Nine student unions aligned to various political parties, including the ruling ones, today staged a sit-in protest in front of the Department of Education, demanding that the government withdraw the decision to hike tuition fees in institutional schools. Members of Nepal Students Union, aligned to the Nepali Congress; All Nepal National Free Students Union, aligned to CPN-UML and All Nepal National Independent Students Union-Revolutionary, aligned to the Unified CPN-Maoist, CPN-Maoist and CPN Maoist among others staged the sit-in for about two hours from 10am. The agitating students also handed over a three-point memorandum to Dilli Ram Rimal, Director General, DoE, demanding that the fee hike decision be withdrawn. Their other demands include new policy to determine fee structure of institutional schools and its implementation by all schools, and 10 per cent scholarship to students in a transparent way. Responding to the agitating student unions, Rimal said that he would forward their charter of demand to the Ministry of Education for discussion. “I cannot revoke the fee hike decision, so I will take the issue up with the higher level for discussion,” said Rimal. He also assured the student unions of new policy to determine the fee structure for institutional schools. Ramesh Malla, coordinator, ANNISU-R, aligned to UCPN-Maoist, said student unions also submitted memorandums to district education offices across the country to exert pressure on the government to fulfill their demands. According to him, students were assaulted by security personnel in various districts outside the Kathmandu Valley when they were returning after submitting memorandums to district education officers. “Nine ANNISU-R cadres were beaten by security personnel in Nawalparasi and are undergoing treatment at Prithvichandra District Hospital in Parasi, he said. Issuing a joint statement, agitating student unions also demanded that the government refrain from using force in their peaceful protests and address their demands at the earliest. The unions also demanded that the government bear the treatment cost of the injured students. The nine student unions yesterday had decided to obstruct admission in institutional schools across the country. ANNISU-R cadres aligned to CPN-Maoist have been padlocking accounts section of institutional schools since April 13. The student unions have also warned of nationwide educational strike from Sunday if the government fails to withdraw its fee hike decision by Saturday.