Kathmandu, June 9:

The Joint Students’ Struggle Committee of private engineering colleges affiliated to the Tribhuvan University (TU) today said they would protest against the Institute of Engineering (IOE) until their demands were met.

Organising a press meet, the agitators said the dialogue with the Dean of the IOE, held on June 7, was not fruitful. “We wanted a written commitment from him while he refused to do so,” said Bibek Shrestha, president of Student Council of Advanced Engineering College.

He said their protest was launched against the IOE’s discriminatory actions towards the private colleges.

According to him, students of IOE constituent colleges pay Rs 500 as exam fee while it is Rs 1,000 for the students of the affiliated colleges. Likewise, the question papers are prepared on the basis of course taught in the constituent colleges and not on the basis of the syllabus.

The students’ demands include provision of giving examination symbol numbers in alphabetical order, removing rule to write name of the college in a student’s answer paper, shifting of the IOE Dean’s office from Pulchowk and representation of the IOE affiliated colleges in the examination board.

“Dean says our demands are genuine but he declines to give a written commitment to meet them,” he said.

Subash Pokharel, Kathmandu Engineering College Students’ Council president said they would, however, let the IOE conduct regular examinations.

Prasanna Thapa, president of the Kantipur Engineering College Students’ Council said the IOE has made all the affiliated colleges its slaves. “Our movement is to break off all the IOE shackles imposed on the affiliated colleges,” he said.

The students have planned to lock out Dean’s office tomorrow and hand over a memorandum to the TU Vice Chancellor the following day.