KATHMANDU, JUNE 30

Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Raghuji Panta, has assured that preparations are underway to introduce the School Education Bill in alignment with the agreements reached with the Confederation of Nepalese Teachers (CNT).

During a meeting of the Education, Health, and Information Technology Committee of the House of Representatives (HoR) on Monday, the Minister requested additional time to incorporate the concerns of teachers into the Bill.

Although the meeting had been expected to pass the Bill, Minister Panta asked for a deferral to allow the Ministry further time to revise the draft. In response, Committee Chair Amar Bahadur Thapa postponed the session.

'I need some time, in my capacity as Minister, to ensure the Bill addresses the concerns raised by teachers,' Panta said, proposing the deferral.

He further committed to introducing the Bill in accordance with the agreements signed with teachers.

Chief Whip of the Nepali Congress, Shyam Ghimire, echoed the need for more time to reach consensus, stating, 'There are still unresolved issues in the Bill that require further discussion.'

Committee member Chhabilal Bishwakarma also emphasized the importance of additional deliberation on certain proposed provisions, saying, 'There should be no delay in finalizing these provisions.'

However, many committee members expressed support for passing the Bill without further delay, even if it meant continuing discussions overnight. Lawmakers Dig Bahadur Limbu, Rekha Sharma, Sumana Shrestha, Gyanu Basnet Subedi, Prabhu Hajara, Bidhya Bhattarai, Deepa Sharma, and Ishwari Ghartimagar were among those advocating for the swift endorsement of the Bill.