister Sasmit Pokharel.
| New Vice-Chancellor | Prof. Devendra Adhikari |
| Appointed | Asar 19, 2083 (July 3, 2026) |
| Selection process | Open competition; 38 applicants |
| Outgoing VC | Prof. Dr. Bedraj KC (removed by ordinance, May 2, 2026) |
Background: who is Devendra Adhikari?
Prof. Adhikari is a long-serving Tribhuvan University professor based at Mahendra Morang Campus in Biratnagar, one of TU's major constituent campuses in eastern Nepal. He holds a PhD in Physics from Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University in India. His appointment brings a basic-sciences academic background to the leadership of Pokhara University, which has built its institutional reputation primarily around professional and technical programmes (engineering, management, health sciences).
Selection process
Pokhara University's VC post drew 38 applications; tied with Purbanchal University for the second-highest number in this round, after TU's 50. The Selection and Recommendation Committee chaired by Education Minister Sasmit Pokharel ran the shortlisting and interview process before recommending three finalists to Chancellor Balendra Shah.
The predecessor: how the previous leadership left
Pokhara University's Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Bedraj KC, was removed from office under the government's May 2, 2026 ordinance, along with the university's Registrar and other senior office-holders appointed by earlier governments.
Prof. KC had been in office through at least January 2026, when he is recorded administering the oath of office to newly appointed university officials, a role he lost a few months later when the ordinance took effect. The Chancellor's office then assigned Prof. Dr. Bishnu Raj Tiwari, of the School of Health and Allied Sciences, as caretaker Vice-Chancellor on Baisakh 30, 2083.
Pokhara University has separately had a documented history of prolonged leadership vacancies affecting its academic calendar including a period during the COVID-19 pandemic when the university operated for more than a year without a confirmed Vice-Chancellor or Registrar, disrupting exam schedules, result publication, and certificate distribution.
