BIRATNAGAR, Oct 5: Bachelor of Nursing (BN) students at Biratnagar Nursing College, who have already padlocked the college´s administration and account sections and disrupted regular classes protesting ´exorbitant´ fees, have vowed to disrupt an entrance exam scheduled for Saturday.
The agitating students on Friday prevented the college administration from distributing admission forms to new applicant-students preparing to appear in Saturday´s entrance exam.
They say they will not allow the college to conduct the entrance exam for the next academic year unless their demands are met.
The students alleged that the college is fleecing them by charging as much as Rs 360,000 for the two-year BN course. “Maharajgunj Nursing College charges only Rs 103,000 for the same course,” Manika Poudel, one of the agitating students, said, asking, “Why is there such a huge difference in two nursing colleges affiliated to the same Tribhuvan University TU?”
After a 22-day-long agitation last year, the college increased the number of seats, in which students do not have to pay more than the fee structure of Maharajgunj Nursing College, to 10 from four out of the total 20 seats. However, the students say the college should charge only Rs 103,000 from all of them.
To exert pressure on the college to concede their demands, the students had padlocked the administration and account sections one week ago. They have been disrupting classes as well for the last three days. Altogether 105 students studying at the college have been affected by their protest programs.
The college Principal Mathura Nepal has requested the agitating students not to disrupt the entrance exams. “All preparations for the entrance exams have been completed,” he said. “We are serious about the students´ demands. But, they should not disrupt the exams.”
However, the agitating students say the principal´s request is just a ploy to foil their agitation. “We will not back off unless our fee structure is on par with that of Maharajgunj Nursing Campus,” said Anjana Basnet, another agitating student.
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