Submit your Article

There are many students in my contact with degrees from prestigious institutions like MIT and Cornell University. They want equivalent certificates from the Tribhuvan University (TU), but the latter doesn’t recognize them. TU’s short shrift is a huge demotivator for those professionals, who return home to contribute in their respective fields, leaving luxurious lives abroad. I know many of these people. Isn’t it ironic that the same certificate gives you a job in the World Bank, but not in the TU?

This problem has been there for two decades as nobody has tried to resolve it. The University Grant Commission should be authorized to grant equivalency. Currently, TU’s faculty board has the authority to give an initial go-ahead for equivalency. Due to vested interests, board members don’t give a go-ahead easily.

The Education Ministry, UGC and the TU should form a committee and resolve this problem once and for all.

The author is former Vice-chancellor of Tribhuvan University 

Park Tae-Young is newly appointed Ambassador of South Korea to Nepal. He is currently busy meeting political leaders, government officials and representatives from other sectors of Nepali society. Park recently visited the office of Annapurna Media Network and interacted with the AMN team on wide-range of bilateral issues. Excerpts:

What is your view on Nepal-South Korea relationship?

Very soon, we are completing 50 years of the establishment of bilateral relations. Due to our strong relations, we have collaborated closely in various areas. As we commemorate this momentous occasion, I am contemplating how we can honor and celebrate the friendship between Nepal and South Korea.

How do you find the relationship between Nepal and Korea at a people-to-people level?

Having taken up my position in Nepal just 50 days ago, I have been actively engaging with government agencies to strengthen bilateral ties. I am focused on fostering relations at the people’s level which involves meeting and connecting with diverse individuals. During my interactions, I had the opportunity to meet numerous individuals with connections to Korea, including businessmen who have relatives there. The Employment Permit System (EPS) has undeniably played a significant role in fostering the relationship between Nepal and South Korea at the people’s level. At present, there are approximately 40,000 Nepalis employed in South Korea, and the interest in working there continues to grow. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, we were seeing over 40,000 South Korean tourists visiting Nepal annually. The South Korean people are attracted to Nepal’s natural scenery and find visiting Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautama Buddha, particularly appealing. It is noteworthy that there is a balanced flow of people between the two countries. The relationship is characterized by mutual harmony and respect, rather than being one-sided. Furthermore, numerous development programs contribute to the strengthening of bilateral ties.

What initiatives are being undertaken to attract Korean investors to Nepal?

Recognizing the significance of economic cooperation in strengthening bilateral relations, we are actively pursuing initiatives to attract Korean investors to Nepal. South Korea currently holds the fourth position in terms of foreign direct investment in Nepal. Samsung’s television assembly plant is the recent example of South Korean investment in Nepal. It seems South Korean multinationals are eager to invest in Nepal.

In which sector of Nepal are Korean investors particularly interested in?

Korean investors have shown a strong interest in Nepal’s hydropower sector. They recognize that Nepal possesses the second richest water resources in the world. Currently, two hydropower projects with South Korean investment have been completed, while the construction of the Upper Trishuli-1 Hydropower Project (216 MW) is underway and expected to begin generating electricity in 2027. These ventures could significantly contribute to Nepal’s electricity sector. Moreover, Korean companies are also in the construction of transmission lines. In this regard, coordination efforts are being made with the Ministry of Energy and Nepal Electricity Authority. It is not only the larger multinational companies that we seek to attract; we also encourage medium-sized companies to invest in Nepal. I am committed to taking the necessary initiatives to facilitate such investments.

Hi-Mo, a company with South Korean investment, has been producing wigs in Nepal for the past five years. The company employs over 600 Nepali women and exports wigs to South Korea and Japan. Nepal boasts a strong workforce and benefits from its strategic location, situated between two of the world’s most populous countries. This advantageous position creates a conducive industrial environment in Nepal. As investors primarily seek profitability, we are actively collaborating with Nepali government agencies to ensure that foreign investors receive the same facilities and returns as their Nepali counterparts.

