All activities of Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, halted

Ratnanagar (Chitwan) - All activities of Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, have been halted for the past one week due to an agitation launched by the students to protest the University's alleged preparations to give affiliation to private colleges.

The central office remained padlocked from July 20 and the protestors have staged a sit-in in front of the campus gate, affecting functioning of the college, said Assistant Professor at the University, Ananta Prakash Subedi.

All Nepal National Independent Students Union (Revolutionary) Campus Committee Chairperson, Bishwas Amgai said that they have launched the agitation to protest the act of the University, which has already forwarded the process to give affiliation to private colleges, rather than establishing constituent campus in seven provinces.

The agitators said that the University has made preparations to give affiliation to 10 private colleges including two in Gaindakot of Nawalparasi, each in Jhapa, Parasi, Itahari, Surkhet, Tikapur and Kathmandu in the first phase.

Vice-Chancellor of the University Dr Ishwori Prasad Dhakal ruled out any possibility in rolling back its decision to give affiliation to the private colleges as the Education Ministry he said has already forwarded the process in this regard.

Out of 24 applications registered for the affiliation, he said, 14 have already submitted report in this regard.