Chitwan, September 5

Regular work at the Rampur-based Agriculture and Forestry University in Chitwan has been affected following the lockout at the university by two organisations of university professors.

Nepal Progressive Professors’ Organisation and Nepal National Professors’ Organisation jointly padlocked the university yesterday accusing officials there of secretly providing evidences to support a case sub judice at the Supreme Court in connection with its decision to grant affiliation to some private colleges to run forestry and agriculture programmes.

Earlier, after the university executive council on July 5, decided to grant affiliation to eight private colleges, the decision was revoked by a meeting of the council of ministers following agitation of the teachers and students at the university. Citing the CoM decision, two private colleges then filed a writ at the apex court.

The agitating professors’ organisations have padlocked the office of the dean of agriculture since August 22 over matters related to affiliation. “As our protest was not heard, we had to padlock the university,” the agitating professors said.

Registrar Manraj Kolakshyapti described the agitation as absurd. “I don’t understand how logical is the claim that we cannot collect or prepare evidence to defend our decision at the court,” he argued. “Our decision to grant affiliation is in line with the existing acts and laws, so I hope the court too will rule in our favour,” he said.