How would you evaluate the role of the Nepali government in attracting foreign investment?

The Nepali government is making concerted efforts in this regard. We, too, are making efforts from our side. However, it is crucial for Nepal to effectively communicate to potential investors that it offers a conducive business environment and promising returns on investment.

What type of workforce is essential for the development of a country?

A competent and skilled workforce is crucial for the development of any country. A notable example is South Korea, which had limited natural resources compared to Nepal but succeeded in its development journey due to its abundant labor force. The significant contribution of a skilled workforce played a key role in South Korea’s progress. Similarly, observing the investments made by Nepali citizens in the education of their children, I am optimistic that Nepal is on the path to cultivating an educated workforce. Vocational skill training is being provided in Butwal with the support of the South Korean government. We are also prepared to organize similar training programs in the Madhes and Gandaki provinces. My aspiration is to establish vocational training centers with South Korean support across all seven provinces of Nepal.

In terms of business environment, how do you perceive the situation in Nepal?

Nepal is ranked relatively low, currently placed 94th among countries worldwide. It indicates that there is room for improvement, not just in Nepal but also across South Asia. In the early days, South Korea faced challenges due to a lack of coordination and harmonious relations between employees and businessmen. It is essential for the Nepali government to listen to the voices of the private sector and foster a collaborative environment. By working in coordination, both the government and the private sector can contribute to improving the overall situation and creating a more conducive business environment.

Is it possible to increase the number of Nepali workers under the EPS system?

Nepali workers who have participated in the EPS have made significant contributions to South Korea’s industrial sector and overall economy. Remittances sent back home by these workers have also benefited Nepal and its citizens. Workers from 16 countries are benefiting from EPS. An estimated 90,000 is expected to head to South Korea this year through EPS. South Korea has specifically demanded 15,000 workers from Nepal. Since employers also prefer Nepali workers, they have placed more demands. Currently, over 14,000 Nepalis have already left for South Korea, and it is estimated that more than 20,000 workers will go to South Korea through EPS this year. Among 16 countries, Nepa is the largest contributor of workers to South Korea through EPS this year.

How long will the EPS program continue?

There have been concerns regarding the potential closure of the EPS system. However, due to the ongoing insufficiency of workers in South Korea, the demand for Nepali workers continues to increase steadily. I firmly believe that the EPS program will continue to thrive for a significant period. Workers who participate in this program receive salaries on par with Korean citizens, earning more than Rs 200,000 per month. Notably, Nepali workers have not only earned income but have also acquired valuable skills during their time in South Korea. These skills will play a pivotal role in shaping Nepal’s future. Soon after my arrival in Nepal, I came across a news article highlighting the success story of a returnee from South Korea who was creating jobs by opening an industry in Nepal. Such inspiring examples are on the rise, demonstrating that Nepal is steadily moving closer to prosperity.

How can the skills learned in Korea be utilized in Nepal?

In collaboration with the Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), we have initiated a reintegration program to support returning workers in starting businesses and providing vocational education. Through this program, returnee workers learn how to invest. The success of this initiative will lead to the opening of more industries and the creation of additional job opportunities. It is crucial for media outlets, including Annapurna Media Group, to work for harnessing the skills and investments of these returnee workers.

Donald Lu, the US assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian Affairs, visited Nepal this week to take stock of the progress on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).

The US embassy in Kathmandu said Lu’s visit was a part of his regular diplomatic engagement in the region. In Kathmandu, he met with various leaders and ministers to discuss the progress on the MCC Compact to date.

The Compact has two components: construction of a transmission line and road maintenance. The transmission line project under the MCC envisions construction of  around 315 km of double circuit high capacity 400 kV transmission lines and three new electricity substations. The transmission line will pass through Kathmandu, Sindhupalchok, Nuwakot, Dhading, Makwanpur, Chitwan, Tanahun, Palpa, Nawalpur, and Parasi districts. 

