Kabul, May 5 : The third round of university entrance exams began in Afghanistan's Kabul without girls for the fourth consecutive year, local media reported on Friday.

Taliban-run National Examination Authority has started holding the third round of Afghanistan's university entrance examinations, known as the Kankor, on Thursday, with thousands of candidates appearing in the tests at Kabul University, Afghanistan's leading news agency Khaama Press reported. The exam is being held for 12th grade graduates from Kabul province. The students will appear for exams on Friday as well.

Rahimullah Haqqani, the administrative and technical deputy head of the National Examination Authority, said over 110,000 candidates appeared in the first three rounds of the examinations in Afghanistan. Officials expect the total number of students appearing for exams to reach around 120,000 after the completion of a fourth round of testing. Registration for the fourth round will remain open until June 8.

The exams are being conducted without the girls for the fourth consecutive year in Afghanistan.

Since seizing power in Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban has banned girls from attending secondary schools beyond sixth class and prohibited women from studying at universities. The restrictions have prevented female students from appearing in the Kankor examinations, which is required to pursue higher education in Afghanistan.

The United Nations, foreign governments and human rights groups have criticised Taliban's exclusion of girls from education, calling for reversal of the restrictions.

Earlier in March, the new academic year in Afghanistan schools began without girls returning to classrooms above sixth class for the fifth consecutive year. The classes started amid calls for reopening schools for girls above sixth class.

The Taliban's Education Ministry said that the new academic year started with senior officials attending a formal ceremony while classes also resumed in colder provinces, Khaama Press reported.

In May, former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai reiterated his call for reopening of schools and universities to girls and allowing women to work in the country.

While extending wishes to people on Eid, he described Afghanistan as the shared home of all its people and said that all the citizens should feel a sense of ownership in their homeland.

"Afghanistan is the shared home of all the people of this ancient land. Our country needs prosperity and progress. But we can achieve progress and a prosperous life only when we become a united and educated nation, all our compatriots feel a sense of ownership in their homeland, and we have a strong human resource equipped with knowledge, technology, and expertise among our youth," Karzai stated.

"To reach this goal, once again I express the hope that the doors of schools and universities be opened before our girls as soon as possible, and opportunities for participation in work and affairs be provided to women and trained cadres," he added.

In another part of his message, Karzai expressed sympathy with families affected by recent floods in Afghanistan. He also paid tribute to those killed in Pakistan's recent attacks on Afghanistan.

/IANS