Students, teachers agitated over AFU affiliations to private colleges

Ratnanagar, Chitwan, July 16(RSS): The decision of Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur in Chitwan to grant its affiliations to private campuses has infuriated students and teachers.
Agitating University teachers organised a press meet here today, demanding the withdrawal of the affiliations granted to seven private colleges at different parts of the country. Earlier, only students were protesting against the University move.
Teacher Ananta Prakash Subedi said they are determined to go with the agitation until the affiliations are taken back.
Student leader Nagendra Dahal said students have been holding protest programmes which include demonstrations and sit-in programmes since July 10, demanding that the affiliation be scrapped. The University recently granted affiliations to seven private campuses in Jhapa, Itahari of Sunsari, Lalitpur, Nawalparasi, Banke and Surkhet for running the Bachelor’s degree classes on agriculture. As stated by University vice chancellor Prof Dr Ishwari Prasad Dhakal, seven, out 24 private campuses, which had applied for the affiliations, were allowed to run classes under its affiliation.
The decision aims at improving the quality of education and accommodating an increasing number of students wishing to purse degrees in Agriculture and Forestry.