Three student organisations have padlocked the central office of Pokhara University demanding that D-plus students should not be allowed to pursue bachelor’s degree in management programme. 

The offices of the university’s vice chancellor, registrar and exam controller in Dhungepatan, Pokhara, are shut from Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Vice-chancellor Chiranjibi Sharma and Registrar Govinda Sharma are out of contact.

According to the Exam Controller Office, 344 D-plus students from 38 high schools have signed up for management programme at the university.

As per the National Examination Board, students securing 30 to 40 percent marks in their higher secondary examinations fall under D-plus category.

The protesting student organisations say the university is trying to enrol D-plus students even though they do not have the grades (higher than 30 to 40 percent marks) to apply for management programme.

According to the academic calendar, the first semester exams of bachelor’s level should have started on March 14. However, the exams could not be conducted on time due to enrolment dispute concerning some students.

The first semester finals of the management stream have been postponed to May 16 as the academic council of the university could not make a decision the fate of the D-plus students.

There are around 600 management students at the central college of the university.

Bharat Ram Dhungana, exam controller, said that the academic council could reach a decision despite several meetings.

“The future of 30,000 students is at stake. Postponement of exams affects students and their education which in turn taints the image of university.”

Colleges affiliated to the university, however, claimed that they had admitted students to as per the notice issued by the university.

“As there’s no specific standard of the university, colleges have enrolled students who got D-plus in some subjects,” said Nara Bahadur Bista, general secretary of Association of Educational Institution affiliated to the university.