Few padlocked KU offices including classes of seven faculties opened

Padlocked different offices of Dhulikhel-based Kathmandu University (KU) including classes of seven faculties have been opened after 28 days.

The offices of Vice-Chancellor, Registrar, Dean, Office of the Controller of Examinations (OCE), Technical Training Centre, main administrative building and classes of different faculties were padlocked from January 1.

Only the offices of TTC, administrative building, OCE and classes of seven faculties were opened, said Dean of School of Sciences, Prof Dr Kanhaiya Jha.

KU Professors’ Association and Employees’ Association had jointly padlocked the offices putting forth various demands.

Jha said, "The agitating side removed the padlock partially from today after the Education Minister at a gathering held at Baluwatar on Monday asked the agitating side to open the offices and resume teaching learning activities as well as to hold discussion about the KU problems."

The agitating side has not opened the padlock of other offices –Office of the Vice-Chancellor, Registrar and Dean – saying there was no representation of professors’ and employees’ association in the special meeting held on Monday as well as the representatives were sent out of the meeting forcefully.

Before this, the lockout at KU was lifted after 21 days following KU administration’s assurances to the agitating side that their demands would be addressed. The two Associations at KU are on agitation at different times since August 8, 2019 putting forward various demands. They have announced phase-wise movement after several rounds of talks become unsuccessful.

The association has called for removing the ‘discriminatory’ provisions in the KU Act-2048BS and amending it with the participation of all sides, for putting to an end the financial and policy corruption in the university and for appointment of professors and employees and their regular career enhancement.