Their Majesties grace golden jubilee function’ of Xavier’s school

Lalitpur, Dec. 3 (RSS): His Majesty King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev graced the golden jubilee function of St. Xavier’s School at Jawalakhel today.

Her Majesty Queen Aishwarya Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah was also present on the occasion.

At the function, His Majesty the King gave away recognition awards to Dr Ashok Baskota and Dr Suddha Rauniyar for their distinguished services to the poor people.

His Majesty conferred recognition awards also to Hira Krishna, Garjaman Subba, Biswajit Thapa, Sher Jung Gurung, Ram Kuseley, Jagatpati Shakya and Krishna Sarki for their longstanding services to the school.

At the function, Minister for Education and Sports Amod Prasad Upadhyaya said that as government efforts alone would not be enough to achieve educational development in the country the education act was being amended so as to involve civic society in its development.

"The present government is striving to evolve education as an affective means of poverty alleviation," he said, stressing the need to make educational reforms according to the changing needs of the time and society for all-sided national development.

Minister Upadhyaya lauded the contribution made by the people in education development of Nepal, saying, "at present literacy percentage in the country stands at 53 percent, and there are 37,400 schools, 219 campuses and five universities, with total student enrolment figuring at 5.5 million."

The Rector of St. Xavier’s School, Father Casper J. Miller S. J., shed light on the contribution of the school to educational development in Nepal.

Principal of the school, Rev. Father Lawrence Maniyar S. J., said the school made notable contribution to the task of nation-building by providing formal education as well as imparting knowledge on spiritual, social, cultural and various others fields.

Co-chairman of the school Rajendra Man Sherchan also spoke on the school’s contribution to educational development.

The ministers, heads of constitutional bodies, heads of diplomatic missions, other dignitaries, parents and students were present at the function.

Selfless service vital to build nation: Koirala

Biratnagar, Dec. 3 (RSS): Nepali Congress president and Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala has expressed confidence that a courage on the part of ministers, MPs and leaders of all political parties to look back to their past and subsequent soul-searching would help banish corruption, a big challenge facing the country.

NC president and Prime Minister Koirala was inaugurating today the newly constructed building of Adarsha Secondary School, which was first established by his father Krishna Prasad Koirala at Tedi Dwip of India and later shifted to Biratnagar. Prime Minister Koirala also unveiled a statue of his father the late Krishna Prasad Koirala at the school premises on the occasion.

Stating that the late Krishna Prasad Koirala had sounded the bugle for democracy by establishing this school at Biratnagar, he said this historical step has already resulted in the establishment of democracy in the country.

Sometimes a small step makes history and Adarsha Secondary School speaks volumes for the historic contribution of the late Krishna Prasad Koirala, he observed.

The Prime Minister said that he is making every effort to nurture the sense of freedom and democracy the country has attained as a result of the commitment and sacrifices of great people like the late Krishna Prasad Koirala.

He also urged the school maintain its historical image by producing highly skilled and competent manpower.

Unlike in the past the education sector has today seen an erosion of discipline, devotion, morality and dignity, which has given way to various aberrations, he said, adding fake academic certificates being brought in from across the border are one of the several factors behind the deteriorating educational standard in the country.

Material gains do not make a man great; only those who selflessly serve the nation and the people make a special niche for themselves, Prime Minister Koirala observed.

The government is capable enough to defeat the Maoists, who are fighting a aimless battle by misleading the people, but they are fighting by hiding themselves in the dark instead of coming to the forefront, he said, adding even the Maoists would know what they are doing if they looked into themselves.

From the chair, NC central member and chairperson of the school construction committee Mrs Nona Koirala lauded the late Krishna Prasad Koirala’s contribution to social reforms through education.

Vice-chancellor of Eastern Regional University Dhruba Narayan Lal Das said Adarsha Secondary School is the first school for the Nepalese people, which opened up new vistas of social reforms.

Secretary of the school construction committee Devendra Kumar Agrawal said the two-storey school constructed at a cost of Rs. 9 million has 22 rooms.

