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Manoj Acharya is the founder principal of Kathmandu Global School. He was awarded Best Principal (2017) by National Power News. “Kathmandu Global School is a friendly, vibrant, community-minded school, whose decisions always prioritize students,” he says. “We are excited about all the things we will do and learn this year.” Here are the excerpts from an interview with Acharya.

Why should parents choose Kathmandu Global School for their child’s education?

At Kathmandu Global School, we offer a comprehensive educational experience that goes beyond academics. Our curriculum is designed to foster critical thinking, creativity, and global awareness, preparing students for success in an increasingly interconnected world. With a dedicated faculty, state-of-the-art facilities, and a focus on holistic development, parents can trust that their child will receive a well-rounded education that equips them with the skills and knowledge to thrive in a competitive world.

What initiatives has Kathmandu Global School undertaken to enhance the educational standards in the community?

Kathmandu Global School is committed to contributing positively to the educational landscape of our community. We regularly organize teacher training programs, workshops, and seminars to enhance the professional development of educators not only within our school but also in collaboration with other educational institutions in the region. We actively engage in community outreach programs, such as free tutoring sessions, educational fairs, and awareness campaigns, to promote the importance of education and support students from all backgrounds.

How can private and community schools work together to address the challenges in the education sector?

Private and community schools can play complementary roles in addressing the challenges in the education sector by fostering collaboration and sharing resources. By leveraging each other’s strengths and expertise, these institutions can create innovative solutions to common challenges such as access to quality education, teacher training, and infrastructure development. Through partnerships, mentorship programs, and joint initiatives, private and community schools can work hand-in-hand to ensure that every child has access to high-quality education.

What strategies can Kathmandu Global School implement to ensure its competitiveness in the international educational landscape?

Kathmandu Global School is committed to continuous improvement and innovation. We prioritize staying abreast of global educational trends and practices, integrating international perspectives into our curriculum, and fostering partnerships with international educational organizations. We offer language immersion programs, exchange opportunities, and participation in international competitions to provide our students with global exposure and perspectives. By embracing innovation, collaboration, and a forward-thinking approach, we are confident in our ability to prepare our students to excel on the international stage.

Over the past few years, Nepal has found itself in the midst of a tug-of-war among three major global powers: India, China, and the US. Each of these countries are vying for influence in Nepal’s economic, military, ideological and technological spheres.

Let’s begin with the US. The Biden administration in the US has made advancing democracy one of its key global priorities. In South Asia, Nepal appears to be in the high priority of the US democracy projects. The US has been inviting Nepal’s prime minister to its annual democracy summit. Both communist and non-communist prime ministers have attended the summit. The US is making efforts to counterbalance the influence of the Chinese Communist Party in Nepal and uphold democratic values in the region. In the meantime, the US is equally concerned about the influence of India’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) which is pushing for the restoration of Hindu state in Nepal. A US document says: “The Nepali political class’s penchant for balancing relations with its large neighbors India and the People’s Republic of China (PRC) renders security cooperation, including with the United States, prone to political interference.” 

Despite claims that it does not export its communist ideology, China has been promoting its political model in other countries. Under the guise of showcasing its achievements, China has been exporting its ideology to South Asian countries. Chinese leaders are urging their Nepali counterparts, particularly those aligned with the communist ideology, to embrace the Chinese model. Every year, China invites a large number of Nepali communist leaders to its cities to showcase its development model. Of late, Nepali leaders have started saying that Nepal can replicate the same model which reflects a growing acceptance of the Chinese  model within the country.

Though India and the US are on similar pages on a range of issues, the two powers have divergent views about the democratic values in South Asia. India, on its part, is sending conflicting signals on the ideological front. While the Indian government seems committed to uphold democracy, secularism and inclusive constitution in Nepal, the ruling BJP harbors reservations about Nepal’s 2015 constitution, which, it perceives, is imbued with Western values. The BJP’s parent organization, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, is reaching out across the political parties and the general people with Hindu-centric agendas. The BJP believes it can reduce Western influence on Nepal, dismantle secularism and restore Hindus state through such activities. Such activities are already polarizing Nepal’s political fabric.

