Post-verification academic qualifications won't be recognized

REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, Nov 16: Clearing confusions over standard norms on education, the Special Committee has clarified that the academic qualifications of the Maoist combatants earned after their verification by the UN in 2007 will not be recognized during integration though such academic accomplishments will be considered in future.

Talking to Republica, a source at the secretariat under the Special Committee said that the surveyors, who are leaving Kathmandu for all the main seven cantonments on Wednesday morning for categorization of Maoist combatants, have been asked to inform all Maoist fighters that education qualifications and ranks registered with the UN during verification will only be considered during integration and rehabilitation of the combatants.


The parties had agreed on November 1 that education qualifications and ranks registered at the time of UN verification will only be taken into account during integration.

The issue fuelled debates after Maoist leaders interpreted that even the present academic qualifications and ranks would be recognized during integration and rehabilitation of the combatants. Even the PLA top brass have exerted pressure on the Maoist leadership to recognize their present academic accomplishments and ranks.

“If their current education level were to be recognized why do we need to relax the standard norms on education,” said a member at the secretariat.

Similarly, the Special Committee also made it clear that the current ranks of the PLA will not be considered during rehabilitation despite demands from the PLA to consider their present status.

Meanwhile, all surveyors are leaving Kathmandu for the cantonments on Wednesday for categorization of over 19,000 combatants.

“We are planning to start categorization by Friday,” said Balananda Sharma, coordinator of the secretariat.

The secretariat plans to complete the categorization process within 10 days if everything goes as planned. It aims to categorize 2,100 combatants from all the seven cantonments in a day.