Kirtipur: The frequent padlock that has developed as malpractice in the education sector has posed a serious threat to quality education, a basic parameter for students for competing in the global market.

The students in Tribhuvan University (TU), Purbanchal University (PU), Nepal Sanskrit University and Mid-Western University have been made the victims of series of strikes, padlocks and protests organized by different groups.

The regular activities including examinations schedules, results, new admission have been affected due to the strikes and padlocking staged in the name of students and other groups.

The TU office has been padlocked since November 20, 2012 by Nepal National University Teachers' Association, professors' organization affiliated to the CPN-Maoist. The Association that had started the strike padlocking the Office of the TU Office Bearers padlocked the main gate of the TU saying the TU Administration remained indifferent towards their demands.

Regular activities at the TU including works of TU Service Commission, scholarship programmes, salary distribution and others have been brought to a halt.

Similarly, the PU has also faced the same fate. The PU Teacher's Union is in a warpath demanding that the Registrar of the university be appointed from the senior professors working in the campuses affiliated to PU.

The examinations schedule and other activities were badly affected from the PU teachers strike.

Likewise, the Democratic Professors' Union at the Nepal Sanskrit University is in agitation since the third week of December

Surendra Thapa, Campus Chief of Nepal Kasthamandap College, Kalanki, said the trend of padlocking culture appeared in the education sector was a serious problem.

Thapa stressed the need of implementing the government decision to make the education sector a Zone of Peace adding that education sector should be free from the politics to maintain the academic excellence.

source: The Himalayan Times,6 Jan 2013