NATIONAL 9 (Spotlight Weelky)]

Targeting India

Nepal Tourism Board launches a program to lure tourists from India

By A CORRESPONDENT

As Royal Nepal Airlines Corporation (RNAC) flights to New Delhi continue to be disrupted, the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) has launched a program in India to lure tourists to Nepal.

Over the past one month, when the main opposition party disrupted the winter session of parliament and is launching street agitation on the issue of leasing an aircraft, RNAC has canceled more than four dozen flights to New Delhi.

Toursts at TIA : Cherishing happy moments

At a time when the shortage of air seats on the New Delhi sector is creating inconvenience to many, launching a tourism fair in India has little importance. "The fair should be launched along with more reliable and regular flights to India by the national flag carrier," said a tourism entrepreneur.

For the first time in the last two years, the NTB has launched a tourism fair in India to encourage Indian tourists to visit Nepal -- Festival of Life: Fun Next Door Like Never Before.

"The Festival of Life, 2001 is a 90-day celebration of life, people, cultures, religions, adventure, luxury, shopping festivals where nature and people come together in a grand spectacle celebrating life," said Pradeep Raj Pandey, chief executive officer of the NTB.

After the dramatic hijacking of an Indian Airlines plane in December 1999 and the Hrithik Roshan episode of last December, the number of Indian tourists visiting Nepal has plummeted. Indian tourists contribute a major portion to the country's tourism revenue.

"If Indian tourist arrivals continue to decline, it will have significant impacts in the tourism sector," said Pandey.

That was a point stressed by Minister of State for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Mahadev Gurung at New Delhi. "We hope the tourism fair will help to lure Indian tourists to Nepal as they are backbone of our tourism sector."

STUDYING IN INDIA
Transparent System

The Indian Embassy launches a website providing information on cultural scholarships

By A CORRESPONDENT

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has placed the results of the common entrance exams 2001 for study in India on its website <www.south-asia.com/Embassy-India>.

Nepalese students have selected for courses in bachelor of engineering, MBBS, bachelor of pharmacy, bachelor of veterinary science and B.Sc. Agriculture. Some 1,025 students appeared for the engineering test and 1,088 in MBBS, 182 in pharmacy and 173 in agriculture and 187 in veterinary science, according to an Indian Embassy press release.

The embassy has placed the names of nominated candidates on its web page, including the percentage scored by each student.

Each year, India provides scholarships to Nepalese students in engineering, medicine and other areas. In the early days, the candidates were selected on the basis of personal contact. The new system will help to make the selection process more transparent.

After the introduction of the website, every potential candidate can apply for a cultural seat and other scholarships provided by India. Publication of the result on the website will help applicants to review and compare their performance.

Apart from the cultural seats administered through the embassy, hundreds of Nepalese students go to India to acquire technical education each year through self-finance and other means.