Kathmandu: While hundreds of Tribhuvan University’s first year Masters-level students boycotted Economics examination yesterday claiming that the questions were out of syllabus, others who attended the exam refuted the claim and said only the question pattern was changed this year.

“The pattern was different from previous years. The students found the new pattern difficult and spread rumours that the questions were out of the syllabus,” said Puspa Khadka, one of the examinees from Padma Kanya Campus. “The new pattern was definitely an uphill task for the ones who were used to a certain pattern.”

Sujan Aryal from Kirtipur Campus said, “Though I could answer all the questions, I had no way but to leave the exam hall because many students dropped the exam and I was also forced to do so.”

Aryal said he was really worried about the exam since the first paper of first year exam was disturbed.

More than 800 students of Kirtipur Campus, Patan Multiple Campus, Padma Kanya Campus and Golden Gate International College, who had their exam centre at Sorhakhutte-based Saraswoti Multiple Campus and Samakhusi-based Navodit Campus, had boycotted the exam. Responding to a query, Daya Man Karmacharya, exam controller, said, “Currently, the office is busy in collecting the reports from outside the Valley.”

He said students in Butwal also reportedly boycotted the exam yesterday. “After completion of the exams, we will call the subject experts to verify the claim and reschedule the Economics exam, if need be,” he added.

source: The Himalayan Times(2011),"Questions not out of syllabus: Examinees ", The Himalayan Times,8 July 2011