Ex-students of the school Pandit Meghraj Sharma and Narayan Prasad Koirala, Prof. Gopal Prasad Sharma and Chandrika Prasad Lohani spoke about the problems the schools has been facing since its establishment.

The Prime Minister also presented letters of commendation to teachers Govinda Prasad Upadhyaya, Sudhish Narayan Karn, Sarba Narayan Das, Anupa Khanal and employee Yaman Kumar Shrestha for their long service in the school

CCSA suggests holding stalled SAARC summit

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Dec.3: The first meeting of the Citizens’ Commission for South Asia (CCSA) has suggested that the long-stalled SAARC Summit be held as envisaged in its Charter. The 11th SAARC Summit that was scheduled to be held in Kathmandu last year could not take place due to India-Pakistan differences over the dismantling of the elected Nawaz Sharif government in Islamabad.

The CCSA meeting is of the view that the SAARC’s inability to meet regularly has created a situation due to which the region has been unable to evolve a cogent and a cohesive response at the regional level to fully take advantage of the challenges and opportunities offered by the process of globalisation. The CCSA also stressed the need to reconvene the Summit and other meetings and create a conducive atmosphere for the Summit.

The 3-day gathering of the CCSA, a South Asian civil society, was organised by the Coalition for Action on South Asian Co-operation (CASAC) to discuss the current South Asian situation, and find ways to revive SAARC activities for the common good of all of the region.

The CCSA conclave, chaired by former Indian premier I. K. Gujaral who heads the body, ended here Sunday expressing deep disappointment over the failure to eradicate poverty, illiteracy and deprivation. The meeting has urged both the governments and civil societies of the region to greatly intensify efforts at improving the condition of the poor people of rural areas. South Asia is home to more than 40 % of the total poor in the world.

The meeting has further realised that there is the need for reconceptualising the functions and roles of governments and responsibilities of civil societies also need to be re-examined and reassessed.

The conclave concludes by setting agendas to increase public awareness about the significance of South Asian co-operation and the need to intensify co-operation in the next decade and beyond.

The other objectives it tries to address are to harness the resources of civil society and expand its role in promoting co-operation in South Asia; facilitate the task of opinion, policy and decision makers on South Asian issues and carry out an objective evaluation of progress of regional co-operation.

The meeting of the CCSA covered wide range of issues confronting the region and recommended various activities to be taken for immediate action by governments and civil societies.

Until its next meeting in 2001 the Commission has assigned studies on important subjects like globalisation and its impact on South Asia, impediments to successful regional co-operation, democracy and good governance, potential of biotechnology and regional co-operation in energy.

At a press meet organised today to inform about the measures taken by the meeting, member of the Commission from Pakistan Sartaz Aziz, who had chaired the concluding session of the meeting in the absence of chairperson Gujaral, said that meeting was fruitful in identifying the regional problems and is aimed at putting moral pressures on the respective governments.

Furnishing the queries of journalists Aziz said that common approach of individuals was now needed for the strengthening of the regional co-operation. He also added, "Along with the availability of raw materials the region now needs human resources to be utilised properly."

‘Disabled equal as citizens’

BY A STAFF REPORTER

Kathmandu, Nov. 3: People become disabled because of their own attitude and culture and not due to their physical deformity, Jhamak Kumari Ghimire, a disabled but a competent person in her works, said in a written message here today.

The message was read out in a function organised by the Disabled Relief Fund (DRF) to mark the 9th International Disabled Day.

"The country will avail a lot if we can utilise the talent of the disabled persons in nation building," Speaker Taranath Ranabhat said.

Inaugurating the newly constructed building of Nepal Orthopedic Appliance Workshop on the occasion, Ranabhat said that all the disabled should forget that they were inferior to others and go ahead to develop their overall potentials.

"Today the nation has got many disabled personalities who stand out in our society proving that they are as good as others," he said.

Ranabhat further said that the society should consider them as equal citizens of the nation and their efforts directed to develop this potential from all fronts.

State Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Kamala Pant said, "Those who are capable of doing something remarkable despite being handicapped are not disabled but the non-handicapped persons who cannot do anything are disabled in true sense."

