Kathmandu, March 24 Nepal Public Campus Association has demanded that the government establish a separate public university for public colleges in the country. Speaking at a press meet organised on the eve of 10th national convention of NPCA today, NPCA president Ishwor Gautam said they have been demanding establishment of a separate university for public colleges since past eight years. He said 471 colleges were affiliated to the NPCA and other 100 campuses were in the process of getting its membership. Of these public colleges, only a few are affiliated to Purbanchal University while most of them are affiliated to Tribhuvan University. “Around 200,000 students are studying in public colleges in 74 districts across the country,” Gautam said, adding “We have shared 50 per cent of the TU’s responsibility by establishing colleges even in the remote areas of the country but the government has not been paying attention towards establishing a separate university.” He also informed that a total of 12 campuses affiliated to TU has got Quality Assurance and Accreditation certificate from the University Grants Commission. Of them, 11 are public colleges. “Public colleges are providing quality education to students, but they have not been able to prepare their own curriculum due to lack of separate university,” said Gautam. The draft of Nepal Public University Act was approved by the UGC and submitted to the Ministry of Education many years ago. But the draft was never forwarded to the Cabinet and the Parliament, he said. NPCA is organising a two-day national convention in Kirtipur from tomorrow. It was informed at the press meet that the association would take initiatives for the establishment of the university after its national convention.