ICT Education

THERE is no doubt that the world was taken by storm with the lightening developments in the information technology sector towards the end of the last Century. Now, when the world has been turned into a virtual global village due to the great advancements in the information and communication technology (ICT) systems, experts have further predicted that the new Century will be dominated by this sector. From well advanced nations like the United States and Japan to developing nations like Nepal, no one wants to be left behind and they are doing all they can to ride on this story of success and also train their manpower in different aspects of information technology for their own benefit. In Nepal itself, besides the many private sector institutions providing training in computers and other branches of the communication sector, the Ministry of Science and Technology has also been providing different types of computer training to more than 11,000 people. This shows how seriously the country has taken the development of ICT. Like mentioned by a Japanese professor who is an expert in this subject and who was in Kathmandu to deliver a lecture, both policy makers and also young go-getters are firm in their belief that this sector will be the basis of economic development and also increasing employment opportunities in the coming years as well.

At a time when the developed nations are taking much advantage from the development in ICT and reaping huge benefits, developing nations, including Nepal, could also utilise this sector in their development efforts. Besides using the advanced information technology to store data, facilitate services and even do business, Nepal could also produce abundant manpower in this sector, who in turn could provide services in their country and also worldwide. Minister of State for Science and Technology Bhakta Bahadur Balayar, quite rightly pointed out while speaking at a recent workshop in Kathmandu, that education institutions should impart information technology education and this could contribute in solving the problem of educated unemployment. It is encouraging that these days, recognising the importance of this sector, educational institutions are providing ICT education from a very junior level, however, there is also a requirement to produce experts, besides citizens with a general knowledge of the information technology. With proper planning from the government's side and cooperation from the private sector, information communication techonology could be a boon for Nepal and other developing countries and help them eradicate poverty and other problems facing them.

Biogas Plants' Potentials

DURING the eighth general meet of the Nepal Biogas Promotion Group held in the capital city, concerned experts attending the gathering, as per a news item carried by this daily the other day, called for the expansion of the biogas programme throughout the country. The use and popularisation of biogas, as all development experts, planners and concerned authorities know by now, holds tremendous potentials in the country due to its multiple benefits. For one, the gas from the biogas plants can be utilised for cooking and lighting purposes, thereby lessening the pressure on the nation's remaining forests which, needless to point out, are still the main suppliers of rural folks' fuelwood and lighting needs. In some rural areas of Nepal, especially in the far-western districts, the people there cut down pine trees indiscriminately to derive pine-wood splinters to light up their homes. Since forests do play a major role in the preservation and protection of the nation's unique eco-systems, any abatement in the existing pressures on these forests through the popularisation of biogas plants among the rural folks could lead to the maintenance of the ecological balance. This, in turn, would spare the people, particularly the rural folks, from the unwanted-and life-threatening-visitations of natural calamities like landslips, flash floods and even inclement climatic and weather conditions. Secondly, the slurry-the end product of the biogas plant and which is a mixture of cow or buffalo dung and water-is said to much better and superior than uncomposed cow or buffalo dungs to not only fertilise the farmers' over-exploited and nuritient-deficit farms but also to coax out more yields from the farms. With such tangible benefits that could be derived by both the nation and the people from the use and installation of biogas plants, the need to popularise biogas plants among the people, especially the rural folks, is always there.

Regarding this, what also goes without saying is that the concerned authorities should also delve into the reason(s) as to why, despite their concerted efforts to popularise biogas plants among the rural folks as well as the possibility of installing more than 200,000 biogas plants across the country, only 103, 922 plants have been installed so far. If the full potentials of the biogas plants were to be realised, then all the stakeholders should put their heads together to come up with appropriate solutions and technologies.