As a student of engineering and as a Nepali youth, I had always wanted to write about the Technologies, Research, and Youths in Nepal. About six or seven years ago there was no wi-fi, I used to do internet through UTL modem. Now, after nearly a decade there is no place in Nepal left with wi-fi and telecom services, not to mention still remoted areas-forgotten by the people. Every people, from a five-year-old kid to people who are in there 70‘s and 80‘s know about Facebook and Youtube.
Now, other things from Facebook and Youtube, from the latest iPhone to expensive vehicles and other accessories also, we all Nepalese are familiar. If only we see in Kathmandu University we can see how much Nepalese youths are familiar with technologies. But the main thing that always circles my mind is that what we did more than bringing technologies inside Nepal?
Recently, I got a chance to attend the farewell ceremony of Prof.Maskey, who has done a lot of research in the field of hydro-power in Nepal. And in that event, he was saying that we never did anything except bringing technologies in Nepal in the name of technology and that sentenced triggered me more.If we see in the world if any country has been developed or risen to the world power it‘s because of the technologies they have developed and the research they have been doing. Not to go far, if we see our the most neighbor country India, they are researching since 1945-founding Tata Institute of Fundamental Research(maybe before that also), and recently they went for the moon too. I think I don‘t need to talk about China. I had heard in one TV interview that, they themselves don‘t believe that they have developed so much in seven decades, we also tried to do-but lack of potential and opportunities and not capitalism but crony capitalism- that‘s what I say has sucked our country to - you all know.
That‘s another part and another part is about research. Many people are researching in Nepal with their own pushes, in spite of lack of funding and enough support from the government. If we talk about Kathmandu University, it was established as a research university and still we call it that. But I think that is only limited to only some professors. KU has not been able to set up a research environment within undergraduate students. When I came to KU, the first lecture was given by Professor Bivek Baral, where he talked about the KU life, his PhD., mechanical engineering, and his researches. And I don‘t think I was motivated and inspired by anything more than that lecture of nearly two hours-and still. There are lots of opportunities if we see and if we seek around KU. But there is a lack of potential in students to do research and what I see is that they have more potential in other fields other than their own major. And that‘s where we Nepali lack.
That is not only the problem here in KU but in the every University of Nepal, the same problem fits. The people who try to do different are also objected by others-I don‘t know whether
that is because of jealousy or lack of self talent or potential. But we all know one thing that every Nepali has great potential of calumny, which is the biggest obstacle for Nepal‘s development. Our positive thoughts only spring during tea talk or of alcohol catalyst. I don‘t know why is that? Still, research is needed for that. Talking about alcohol, two years ago I was in a workshop about research techniques in Biratnagar, and one of the renowned chemistry
professors of TU, during his presentations said that our local Raksi is very good comparative to imported alcohols and such items. And the fun began when one of the participants asked at the end- what is the special thing in our Local Raksi that makes it so special? answered bythe presenter-I don‘t know.
There are so many IDKs in Nepal, about Nepal and also about other sciences and applied sciences. Just yesterday in one ceremony of NAST, education- science, and technology minister was saying, only with the development of science and technology our country can develop. And another IDK is - I don‘t know why after they have realized -with only research and advancement in science and technology our country can be developed- they are doing nothing effective? why? why??
Forget about researches from the youth, In the name of modernization and democracy, Nepali youths are forgetting social norms and values and civilization. They are unaware of the political, social and economic conditions of Nepal. And they are frustrated with the government and that‘s where I come with the taunting smile :D. We can’t expect anything from those youths
who appeal in the coat against PubG ban and don’t know who is Dr.Govinda K.C. And those who call themselves youths with political knowledge are just student youth politicians, nothing more than an egocentric group , who just cling on some educational institutes to fulfill their vested interests. Problem with so-called non-political Nepali youths is that they don‘t have enough daring to put their voice in practice, and that is where the vested interests of so-called
political youths take over. The major point here I want to say about politics is- understanding politics is more important than doing politics for youths and students.
Next the problem with Nepali academia is that students do not express any will to do different and those who want to do are flown abroad because of the deficiency of proper laboratory and instrument. Nepal government always asks to Nepali who are in other countries to return back to Nepal, but the government is not that much capable to ensure their career guarantee
in Nepal. And we all know about the politics, corruptions and such and such things in Nepali institutes. But still many Nepali researchers are doing very good in Nepal in spite of lack of proper infrastructures, and imagine with enough facilities what we can achieve. Still, In such condition of Nepali researches we have a multi-national laboratory at the altitude of 5000-m,
where over 90 % of the researchers are non-Nepali, and 90 % of the Nepali people-included people who do researches - don‘t know about that laboratory. But now the trend of research in Nepal is increasing and I believe that Nepali youths will also develop such potentials in very near future, after all youths are the pillars of the nation.
Well, I think hitherto -you got the point, so keep Smiling and do Research.