Lalitpur, July 31:

Students today burnt the effigy of the dean of the Institute of Engineering (IOE) at Pulchowk, protesting IOE’s decision to give affiliation to the Kathmandu International College of Engineering and Management. Student bodies alleged the IOE authorities decided on the affiliation without adequate information about the college, which they say lacks proper infrastructure. Another grievance is the IOE failed to bring out public notices regarding the number of seats for aspiring students. Due to the protest demonstration, vehicles could not ply on the roads for more than an hour this morning.

The student bodies of IOE, Pulchowk, have also locked out the offices of the dean and IOE admission committee since July 19 as a mark of protest. Due to the lockout, around 4,000 students were unable to sit for the entrance examination for B Architecture and B Engg, scheduled for yesterday and today. Addressing a protest meet, chairman of IOE Free Students Union Nirmal Poudel said the dean should work for solving the problem. He called for cancelling the registration of the new engineering college as it would create problems”.