Bhaktapur: Demanding an immediate reduction in fees for nursing courses that were increased by more than 50 percent last week, All Nepal National Independent Students' Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) on Thursday indefinitely padlocked the offices of vice-chairman, member-secretary and examination section at the Council of Technical Education and Vocational Training  (CTEVT).

The Maoist student wing's protest is likely to affect the entrance examinations of PCL Nursing and Technical School Leaving Certificate (TCLC) scheduled for Friday. ANNISU-R padlocked the offices after Thursday's meeting of the union representatives with CTEVT officials ended inconclusively. “We have been compelled to take a harsh measure as the officials are reluctant to direct colleges to reduce fees,” ANNISU-R vice-chairman Jagrit Rayamajhi said. “The strike will continue until there is a reduction in the fees.” According to Ramesh Bakhati, examination controller at the CTEVT, around 33,000 students are taking the entrance exam in 74 centres across the country on Friday. He said 26,300 students are taking the test for PCL Nursing while 7,000 will be contesting for admission to TCLC institutions. “Students from remote places have arrived for the test at respective centres,” Bakhati said. “We urge the ANNISUR to give up protest and resolve the issue through dialogue.”

Rayamajhi said they would not let the entrance test run unless their demands are met. He urged CTEVT officials to address their demands by early Friday so that the examination scheduled for 3 pm could be conducted smoothly.

source: The Kathmandu Post