KATHMANDU, Feb 19: The Tribhuvan University (TU) has started preparations to hold the elections of the Free Students Unions (FSU) at its colleges. Two of the FSU representatives are appointed members of the TU's 49-member senate.
“We have already formed a 16-member election organizing committee with TU Rector Prof Dr Sudha Tripathi as chairperson and registrar Dilli Ram Upreti as vice-chairman,” said TU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Tirtha Raj Khaniya. “The committee, which was formed a week ago, will resolve the outstanding issues and fix the date for the elections,” he added.
The FSU elections are held every two years in all TU-affiliated colleges including the TU Central Campus, 60 constituent colleges and over 1,000 affiliated colleges. TU had earlier planned to hold the FSU polls on February 26 but now it will fix a new date.
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Demanding that the elections be held at the earliest, two student wings—All Nepal National Free Student Union and All Nepal National Independent Student Union (Revolutionary), affiliated to the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP)—encircled the TU VC Office on Monday and submitted a memorandum to VC Khaniya.
Speaking in parliament on Monday, Minister for Education, Science and Technology Giriraj Mani Pokharel also said that the FSU polls would be held within two months.
Other student unions especially the Nepali Congress-affiliated Nepal Students' Union (NSU) have not shown much interest in holding the FSU elections due to their internal rifts.
VC Khaniya claimed that the TU has instructed the election organizing committee to make election preparations in consultation with all stakeholders.
Registrar Upreti said the committee would work to hold the FSU polls in coordination with all the stakeholders. “We will fix the election date soon,” he added.