Similarly, the road maintenance project will focus on the East-West Highway in Dang district. Based on the results of the pilot, MCA-Nepal will further complete the Lamahi to Shivakhola section. At present, the total road segment proposed for maintenance in the East-West Highway is approximately 77 km.

These projects are set to commence in August with a five-year completion deadline or by 2028. The projects will be executed by Millennium Challenge Accounts Nepal (MCA-Nepal).

Lu had played a vital role in getting the MCC endorsed through Nepal’s parliament. Nepal’s political parties were heavily divided on the issue of ratifying the Compact through parliament. Those against the Compact, mostly communist parties, had raised unfounded suspicion that the US was trying to deploy its army in Nepal in order to contain China.

The Compact was ultimately endorsed by Nepal’s parliament with declarative interpretation (which the US has not recognized) amid protests in the streets, as Lu had warned that the US could review its relationship with Nepal if the MCC was discarded. 

China too was against the MCC ratification, and had openly fallen out with the US on the issue. Beijing suspects that the Compact is part of the US Indo-Pacific Strategy to stop China’s growing influence.  

Though Nepal’s parliament has passed the MCC, the US is still not wholly convinced it will move ahead smoothly. This skepticism is not just born out of continuing political opposition to the MCC in Nepal, but also of the technical hurdles at the local level.     

The main hurdle, according to an official at the Ministry of Finance, is land acquisition for the transmission line project. In some areas, people are urging the MCA-Nepal to change the route of the transmission line because it falls right over their homes and farmland, which they are unwilling to let go. The modality of compensation for acquiring land has also not been finalized yet.  

In April, Khadga Bahadur Bisht, executive director of MCA-Nepal, had informed the meeting of the MCA-Nepal board of directors that a technical survey of the electricity transmission line was completed, except on some segments due to social issues. Three months later, the problem remains as it is.

There is a lack of cooperation between MCA-Nepal office and Nepal government officials to resolve the local and technical issues. The task of land acquisition is being undertaken by district administration offices.

Regarding the land acquisition, field verification is going on in seven districts, except in Nuwakot, Sindhupalchok and Kathmandu. With the MCC implementation set to come into force in August, the task is unlikely to be completed on time.

There is also the task of forest census, which too remains incomplete. Forest clearance is one complicated task which needs to be settled in coordination with the Ministry of Forest and Environment and its subordinates. Here too the MCA-Nepal office has been unable to coordinate effectively with the concerned forest offices.

CPN-UML leader Pradeep Gyawali, who is also former foreign minister, says the MCC should be implemented honoring the deadline without any obstructions as it has already been endorsed by the Parliament.

However, both government and MCA-Nepal officials are uncertain about timely completion of the projects. They are brainstorming whether to commence the project in August and gradually complete the remaining tasks or commence the work only after all outstanding problems have been settled. 

Despite the challenges and risks, one official said MCA-Nepal has fixed August end as an entry into force date for the MCC.  

The MCC Nepal Compact is a five-year $500 million grant agreement signed between Nepal government and the MCC in 2017. The Nepal government has agreed to invest an additional $197m in the program, for a total of $697m.

Initially, the project should have come into implementation in 2018 which was delayed by four years due to the controversy surrounding its parliamentary endorsement. 

Mrigendra Bahadur Karki, Executive Director, Center for Nepal and Asian Studies, says the central focus of the US in Nepal at the moment is smooth implementation of the MCC. 

He adds since the MCC was protested by internal and external forces, the US is worried that the same forces would not delay its implementation. 

Currently, there seems to be no significant political opposition to the MCC, but technical issues at the local level are likely to delay the project. In case of a delay, the MCC project cost is likely to increase and may require additional Rs 5bn to complete, say some officials. 

A love-struck couple from arch-rivals India and Pakistan, who met in a gaming chat room before sneaking across borders to be together, say their passion trumped national rivalries or fear of religious backlash.