Pant further said that the disabled needed to build self confidence. Nara Bahadur Limbu, Chairman of the Nepal Blind Association said that there should be some reservations for the represantatives of the disabled in all social and political sectors. Limbu was awarded by the DRF for his outstanding performance as blind man.

Four highest scorers of SLC 2056 B.S. were also awarded on the occasion.

Navaraj Mudbary of Lalitpur, got a purse of Rs. 15,000 and a medal. Prahlad Thapa, Rabindra Shrestha and Padma Adhikari got Rs. 8,000, Rs. 4,000 and 2,500 respectively.

Six disabled people were given wheel chairs and seven students were awarded scholarships while a dozen disabled received orthopedic appliances.

Thierry Agagliate, the Regional Director of Handicapped International appreciated the technical and material support to the disabled from the Disabled Relief Fund.

The Member Secretary of the Disabled Relief Fund Chandra Kumar Bhattarai said that there is a plan to establish a model Orthopodic Appliance Center in Nepal.

The DRF would work for the establishment of a Regional Training Centre for the disabled to engage in different productive activities based on the available local resources.

Bhattarai further said the DRF also has a plan to provide necessary support materials to the disabled in all the 75 districts, which is now implemented in 12 districts.

Meanwhile, in Nepalgujn, a rally organised today on the occasion of International Disabled Day passed through different parts of the town chanting various slogans, add Rss.

The rally originated from local Birendra Chowk converged for a mass meeting at the premises of Mangal Prasad Secondary School.

Blind students, and other disabled in wheel chair and tri-cycle took part in the rally organised jointly by Nature Nepal, Nepal Association of the Blind Banke Unit and Nepal Disabled Association Banke Branch.

Banke DDC chairman Omprakash Jung Rana, Chairman of Nature Nepal Purushottam Das Shrestha and president of Nepal Association of the Blind Banke Kanhaiyalal Rana and other speakers pointed out the need to give love and opportunities to the disabled.

Chairperson of Nepal Disabled Association Banke branch Mrs Geeta Rana presided.

No need to amend constitution: Ranabhat

Kathmandu, Dec. 3 (RSS): Speaker of the House of Representatives Taranath Ranabhat says now there is no need to amend the Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal-1990.

Speaker Rababhat was speaking at a national seminar on "mobilisation of community resources for sustainable human development" organised here today by a non-governmental organisation called ‘Sahara.’

Many laws, as envisaged by the constitution, are yet to be formulated and their good and bad aspects are also yet to be ascertained. Under such circumstances, the constitution has still not become fully active, he said.

The clandestine Maoist and several other communist parties are calling for constitutional amendment, but the amendment is not necessary now, he added.

The ninety per cent of people living in rural Nepal should be able to join the national development mainstream on their own initiatives if we are to banish the problems of ignorance, unemployment and poverty bedevilling the rural areas and elevate their living standard, he noted.

Our attention should focus on how the skilled manpower could be best utilised in mobilising various means resources for speeding up national development process, he said.

Most of the country’s means and resources were being utilised only by the clever ones and their balanced and judicious distribution was not possible due tov some flaws, he noted, adding, "mere rhetoric cannot achieve the goals of social transformation, and our commitment to building a new society has not yet been put into practice."

National Planning Commission member Dr Shanker Sharma said a community could do a lot if it was strengthened and made efficient.

It would not be possible to meet the challenge of national development in the absence of the community’s ownership and involvement, he added.

Finance secretary Bimal Koirala said the goals of sustainable development could be attained through co-ordinated efforts in mobilising natural, social and economic resources.

Home secretary Srikant Regmi said as the countries giving importance to human development had made much headway we, too, should concentrate on human-centred development.

From the chair, Dr Arju Rana Deuba said the ten years of the democratic restoration instilled a sense of self-reliance and partnership in development in the people.

Dr Govinda Koirala and Dr Hira Mani Ghimire presented working papers on "rural credits" and "community environment management" respectively.

Fifty participants including planners, decision-makers, delegates civic society and donor agencies attended the workshop.