Kathmandu, April 24: The capital has become the epicenter of a growing wave of protests as teachers, doctors, and civil servants intensify their respective movements, demanding long-overdue reforms and legal guarantees from the government.

Teachers’ Protest Hits Exams and Classes

The Federation of Nepalese Teachers (FNT) has continued its Kathmandu-centric agitation for 23 days, demanding the immediate promulgation of the Education Act. Teachers have been staging demonstrations along the Maitighar-Babarmahal road section since March.

As a result, the new academic session of 2082 has been disrupted, and the evaluation of SEE answer sheets and the upcoming Class 12 exams have been impacted. The National Examination Board (NEB) postponed the Class 12 exams by 10 days, rescheduling them to start from May 7, according to Examination Controller Krishna Sharma.

Despite calls for cooperation, teachers are boycotting examination duties, and the protests led to the resignation of Education Minister Bidya Bhattarai, who cited health reasons but admitted his inability to persuade the prime minister to meet the teachers’ demands.

FNT Chairman Laxmikishor Subedi affirmed that the agitation would continue until the Act is issued, criticizing the government’s repeated failure to honor past agreements. In a peaceful display of protest, teachers also donated blood on Democracy Day.

Doctors Clash with Police Over Wage Disputes

Meanwhile, doctors affiliated with the Nepal Medical Association staged a demonstration on Wednesday, accusing the government of labor exploitation and failure to implement minimum wages for resident doctors. The situation escalated when police blocked protesting doctors en route to the Health Ministry, leading to clashes.

Dr. Anil Bikram Karki, NMA Chairman, said the protest aimed to push the government to enforce the eighth-level salary structure already signed by the Health Minister. The doctors have warned of halting all non-emergency medical services nationwide on May 30 if their demands are ignored.

Civil Servants Also Announce Protests

Adding to the unrest, gazetted civil servants under the Gazetted Employees Protection Campaign have announced their agitation. Their demands include:

• Promotion opportunities after five years of service,
• An end to discrimination in internal competition,
• A transparent inter-provincial transfer system, and
• Improved service security and staffing levels.

The movement comes as the Federal Civil Service Bill is being prepared for passage. Protesters insist the new law must address long-standing systemic issues carried over since the Civil Service Act of 2049 BS.

Government Response and Outlook

Speaker Devraj Ghimire stated that the School Education Bill may be passed in the upcoming House session starting Friday, while the government is also preparing to present its policies and programs on May 30.

Despite these efforts, trust in the government appears low. Protesters from all sectors claim that repeated negotiations have failed to deliver meaningful results. With mounting pressure from educators, healthcare professionals, and civil servants, the government faces one of its most widespread waves of dissent in recent years.