In addition to ideological battles, Nepal is grappling with strategic challenges posed by major powers. China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and its insistence on the One China policy dominate all its engagements with Nepal. Likewise, China’s Global Security Initiatives (GSI) and Global Civilizational Initiatives (GCI) and Global Development initiative (GDI) are getting more prominence over economic issues. Nepal has consistently expressed its commitment to One China policy for over 50 years now. Still, China does not seem convinced and seeks reaffirmation on One China policy every time.

A press statement issued after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's visit to China last September also reiterated Nepal's firm stance against Taiwan Independence. His new Foreign Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha echoed the same sentiment during his visit to China last month. Although China keeps emphasizing on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in various meetings, tangible progress on infrastructure development under the BRI umbrella has not materialized yet. Government officials, politicians, and foreign policy analysts say that Nepal needs to capitalize on China's economic growth. However, this aspiration has yet to materialize due to the significant focus that both countries are placing on strategic concerns.

While Chinese investment in Nepal is on the rise and cooperation between the two nations has expanded in recent years, substantial investment projects that could catalyze economic growth remain elusive. Instead, Nepal’s attention is primarily directed towards ensuring that its territory is not used for anti-China activities. Regarding Chinese investment in Nepal, there have been occasional complaints from the Chinese side regarding obstacles faced by its investors.

Nepal engaged in a four-year debate on whether to accept the $500m support from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) of the US government. The MCC projects are finally into implementation. However, the project is not gaining the desired pace. Many attribute the slow progress to the government’s lackluster commitment to these projects. This tepid response was partly influenced by China’s strong opposition to the projects which labeled it as part of the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS). Nepali politicians, bureaucrats and experts continue to struggle in comprehending the US policy towards Nepal in the context of the IPS. Following discussions on the IPS, attention in Nepal shifted on the State Partnership Program (SPP) of the US government.

Under domestic pressure, the government led by Sher Bahadur Deuba of the Nepali Congress wrote a letter to the US government stating that Nepal won’t be a part of the SPP. Of late, there has been a notable increase in interest from US investors looking to invest in Nepal. However, Nepal has yet to effectively address this interest despite a substantial increase in US assistance through USAID.

All this shows that Nepal has already fallen into the geopolitical trap. Nepal is not seeing much investments in priority sectors as major powers are prioritizing their security and strategic interests. Though Nepal is pushing for more economic collaborations, strategic issues are dominating the bilateral negotiations and public discourse. Nepal’s current key priorities are economic recovery, minimizing the impacts of climate change and creating jobs but due to the geopolitical tensions these issues are getting a backseat in the engagement with major powers.

Nepal has struggled to take a clear stance on initiatives like the IPS, BRI, and other strategic endeavors. While managing these challenges should be the top priority of the government, the country is marred by internal political instability. Geopolitics is gradually creating rifts within Nepali society. Nepal needs to make concerted efforts to mitigate internal divisions and chart a path forward that safeguards Nepal’s interests amidst global power struggles.

The Department of Tourism has begun issuing climbing permits for the spring season. As of Thursday, permits have been granted to 86 climbers from over 18 countries to climb Mt Everest—the tallest peak on earth. Preliminary figures indicate that the department will issue a record number of permits this year as well.

Concerns have been growing over the past decade that overcrowding in the Everest region is exacerbating pollution at the highest point on earth. Although the department has introduced various measures to control pollution, implementation has not been effective at the local level. As a result, pollution continues to escalate in the Everest region due to increased human activities, especially during the climbing season.

It is high time the government introduced strict measures to control pollution in the high Himalayan areas. It should consider limiting the number of expeditions to mountains, especially Mt Everest. Although there have been deliberations on this agenda, the government has not been able to reach a concrete decision. While such a measure may result in revenue loss, it is crucial for the preservation of Mt Everest. Starting this season, the local government has introduced new regulations requiring people climbing Everest to bring down their biological waste to the base camp for disposal. While this is a welcome move, it alone is not sufficient. Not only is the peak, but even the base camp is becoming polluted and crowded.

