KATHMANDU: The Tribhuvan University has set an age bar for those wishing to compete in the Free Students Union (FSU) elections.

The 42nd senate of the TU on Wednesday decided to set 28 years of age as the ceiling for FSU candidates, according to the chief of TU Students and Sports Welfare Unit, Ganga Bahadur Thapa.

The TU is holding next FSU elections on February 25.

The meeting today also decided to adopt a mixed electoral system for the same.

Accordingly, 50 per cent of members including President, Secretary and Treasure would be directly elected while the remaining positions would be chosen through the proportional representation (PR) system.

It may be noted that the age limit and the election system were bones of contentions among student unions, which ultimately delayed the polls for years.

No FSU poll has taken place since 2009.

Meanwhile, various student unions welcomed the TU decision.

Chairman of the All Nepal National Free Student Union (ANNFSU)-Revolutionary, Narendra Neupane, and ANNFSU General Secretary, Aein Mahar said that the FSU election had now been guaranteed with the declaration of age limit.

Similarly, General Secretary of the Nepal Students Union, Kundan Raj Kafle, said that although his organisation was not in favour of the age limit for the election this time, they would accept the decision if the election was guaranteed.