Students of Lamjung on relay hunger strike

By Nabin Raj Kuikel, Lamjung, March 23: Students at the Institute of Agriculture and Animal Science (IAAS), Lamjung Campus, in Sundarbazar have launched a relay hunger strike demanding the regular scheduling of pending examinations.

The protest began on Thursday, with students wearing black armbands and staging the hunger strike inside the office of the campus chief. The protest has been led by fourth-year BSc Agriculture students, who are calling for the exams that were postponed ahead of elections to be conducted under a regular timetable.

According to the students, an agreement was reached with Campus Chief Dr Ram Kumar Shrestha on February 23 to resume examinations regularly after March 10. However, they allege that the agreement has not been implemented, prompting them to intensify their protest.

Earlier, the Dean’s Office had published an exam schedule starting from February 22, dividing exams into pre- and post-election periods. Students, however, demanded postponement, citing incomplete coursework and internal assessments, and subsequently launched protests.

Acting President of the Free Student Union, Ashish Paudel, said students had padlocked the campus administration on February 9. The lockout was lifted following an agreement on February 23. He claimed the administration is now attempting to categorize the missed exams as “back” papers instead of conducting them regularly, which led to renewed protests.

Campus Chief Shrestha said that there was an understanding to coordinate with the Dean’s Office to regularize the exams affected by the elections. He said that while efforts have been made, a formal decision from the Dean’s Office is still pending.

“The campus cannot set the exam schedule on its own. The Dean’s Office has expressed difficulty in publishing a revised routine. We are making efforts, but the final decision must come from there,” he said.

While exams are being conducted regularly in other campuses under IAAS, academic activities at the Lamjung Campus have been disrupted due to the ongoing dispute.