Although good laws and regulations are in place, the problem lies in enforcement. Government agencies, mainly the Department of Tourism, are failing to implement the laws, and there is a noticeable lack of coordination between the department and local government. During the climbing season, very few government staff reach the base camp for monitoring, and even if they do, they are not effectively performing their duties. In the absence of effective implementation of laws, visitors are violating the rules. The Himalayas are turning into black mountains due to global warming. The increased level of pollution is compounding the woes for the mountain community. Commercial expeditions are damaging the local environment in the name of providing all services to climbers. This must be controlled immediately.

Along with the effective implementation of laws, clean-up expeditions should be organized on a regular basis. The Nepal Army has joined hands with some private enterprises to clean up high Himalayan peaks. But this alone is not sufficient. The ongoing commercialization of Mt Everest should be halted to preserve this global landmark for future generations. The government must be ready to take decisive action, even if such moves are unpopular, to protect the world’s highest peak.

Bishow Parajuli brings four decades of experience in development, humanitarian affairs, diplomacy, fund raising, and management in several countries in Asia, Middle East and Africa, including World Food Program (WFP) Headquarters in Rome as Chief of Staff and Director, Resource Mobilization and Government Relations. He has served as WFP Representative and Country Director to India, Yemen and Egypt and United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Representative in Myanmar and Zimbabwe.

Food security is a pathway to peace, with rising food insecurity a trigger for instability and conflicts. Ensuring access to adequate nutritious food for everyone is an important part of a country’s responsibilities for the wellbeing of the citizens. The government must, as a priority, increase its support to agriculture development and strengthen livelihood opportunities to improve food security. In this write-up, Parajuli assesses the global and national scenario of food security.

Food security is national security

Increased land use for agriculture and rapid rise in crop yields over the years has resulted in massive increase in food crop production worldwide. Despite this, there are 850m people who do not have access to adequate food and some 345m people face high levels of food insecurity. Conflicts, climate change and supply chain disruption are causing food prices to constantly rise globally, and poor households are unable to access food, facing threats in their dietary needs and nutrition for their children. 

With continued decline in household food production, more and more Nepalis are forced to buy food, and the country is moving towards increased dependence on imports. This is a concerning trend in a country where 60-70 percent of the population are supposed to be engaged in agriculture. Nepal stands high in the global hunger index, with 36 percent of children stunted. Close to a million-hectares of land is estimated to be left fallow due to shortage of manpower because of migration of youth seeking employment abroad and movement of people from the hills to the Tarai. 

Crisis on farmers

Year after year, farmers are worried about delayed rainfall due to changes in weather patterns and are unable to plant paddy crops on time. The shortage and high prices of fertilizers and availability of seeds is a recurring issue every year despite farmers raising the alarm about being unable to fetch reasonable prices for their produce, making crop farming less and less attractive. 

Most worrying is the lack of meaningful support to farmers and comprehensive interventions to increase local production, productivity and impactful programs.

SDGs

At the historic UN General Assembly Summit in Sept 2015, 193 member countries (including Nepal) agreed to transform the world with a 2030 agenda, focussing on Planet, People, Prosperity, Peace and Partnership. This agenda which came into effect on 1 Jan 2016, aimed at the successful delivery of 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. With seven years left for the completion of the Global Goals, will Nepal be able to achieve any of these 17 goals, including the elimination of all forms of hunger?  

At a recent Food Security Summit Plus 2 in Rome, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal stated that “It is important that we address the bottlenecks in every sector for making a leap towards zero hunger”. He also stressed, “Transforming the food system is crucial not only for food security but also for the realization of all Sustainable Development Goals”. The PM is right—food security is affected by at least 11 Sustainable Development Goals. There is an urgent need to translate the PM’s statements into action with leadership, commitment, program activities and financing, so that all bottlenecks in improving food security to achieving zero hunger are addressed. Unfortunately, there is more talk than action. Frequent changes in the leadership in the Agriculture Ministry at the political level makes matters worse. 

