Kathmandu, February 22:

Stating that the government had made no efforts to increase the number of SLC examination centres, the All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) today locked out the Office of the Controller of Examinations (OCE), Sanothimi, for an indefinite period. Prior to the lockout, the student wing of the CPN (Maoist) had served a 72-hour ultimatum to the OCE.

Lekhnath Neupane, president of the ANNISU-R, said the OCE had made no effort to increase the number of examination centres, especially in remote areas, though they had served a memorandum on the issue.

The ANNISU-R also announced that it will, from tomorrow onwards, lock out all district education offices. “We will be compelled to announce further decisive programmes to affect the forthcoming School Leaving Certificate examination if the government does not establish exam centres in rural areas,” said Neupane.

Sunder Shakya, deputy controller at the OCE, said the decision to increase the number of exam centres has to be endorsed by the SLC board. The decision will be endorsed in a few days, he said.

Education secretary Balananda Poudel said the government is planning to increase the number of examination centres by 150 this year. Some of these centres will be established outside the district headquarters, he said.

ANNFSU halts protests

Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, February 22: The All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) today called off its protests for a week following an agreement with the government. The students’ body took the move after the government agreed to appoint vice-chancellors and other key officials in four universities — Tribhuvan University, Purbanchal University, Nepal Sanskrit and Pokhara University — within a week.

The student body held talks with Minister of State for Information and Communications, Dilendra Prasad Badu, and Education Minister Prof Dr Mangal Siddhi Manandhar.

Education Minister Prof Dr Mangal Siddhi Manandhar said, “The students agreed to halt their protests for a week after the government promised to appoint vice-chancellors within a week.”

Demanding the immediate appointment of vice-chancellors and other key officials in the four universities, the ANNFSU had served a 10-day ultimatum to the government on February 12. The students had threatened to call an education strike from February 23. The posts have been lying vacant for 10 months.

The ANNFSU has also sought the immediate appointment of managerial and administrative officials in all universities, the higher education board the CTEVT.