Sachin Meena, 22, an unmarried Indian shopkeeping assistant and a Hindu, connected with 27-year-old Seema Haider, a married Pakistani mother of four and a Muslim, playing the online shooting game PUBG during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

“We became friends and our friendship turned to love and our chats became longer—every morning and night—before we finally decided to meet,” said Seema, speaking to AFP from the cramped courtyard of Sachin’s two-room family home, where she now lives.

Seema, who left Pakistan and her husband with her four children by smuggling herself into India via Nepal in May—for which the couple were arrested then bailed out last week—said she has since married Sachin and taken his name.

“I converted to Hinduism,” she said, sitting next to Sachin in the village of Rabupura, about 55 kilometers from New Delhi. “I’d rather die than return or leave Sachin”. While the lovers have found each other, the history of their respective nations is bitter.

India and Pakistan, both nuclear-armed nations, have fought three wars since being carved out of the subcontinent in 1947. Each expelled the other’s high commissioner in 2019, and bilateral diplomatic, cultural, business and sporting links are very limited.

Indian police insist that Seema’s long-term stay will be impossible.

“I request the Indian government to grant me citizenship,” Seema pleaded, a red headscarf covering her hair and her four young children playing nearby.

‘Destined’

Apostasy is considered punishable by death in some interpretations of Islam. Seema said she had already received online threats and insisted the couple would “live and die together”.

Seema’s proclamation of “undying love” for Sachin and a promise to only return to Pakistan “as a dead woman” when they featured on a raucous Indian TV debate this week drew cheers from the crowds sitting around them.

Seema said she had been first attracted by Sachin’s gaming skills.

Three years later, the couple met in person in March in Nepal.

She became sure about leaving her “abusive” Pakistani husband—charges he denies—after the first meeting.

The couple said it took months of meticulous planning with help from YouTube videos on how to enter India via Nepal. In May, she succeeded.

“It was very difficult to travel from Pakistan to India,” she said. “I believe that with God’s love, we were destined to meet.”

Sachin’s family only learned of her existence when he rented a nearby apartment with her.

“There was some resistance, but my father and everyone accepted us. They are happy for us,” said Sachin. “I will do everything for them.”

Indian police found out after they tried to get married at a local court.

‘Still my family’

Seema’s estranged husband, Ghulam Haider, left his job as a laborer and rickshaw driver to earn more money for his family in Saudi Arabia.

Haider, who said he had not heard of PUBG, wants his family back.

“I earnestly appeal to Indian and Pakistani authorities to bring my wife and children back to me,” Ghulam Haider told AFP by phone from Saudi Arabia.

Haider said the couple, from different Baloch tribes, have a defiant love story of their own.

Forbidden by their families from marrying, they ran away to get hitched—a taboo in Pakistan that can sometimes lead to so-called honor killings.

“Later, a jirga (council of elders) was summoned to settle the matter and a fine of one million rupees (around $3,640) was slapped on me,” he said.

“I am far from my home, from my family, and it is very agonizing for me because we married out of love.”

‘She is an adult’

In India, the couple have received a popular welcome. Crowds from nearby villages have been visiting them since their arrest grabbed national headlines. “We took selfies,” said Rakesh Chand, 37, who drove over an hour to offer his congratulations, one of the dozens lining up to greet them.

“Sachin is very happy, even his family has accepted them, so the government must ensure that she isn’t forced to leave.” But on the streets near her old home in Pakistan, Dhani Bakhsh village in eastern Karachi, the news has not been welcomed.

While people know about Seema’s story, few are willing to talk about the incident openly—though they gossip in small groups on street corners. “Let’s forget about her, as she has gone and she is an adult,” said Haider’s cousin Zafarullah Bugti, blaming PUBG for turning Seema into ‘a psycho’.

Seema herself is unrepentant, calling Sachin the “love of her life” and insisting she will dedicate herself to her family. “My children will get all the love, care and attention here,” she said. 

AFP