Kavre, September 5

It has been nearly a month since Kathmandu University Professors' Association resorted to padlocking the vital offices of the university with their four-point demand, but the lock-out is yet to end.

The association, citing the non-implementation of various agreements reached with the university administration in the past, had padlocked the dean offices of the School of Science and the School of Engineering on August 8 and offices of the registrar and vice chancellor on August 11. Though talks started between the university administration and the association representatives on the university premises since Sunday, they are yet to resolve the issues.

The university had started talks with the agitators after Education Science and Technology Minister Girirajmani Pokharel expressed concern about the agitation and directed KU to end the lock-out by addressing the genuine demands of the agitators.

According to KU Information Officer Hemraj Kafle, discussions are being held on the last point of the four-point demand put forward by the agitators. “We have addressed three of their demands,” he said, adding that a few issues had to be passed by the university senate.

The professors’ demands include ending discriminatory provision in Kathmandu University Act-1991, formulation and amendment of policies and rules regarding appointments, professional development and incentives to professors and staff and adopting measures to enhance education quality of the university.