Sunil Babu Pant receives Monette-Horwitz award
February 25, 2009
KATHMANDU, Feb 25: At an informal function held at Maitighar Mandala on Wednesday, Constituent Assembly member and founder of the Blue Diamond Society (BDS), an NGO working for the rights of sexual minorities, received the Monette-Horwitz (MoHo) Trust’s annual award.
Winston Wilde of MoHo, who has come here from Los Angeles, USA to present the award, said that Pant was honored with the award especially for the courage that he has shown in the work he has done for the gay rights movement in Nepal.
The award is presented annually to people who have made considerable contributions in the work against homophobia. “It is a very emotional moment for me to receive this award here in my own hometown,” said Pant.
Minister for Environment, Science and Technology Ganesh Shah was also present at the function to congratulate Pant.
Stakeholders Meet To Build Partnership for Clean Air
January 12, 2009
Speech on Clean air
National Stakeholders’ Meeting was held on 31st Dec at Yala Maya Kendra, Patandhoka aiming to build partnership for clean air in Nepal.
Honorable Minister Er. Ganesh Shah of Ministry of Environment Science and Technology inaugurated the meeting. In his keynotes, he suggested to build a wide network and coordinate among the stakeholders. He also added to build pressure to government for reviewing and effective implementation of policies. “I assured to you all to do my best to tackle challenges of air pollution”, he said.
Mr. Gopal Raj Joshi, Network coordinator, Clean Air Network Nepal (CANN) welcomed the participated stakeholders. He highlighted the objectives of the program, vision, activities and way ahead of CANN.
“Some of the major initiatives are taken by MOEST to control air pollution and PM 10 of Kathmandu Valley is much above the national standard “, said Mr Biswa Babu Pudasaini, MOEST.
Local Pollution not only affects the local environment but the air pollutant has trans-boundary effects, said Mrs Bidhya Banmali Pradhan from ICIMOD. “This is the Anthropocene era and power driver of air pollution is humankind, she further added.
Mr. Bhusan Tuladhar, Executive Director of ENPHO presented on the status, challenges and opportunities of air pollution of Kathamndu Valley. “ There is an increase in COPD and other respiratory infection patients and death tolls highly increases in winter approaches due to increase of air pollutants during this season, he said. “Transportation is the major cause of air Pollution and development of transport sector must be people centric rather than vehicle centric.
“VSBK is energy efficient and environment friendly technology and such technology must be promoted and supported by government through incentives and financial support, said Mr. Shansank Pandey,VSBK.
The program ended with the group discussion and sharing of ideas on the priorities and action plan on the transport, industry and policy in Nepal.
वातावरण संरक्षणमा एक जुट हुनुपर्दछ : मन्त्री शाह
January 9, 2009
वातावरण, विज्ञान तथा प्रविधि मन्त्री गणेश शाहले वातावरण तथा जलवायु संरक्षणमा सबैको सहयोग आवश्यक रहेको बताउनुभएको छ । गत वर्षको डिसेम्बर ११ र १२ मा पोल्याण्डको पोजनानमा सम्पन्न कोप १४ मा भएका गतिविधिबारे जानकारी दिने उद्दे्श्यले मन्त्रालयद्वारा आयोजना गरिएको कार्यक्रममा मन्त्री शाहले सो कुरा बताउनुभएको हो ।
