Kathmandu, June 18 :

Students of Mahendra Sanskrit University (MSU) today served a 20-day ultimatum to the government to fulfil all their educational demands or else the students would be compelled to take drastic steps against the government.

The All Nepal National Free Students union (ANNFSU) Balmiki primary committee has locked out the administration office of the Balmiki campus since May 31 demanding the fulfilment of their educational demands.The students submitted a memorandum to Education Minister, Dr Mangal Siddhi Manandhar, demanding the fulfillment of 42 points including educational, administrative and financial reforms at the MSU.

MSU contact committee, ANNFSU primary committee and Free Students Union (FSU) of Balmiki Campus jointly submitted the memorandum. Minister Manandhar expressed commitment to fulfil their demands.

The demands include renaming MSU as ‘Nepal Sanskrit Vishwabidhyalaya’. The committee demanded the formation of a high-level investigation committee to probe into allegations of financial irregularities that took place during the past 10 years. One other demand is that all the property of the Sanskrit Hostel should be returned to MSU. The other major demands include end of political interference in an autonomous and academic institution and that action should be taken against all those teachers and employees carrying fake academic certificates.

The students have also demanded inclusion of modern subjects such as journalism, language, archaeology, and computers along with other subjects such as astronomy, yoga, natural medicine and drama from intermediate level to Masters level in MSU.