Government commitments

The budget for 2023/24 makes a commitment for a national campaign for self-reliance in agriculture with an increase in food production from 10.7m tons to 14m tons and a reduction in import by 30 percent by the end of 2024. This is clearly unrealistic, within the time frame and in the absence of inadequate budget allocation, shortage of key agricultural inputs, lack of irrigation facilities and plans to mitigate weather challenges. 

The Agricultural Development Strategy (2015 to 2035) developed to modernize agriculture and promote agricultural growth, focussing on production, processing and marketing was a game changing plan. The PM’s Agriculture Modernization Program is linked to the strategy covering a 10-year period ending in 2023. There have been serious challenges in implementation of the program along with poor alignment with the country’s move to a federal system. With serious reviews there are opportunities to learn from these efforts to improve future strategies and interventions. 

Challenges and threats

The timely availability and high prices of fertilizers and seeds is a recurring problem. High interest rates and difficulties in accessing financial support limits farmers’ ability to enhance diversification and increase productivity. Climate change with increasing shifts in rainfall patterns such as delays in rainfalls, high intensity of rain during a short period and reduced or localized limited rain, is a rising threat to agriculture and food security. These trends are emerging all over the Tarai, the food basket of Nepal. In July/Aug 2023, there were reports of extreme weather and a long period of dry spells. It is understood that some eight districts in Tarai have suffered from delayed rain with an overall estimated shortfall in paddy of 15-20 percent in 2022/23. Over dependence on rainfalls and absence of irrigation facilities makes agriculture highly vulnerable. 

In absence of reasonable returns and unattractiveness, less and less youth are engaged in the agriculture sector, who continue to seek employment abroad and move from the hills to Terai, also causing serious shortages of labor and families are leaving their lands fallow in hill regions. It is reported that there is close to a million hectares of land uncultivated in the hill districts. There are also increasing reports of animals such as monkeys, wild boars and elephants’ threats to food crops in various parts of the country, most probably due to the animals’ habitats being encroached upon. An updated national strategy to deal with this menace and support to farmers is desperately needed.  

Our crops situation

It is estimated that Nepal currently produces 10.5m tons of cereals (5.5m tons of rice, 2.7m tons of maize, 2m tons of wheat and around 0.3m tons of other crops such as millets) with an estimated supply gap of around 2m tons of paddy for this year. The decline in production and consumption of traditional foods such as millets and maize and increasing consumption of rice and an increased import of grains to supplement domestic production are of concern with the risks of over dependence in import and mismatch efforts against the climate adaptation strategy. 

Besides high costs of agricultural inputs, low productivity in all three major cereal crops (Paddy (2.9 mtn/ha), wheat (2.2 mtn/ha and maize 2.25 (mtn/ha)) have drastically reduced farmers’ profitability. Furthermore, with a decrease in farm sizes, there are challenges in the economy of scale in modernization and corresponding profitability of farming in Nepal.  

Neighbor support

India is the main source of supplies of food commodities to Nepal. When India announces restrictions on global food exports, there is obviously concern about sudden food price rise at the local markets across Nepal, in absence of price stabilization measures established in the country. It is often the case that even in most cases of export ban, India makes special consideration for close neighboring countries such as Nepal, and regular supplies are maintained. Meanwhile, consumers are obliged to pay higher prices due to speculative steps by the traders and in the absence of government intervention. 

Millets (Kodo, finger millet and bajra) are nutritious and are adaptable to harsh climates and grow well in the mountain regions under rainfed conditions, but its cultivation is reported to be declining. 2023 was declared as the international year of millet. Nepal should have taken advantage of these international and regional efforts, (particularly by India) to promote millet cultivation and their use in our diets. There is continued concern among farmers that various existing government programs are not working with multiple shortcomings in implementation. The absence of a credible monitoring and impact assessment system makes it difficult to formally measure specific outcomes and value additions from these programs. 

Supporting vulnerable communities 

The WFP in Nepal’s recent survey findings indicate that about 4.26m people eat insufficient diets. There are also region-wide disparities in household food consumption, with the highest level in Karnali Province consuming an inadequate diet (22.5 percent), followed by Sudurpaschim Province (16.9 percent). Overall, 45.4 percent of children between six to 23 months of age did not meet the minimum recommended dietary diversity, with the highest level in Karnali (52.3 percent), Sudurpaschim (51.7 percent) and Lumbini (51.4 percent). The survey also indicates decreased income among the daily wage laborers. Given that nearly 70 percent households are depending on the market as their main sources for food, continued rise in food prices and decrease in income is resulting in extreme negative consequences for poor and vulnerable households for their food security. 