उहाँले जलवायु परिवर्तन सबैको चासो र सरोकारको विषय भएको उल्लेख गर्दै भन्नुभयो- वातावरण संरक्षणमा सबै एक जुट हुनुपर्दछ । आगामी डिसेम्बरमा डेनमार्कमा हुने जलवायु परिवर्तनसम्बन्धी सम्मेलनको तयारीमा आजैदेखि जुट्ने बताउँदै उहाँले जलवायु परिवर्तनजस्तो महत्वपूर्ण विषयलाई कुनै एक पक्षको टाउकोमा मात्रै सबै समस्याहरु थुपार्न नहुने बताउनुभयो । मन्त्री शाहले नेपालमा अपार प्राकृतिक सम्पदा हुँदाहुँदै ती सम्पदाको उचित संरक्षण हुन नसक्दा नेपालले जलवायु परिवर्तनको समस्या भोग्नुपर्ने अवस्था आएको हो भन्नुभयो । समयमै सचेत नहुने हो भने केही वर्षभित्र नेपालको तराई भूभाग मरुभूमिमा परिणत हुने उहाँको धारणा थियो । उहाँले जलवायु परिवर्तनलाई राष्ट्रिय एजेण्डाको रुपमा अगाडि बढाउन आवश्यक रहेको बताउँदै भन्नुभयो- सम्बन्धित मन्त्रालयमा रहेका कारण पनि म आजैदेखि जलवायु परिवर्तनसम्बन्धी नीतिगत निर्णय तिर लाग्छु ।
सो अवसरमा उहाँले गत सम्मेलनमा जलवायु परिवर्तनका सम्बन्धमा आदिवासी तथा जनजातिका साथै सबै वर्गका समस्या उठाएको बताउँदै भन्नुभयो- आगामी सम्मेलनमा यससम्बन्धी अझ बढी छलफलका साथ जानुपर्ने भएकोले आदिवासी, जनजातिलाई अझ बढी समेट्ने गरी विशेष कार्यक्रमको साथ जानेछौं । ग्लोबल वार्मिङलाई विश्वले प्रमुख मुद्दा बनाएर अघि बढेको बताउँदै उहाँले नेपालले पनि यसलाई राष्ट्रिय मुद्दा बनाउनुपर्छ भन्नुभयो ।
कार्यक्रममा भाग लिन जाँदा विगतका सम्मेलनमा भाग लिन गएका पूर्वमन्त्रीका साथै पूर्व पूर्वप्रशासकहरु पनि सहभागी हुनुपर्नेमा जोड दिनुभयो ।
विदेशीहरुसँग सहमति तथा सम्झौता गर्नु गाह्रो कुरा भएको मन्त्री शाहले बताउनुभयो । उनीहरुसँग सहमति गर्न दक्षता आवश्यक पर्ने बताउँदै मन्त्री शाहले ग्लोबल वार्मिङका विषयमा अन्य मुलुकहरुबीच वार्ता तथा सहमतिका लागि दक्षता अभिवृद्धि आवश्यक भएकोले आफू तुरुन्तै त्यसतर्फ लाग्ने बताउनुभयो । २१ औं शताब्दीमा विज्ञान तथा प्रविधिलाई विश्वले अगाडि ल्याइरहेको अवस्थामा नेपाल सरकारले विज्ञान मन्त्रालयलाई उपेक्षा गरेकोमा दुखेसो व्यक्त गर्नुभयो ।
कार्यक्रममा वातावरण, विज्ञान तथा प्रविधि मन्त्रालयका सचिव उमेश मैनालीले जलवायु परिवर्तन विश्वव्यापी चासोको विषय भएको बताउँदै अहिलेदेखि नै वातावरण जोगाउनतिर नलाग्ने हो भने आगामी २० वर्षभित्र नेपालका सबै हिमाल पग्लिएर सकिने धारणा राख्नुभयो । यसबाट पानीको अभाव, मौसम परिवर्तनजस्ता समस्या अझ बढी देखिने सचिव मैनालीको कथन थियो । सचिव मैनालीले पोल्याण्ड जानुअघि पनि सबैसँग छलफल भएको बताउँदै आगामी दिनमा पनि यसलाई निरन्तरता दिने दाबी गर्नुभयो । जलवायु परिवर्तनमा युवा सहभागिता आवश्यक रहेको औंल्याउँदै सचिव मैनालीले ५० भन्दा बढी देशका युवाहरु सरकारलाई दबाब दिन पोजनान सम्मेलनस्थल बाहिर जम्मा भएको बताउँदै नेपाली युवाहरु पनि त्यसतर्फ चनाखो हुनुपर्ने बताउनुभयो ।
राष्ट्रिय योजना आयोगका पूर्वउपाध्यक्ष जगदीशचन्द्र पोखरेलले जलवायु परिवर्तनजस्तो विश्वव्यापी समस्याको समाधानका लागि गैरसरकारी संस्था, अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय संस्थाहरुको सहयोग लिएर सरकार अघि बढ्ने सकेमात्र यसबाट प्राप्त हुने अवसर नेपालले लिन सक्ने बताउनुभयो । उहाँले कतिपय अवस्थामा भाषागत कमजोरीका कारण पनि नेपाल विभिन्न अवसरबाट विमुख भएको बताउँदै कतिपय मुद्दामा क्षेत्रीय सहयोगसमेत लिएर अघि बढ्नुपर्ने धारणा राख्नुभयो ।
कार्यक्रममा वन तथा भूसंरक्षण मन्त्रालयका सचिव डा. उदयराज शर्माले पनि बोल्नुभएको थियो ।
कार्यक्रममा सन्दिप चामलिङ राई, गेहेन्द्रबहादुर गुरुङ, राजु लौडारी, बटु उप्रेती र डा. जगदीश बरालले कार्यपत्र प्रस्तुत गर्नुभएको थियो ।
Deepak Adhikari
50 Laptops distributed in Yagyamati School, Kapan.
January 5, 2009
Yagyamati Secondary School, a community school in Kapan, began a digitalised classroom education from today, replacing textbooks, blackboards, notebooks and pens with laptops.
