THT 10 years ago: SLC co-topper robbed of meed of applause

KATHMANDU: Sheer negligence by the Office of the Controller of Examinations (OCE), Sanothimi, robbed examinee Urmila Khulal (symbol number ‘0272986L’) of her just meed of applause as an SLC topper, all because the OCE named only Shuba Acharya as a board first among girls although Khulal too had obtained the same marks — 720, i.e. 90 per cent. Urmila told this daily that she was highly mortified to hear some bodyelse’s name announced as this year’s SLC topper. “But, when I got my report card I could not believe it, I too had secured 90 per cent,” she said. “A wave of happiness washed over me, and at the same time I felt the pangs of the OCE’s injustice to me.” Principal of the Banepa-based Siddhartha Higher Secondary School Gyan Bahadur KC said, “Urmila is a very talented girl and had always stood first in her class. So, we were expecting her to be a board topper.” The School had a board first to its cred it in 1997 too. “The OCE’s negligence is deplorable and intolerable. It is evident it chose to give priority to a more famous and the country’s capital-based school. This instance proves it,” said KC. He added, “We rushed to the OCE for clarification but the Controller merely came back at us with the adage that ‘to err is human’ and that he was ready to ask for forgiveness in public. Then he hustled us out, saying he would put up the matter before the SLC board. He has taken things very lightly.”

New rules on travel agents come into effect

KATHMANDU: Daily wage earners’ associated with the travel and trekking industry have reason to rejoice, thanks to the government’s new Travel and Trekking Regulations-BS 2062 that have come into immediate effect. On the other hand, those managing this sector are an unhappy lot. The revised rules have hiked company registration fees and have also specified the wages that travel and trekking agents must pay their workers. From now on, individuals wishing to register a company are required to deposit a paid-up capital of Rs 500,000. For travel and trekking agents, the fee is Rs 300,000. For a company owned by more than one individual, the registration fee is Rs 1,000,000. For travel and trekking syndicates it is Rs 6,00,000. Bank guarantee amount during the registration process has been raised from Rs 50,000 as per BS 2037 regulations to Rs 3,00,000 for travel agents. For trekking agents, the amount has gone up from Rs 25,000 to Rs 2,00,000. The regulations have scrapped the old provision whereby a company had to present four persons holding tour or trekking agent licences as bond for registration.