Prof. Dr. Om Prasad Baral officially assumed the role of Vice Chairperson at the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) on November 25, 2024. A welcome program was organized at the CTEVT office in Sanothimi, Bhaktapur, to extend him best wishes and wish him a successful tenure. His appointment was made by the Council of Ministers on November 22, 2024.

During the program, Mr. Tek Bahadur Malla, Director of the National Skill Testing Board (NSTB), welcomed Prof. Baral on behalf of CTEVT and wished him success in his new role. He said that CTEVT is at a critical point in its journey and emphasized the importance of being actively involved in decision-making processes. Quoting the saying, “If you’re not at the table, you’re probably on the menu,” he highlighted the need for CTEVT’s strong presence in policymaking forums. He expressed that employees are excited to work under Prof. Baral’s leadership.

Er. Mahesh Bhattarai, Member Secretary of CTEVT, welcomed Prof. Baral and assured him of his full support in thoughts, words, and actions (manasa, vacha and karmana). He shared a brief update on CTEVT’s current status and challenges. He said CTEVT’s role is to produce basic, mid and high level skilled human resources to help develop the nation and expressed hope that CTEVT would flourish under Prof. Baral’s leadership.

In his speech, Prof. Dr. Om Prasad Baral thanked everyone for the warm welcome and promised to do his best to improve CTEVT. He compared technical and vocational education to “golden eggs” because it gives people skills and knowledge to help them become self-reliant through jobs or self-employment. He also promised to make CTEVT an academic institution and solve any problems and disputes through dialogue. Additionally, he pledged to make CTEVT a talabanda nisedhit chhetra. Referring to one of CTEVT’s mottos, “sip hunchha hatma, rojgari sathma” (employment lies in skilled hands), he shared his commitment to leading the organization according to his vision paper.

The welcome program was attended by CTEVT staff, including directors, deputy directors, and trade union representatives. The CTEVT Vice Chairperson Nomination Recommendation Committee had announced the position on August 31, 2024. According to the CTEVT Act, 1988, and CTEVT Rules, 1994, the Vice Chairperson’s term lasts for four years. Before his appointment in the current position, Prof. Dr. Om Prasad Baral was associated with Tribhuvan University, Nepal.