Kathmandu, September 14 :

The 24-hour relay hunger strike, being staged by teachers affiliated to the Nepal University Teachers’ Association (NUTA) to press the government to meet their 10-point demand, entered 19th day today.

Professor Dr Ram Chandra Gautam, Professor Dr Bhojraj Pant, Professor Durga Prasad Dahal, Professor Dr Madhav Sharan Upadhyaya, Narayan Prasad Poudel, Dev Raj Acharya and Padam Mahat were among those who staged the relay hunger strike today. Issuing a statement, the association said the government had failed to keep its promises made with them a month ago.

Demanding that their 10-point demand, which includes dismissal of officials of the Tribhuvan University and Mahendra Sanskrit University appointed during the royal regime, be met, the teachers had been staging protests for 49 days.

The teachers, who had withdrawn their protest programmes on July 29 after Education Minister Professor Dr Mangal Siddhi Manandhar and three Members of Parliament assured them that their demands will be tabled in the House, resumed their protest on August 27 as the promises were not kept.

Their other demands include renaming of the Mahendra Sanskrit University as the ‘Nepal Sanskrit University’ and introducing a provision which will make the Prime Minister the chancellor of the Tribhuvan University.