Where and when do my wounds ache?

It is simple the world is full of varieties and mutiplicity. The plants, trees, nonliving things, animals, human beings, air, soil, stone and etc etc.

The science believes in matter and body that is a combination of chemicals. The people who have faith in spirituality believe and see soul in even nonliving things. They think everything is changing and they are also dying in course of time.

The material people simply analysis that birth, death and life are products of matter and chemicals, and they do not exist beyond death. Hoever, spiritual people believe in eternity and it never ends, remains existing in the universe in any form and goes on and goes on.

I cannot say who is wrong or right but I feel ached when others beat me. I cannot tolerate as they torture and trouble me. I feel sad while they hurt me. I feel destroyed when they damage my toys with who I enjoy playing and spending life like a child. I feel shattered when they destruct and devastate my works and plans of life for their own problems.

I feel so and so because I am also a human being. Other living beings might feel similiar to me whether they speak or not. I can speak in my language...it may be that plants, insects, and animals also express their griefs and pains but we are not able to understand their language and feelings.

So I cannot say when and where my wounds ache...never ask me again about it after you axe, hammer, beat, cut, bite, hurt and destroy me...because let me live in my own way in pains and tears, which please me and nurture my rights and freedom to live without harming and hurting others.

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A bulk of people in capital without lights

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Kathmandu, July 22

A big number of people at the centre of the capital of Nepal remain under the shadow of lights. The number of illiterate people is shocking here.

According to the Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC), 8,130 illiterate and 24,143 literate people were recorded from a sample survey recently carried out in 8,175 households of 35 wards in the KMC.

Among them, 5,552 were women and 2,104 men aged between 15-60 years, said Hari Kunwar, branch chief at the education and sports section under the social welfare and development division of the KMC. “Rest of them were of other ages,” he told this daily.

Total number of population the survey covered is 34,456 among which 16,779 were females and 17,677 males. “The number of illiterate in the capital city where everything is available is shocking,” said divisional chief Dr Babu Ram Gautam.

The high rate of illiteracy were recorded by 1,921 persons in 1,174 households of ward no 33, 274 persons in 142 households of ward no 27 and 120 persons in 66 households of ward no 12.

There are about 2 million people and 100,000 house holds living in the KMC. According to the national population Census 2001, the literacy rate of Nepal stands at 53.74 per cent and female literacy at 42.49 per cent.

Dr Gautam said that the high illiteracy rate owed to the migration from other parts of the country, traditional and ethnic values, and sexual discrimination.

Renu Lama, volunteer teacher of the literacy campaign at ward no 15, said that the illiteracy rate was higher in ethnic families such as Newars, Tamangs and Sherpas. “My mother was also illiterate even if she were KMC citizen,” she said.

As part of the government’s literacy campaign, the KMC has been running literacy classes of 3-month period each time three classes in all the 35 wards. In January, there were 98 class centres operated in 32 wards excluding 19, 21 and 24. A total of 2,335 persons of all ages including 28 men were enrolled in the classes.

Second phase of the literacy programme has been recently started in the respective wards. “The students are being enrolled,” said Lama. “Wives of advocates, army and police officers, and business persons as well as domestic helps also have been enrolled in my centre,” she added. “A woman, who is founder of Read Model Secondary School, has got admission in my centre now.”

The government provides about Rs 800,000 including stationary, books and allowance for volunteers in each phase. One volunteer, who is paid Rs 1,000 only, is assigned in each centre with about 30 students and three inspectors to monitor all the centres. Kunwar said that the records of second phase was yet to be collected and updated as the students were still being admitted.

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NAST to turn into PhD/Post-PhD institute

Bishnu Prasad Aryal
Lalitpur, July 11

After 27 years of establishment, the Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) has come up with concrete plans to provide forum for Doctoral and Post-Doctoral researches. It has started hiring the scientists for its new advanced laboratory.

"We have a clear vision to exploit the science and technology for the national interests. That's why we are going to set up a sophisticated research laboratory on its premises soon," said Prof Dr Hom Nath Bhattarai, Vice-Chancellor of the NAST. "The three-storied building of the lab will be completed within six months," he added.

Students of MSc level have been doing thesis at the NAST. Now, we are planning to initiate PhD level research and Post Doctoral fellowship programmes after the completion of the lab, Bhattarai told this daily. "We've just started hiring the scientific manpower for the lab. We will work in coordination with Tribhuvan University and Kathmandu University for researches." "I want to establish the NAST as a doctoral degree awarding institute as in foreign countries," he added.

The National Council for Science and Technology, established in 1976 for making national policies, recommended to institute then Royal Nepal Academy of Science and Technology. The apex body of science and technology was set up in 1982 in a bid to develop nation through science and technology. It was converted into NAST in 2006.

The NAST Act was introduced in 1992 aiming to meet its goals and objectives of quality and excellence. "It could promote the sector by establishing awards, providing scholarships and fellowships for the scientists contributing to the Nepalese society and country besides imparting knowledge to raise awareness in the schools," said VC Bhattarai. "Researches remained only as the in-house projects."

In the foreign countries, Academy is taken as a concept of forum for scientists remaining away from the government. It became an institutional government body apart from a forum in Nepal, said Prof Bhattarai. "However, we don't have any laboratory at the national level."

Realising this need, the NAST is heading ahead to achieve its goals by establishing the Central Research Lab at the cost of Rs 70 million to strengthen the researches in the country. "Research areas to be included in this phase are biotechnology, natural products (utilization of bio-resources), environment and energy etc," he said.

"The attempts to equip the lab with sophisticated instruments are being made through the government and the donor agencies. The researches will possibly begin from next year," VC said. "Young scientists will be encouraged to do researches here."

Dr Bhattarai was not worried about the fund to establish the high-tech lab. "We must have concrete and convincing proposal and the government will never reject it," he said, recalling former Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai's assurance to provide 1 per cent (Rs 5-6 billion) of the total GDP. Presently, only 0.3 per cent of the GDP is allocated for the sector.

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