This year's School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination, which is considered as the iron gate, started from Wednesday. According to the office of the Controller of Examinations,

This year's School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination, which is considered as the iron gate, started from Wednesday. According to the office of the Controller of Examinations, 3,64,591 regular students and 47,490 exempted (repeaters) students have registered for the SLC exams this year. The exams beginning at 8 am this morning will be administered from 1405 centres across the country.

This year, a number of Maoist-affiliated PLA cadres are also attending the SLC exams from various open schools along with other regular students. Interestingly, a Korean student is also sitting for SLC exams from Nepal this year.

SLC has its own importance in Nepal's education system as it is taken as a gate way for further education.

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the government to make necessary security arrangements for the SLC exams.

Issuing a press statement on Tuesday, the NHRC noted that it is everyone's duty to respect children's right to take the SLC exams in a violence and intimidation free environment.

The national rights watchdog has also appealed all stakeholders including political parties, rights activists and civil society organisations to help create a favourable environment for the exams to realise the concept of students as a zone of peace.