Students of microbiology at the Dharan-based Central Campus of Technology staged a protest on Wednesday, demanding recognition of microbiologists as health professionals.

Tying black armbands, the agitating students demanded that the Nepal Health Professional Council (NHPC) enlist them as health professionals.

“We enrol for a four-year bachelor’s and two-year master’s degrees in Microbiology prepared by Tribhuwan University. We spent money, time and effort but the NHPC refuses to register us as health professionals,” said Dibas Adhikari, treasurer of Microbiology Students Society. He said the council’s decision to not include microbiology students in the mainstream health profession raises questions of uncertainty about their future.

Adhikari said they would continue the agitation until the authorities concerned addressed their demand. The protesting students are scheduled to take out a protest rally in Dharan on Sunday.

The Central Campus of Technology is also dissatisfied with the NHPC’s act of not registering the microbiologists as health professionals. “The NHPC provides certificates to those who pass Microbiology from any institutions in India. But it refuses to recognise Microbiology students who study in Nepal. It seems that the NHPC discourages students in Nepal and indirectly asks them to go abroad to study the course,” said Dhiren Limbu, chief of microbiology depart at the Central Campus of Technology.