A nationwide government run program provides school meals to students up to middle school levels in all government schools. This program provides only Rs 15 per student per day, which is inadequate for an impactful intervention. I was glad to witness recently in a school that funds allocated for school meals were supplemented by additional contributions from the municipality. Such measures should be introduced across the country. There is support through Food Management and Trading Company in far western food deficit districts such as Kalikot, Humla, Jumla and Dolpa to subsidize transport of rice for sale to poor households. Unfortunately, there are reports of major problems in availability of rice for poor households from these programs due to irregularities in supplies. Perhaps encouragement and support for consumption of locally grown food crops would be more effective than supplying rice at subsidized rates 

Success stories 

Despite the lack of adequate efforts to promote agriculture there are several success stories, predominantly due to individual and private sector engagements. The growth in dairy and poultry industries supported by the government are commendable. Visits to several milk collection centers and conversations with many dairy farmers in Nawalparasi, show impressive levels of government support and costs sharing arrangements, and increased private sector investments has led to significant improvement in milk production, processing and marketing, with the nation reaching close to self-sufficiency in milk. Unfortunately, dairy farming is being threatened by non-payment of money owed by the Dairy Development Cooperation and others to hundreds of thousands of dairy farmers. Similarly, sugarcane farmers have repeatedly raised their concern on nonpayment of dues owed by the sugarcane millers for several months, repeated over many years, with an increased dependence on import of sugar.  

There has been good growth in the poultry industry, in vegetable farming, piggery and goats farming, with successful efforts by individuals, who have returned from working abroad, with increased self-reliance on these products. 

The way forward

The central government, in cooperation with the provincial authorities, develop and implement ambitious plans and increase the budget, along with establishing strong leadership and governance structure to lead the agricultural sector. It is now an opportune moment for an independent and comprehensive review of the Agricultural Strategy and new phase of PM Agricultural Development Program to help increase production, productivity, processing and marketing of food crops, adaptation to climate change, and expansion of livestock, poultry, fishery, horticulture, olericulture and medicinal plants based on different agro-climatic zones. 

Develop a resilient and sustainable agriculture sector by promoting new opportunities, access to finance, and innovation for small-holder farmers, with climate information and preparedness. There should also be extensive efforts to increase national adaptive capacity to address widespread climate concern and delayed rainfall by promoting various adaptation and mitigation measures such as expansion in irrigation facilities, cultivation of indigenous rainfed crops, and diversification of livelihoods. 

Create resilient and food security solutions by protecting and improving the livelihood of vulnerable communities with safety nets and employment. Existing govt support programs need to be reviewed for their impact and accountability. There should also be a mechanism to update the list of households and Communities who are recipients of assistance. 

Develop and adapt a food system approach to ensuring food production, with supplies and access guaranteed at all times to everyone. There must be a strong governance structure to coordinate implementation and review, and to monitor the progress in program deliveries/outcomes and impacts with measures to mitigate failures or redirect unsuccessful programs, without political interference.

There should be measures to bring fallow lands into cultivation. Supporting small farmers on agriculture inputs, technical know-how and marketing of their produce will be critical. In this connection, there must be an increased effort in enabling women’s engagements in the production processes and increased value addition and engagement of private sectors. 

The key to successful improvement in the agricultural sector will require effective coordination and implementation of essential program activities, besides good policies, programs, and sufficient financing. There must be efforts to revisit Technical capacity within the agriculture sector to make sure the current structure and technical knowhow is capable of responding adequately. 

Seek partnerships to enhance agricultural sector productivity. India and China have extensive experiences in transforming their agriculture from food deficit to food surplus nations; much can be learned with expanded exchanges, cooperation and partnership with these countries. The WB/ADB and key bilateral donors and the UN system can offer specific know-how and funding support as needed.