Kathmandu, July 22

Tribhuvan University has yet to start discussion on the age bar for candidates aspiring to contest in the Free Students’ Union polls.

The TU senate meeting held on July 10 had decided to conduct FSU polls on February 25, 2017 and form a six-member committee under the coordination of Prof Sudha Tripathy to discuss whether or not to implement the age bar provision in the upcoming FSU polls.

Talking to The Himalayan Times today, Prof Dr Tripathy said Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is also the chancellor of the university, was yet to sign the minutes of the senate meeting. “Until the chancellor signs the minutes of the meeting, we cannot call our members for a meeting.”

She said the committee would discuss the age bar provision for FSU poll candidates and the election system to be adopted. FSU polls, which should be held every two years, has not been held since the past eight years due to the debate between student organisations on various issues, including the election system and age bar for candidates.

The FSU polls has not been held since March 19, 2009. Earlier, the FSU members were elected directly, while recently the students unions have decided to adopt mixed electoral system.

As per the decision, some of the office bearers would be elected directly while others would be elected under proportional representation system.

Regulations related to Organisation and Academic Administration -1993, Rules 345 (4) states that the age of the students contesting in the FSU polls after April 2014 should not exceed 28 years.

It, however, said that the age bar provision would not be implemented for once.

The Nepali Congress-aligned Nepal Student Union has refused to follow the age bar provision, citing that the provision would not be applicable for once.

Meanwhile, other two student unions CPN-UML-aligned All Nepal National Free Students Union and CPN Maoist Centre-aligned All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary want the age bar provision to be implemented from this year.