Fifty laptops (35 for students and 15 to launch digital literacy campaign) were provided free of cost to each sixth grader in the school for classroom education today under the pilot project of Computing-One-on-One (CO3) launched by Microsoft with its local partners Unlimited NuMedia and Intel and supported by the Department of Education (DoE).
The rugged and durable ClassMate PC laptops are loaded with applications and features designed for One-on-One learning on a direct and continuous basis throughout the school days and beyond. The CO3 project intends to empower students with anytime and anywhere learning opportunities.
Students and teachers in the school are connected through a wireless system in the class where teachers will be able to broadcast engaging visual animations and videos from the vast repository of specially designed digital curriculum. Teachers will be able to give personal attention to every students, as each student will be connected to the teacher through the wireless system.
It will encourage active involvement of each student in the classroom. The teacher will also be able to monitor the laptops of every students which will help them control the class effectively and gain attention of the students.
Speaking in the occasion were the representative from Microsoft, Mr. Haza Sheriff, Educom Representative, Mrs. Sonia Handa, Intel Representative, Mr. Ravi Aggarwal, Education Director, Mr. Mahasarm Sharma, Education Ministry Secretary, Mr. Thapa, Microsoft Nepal Representative, Mr. Allen Tuladhar, Member of Constituent Assembly, Mr. Gagan Thapa and Principal and founder of school.
Leap to the IT sector in Nepal
The distributed laptops
Tea Reception in Singapore
December 16, 2008
Minister Shah interacting with Nepalese in Singapore
Minister Ganesh Shah with Nepalese Singapore Society President Mr. Amar Chitrakar
Inereacting with Nepalese in Singapore
On 15th of December I attended a Tea Reception hosted by the Nepalese Society Singapore at The New Everest Kitchen in Little India, Singapore. It was attended by many enthuastic Nepalese living in SIngapore. It was my great pleasure to meet and interact with Nepalese ranging from students, lecturers, hospitality professionals, businessmen and entertainers. I thank all of you for your input into the program. I hope I have answered all your questions during the program. If there are any more questions please feel free to ask via this blog or directly by email. Further to questions please send me any suggestions that you may have regarding the development of Environment , Science and Technology in Nepal.
Thanks
G. Shah
Quote on BBC Online
December 15, 2008
On my recent visit to Poznan (Poland) for UN Conference on Climate Change, I was quoted by BBC Online as below.
Please visit the link.
Son’s Wedding
December 15, 2008
Family Picture after my son’s wedding on the 23rd November 2008 in Dharan, Nepal. Left to Right standing Kalyanee Shah (wife), Ganesh Shah (me), Satya Kala Rai (Samdihini), Purna Bd Rai (Samdhi), Dr. Amrit Rai (daughter in law’s brother). Sitting from left Pankaj Shah (son), Dr. Pujan Rai (daughter-in-law (Buhari)) and Yansi (family dog).
Milestone for Nepal’s Science & Tech., Successful test flight of first Nepal made Plane, “DANFE”..
December 7, 2008
The Light Aircraft “Danfe” Fabrication Group Nepal, an aeronautical Research Group- 2002, that had been seeking formal permission of their aircraft for the past one year from the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, got final take off on December 5. The aircraft took off exactly at 4:00 p.m. at Pokhara Airport Friday.
A dream project to fly the first aircraft of Nepal came true Friday after the Ministry a week ago gave formal permission to conduct a test flight at the airport. Light aircraft “Danfe” was a dream project of two Pulchowk Engineering Campus’s students of Mechanical Engineering Department of 2002 batch. Bikash Parajuli and Ganesh Ram Sinkemana started their project from 2006 as final year project of their academic exams. Parajuli, talking to The Rising Nepal, said that the aircraft that took off Friday became completely successful and was witnessed by hundreds of locals, airport management authorities and Minister for Environment, Science and Technology Ganesh Shah who was also present in the event.
“Although the Danfe aircraft has the capacity to fly up to 6,000 ft but as per Ministry’s provision we had to fly it for about 25 metre high and covered a total of 1.4 km distance. The flight, however, could run up to 200 km per hour,” Parajuli said. In its one minute of time interval, the aircraft did six times of takeoff and landing continuously. Alexander Maximov, senior captain and Russian citizen of Avia Club Nepal Pvt. Ltd did first test flight of the aircraft today. The aircraft was prepared in total of Rs. 900 thousand cost, material cost only.
“Since the construction of aircraft was not possible by two of the members, so Sinkamana and me collected six other students from Mechanical Engineering then continued.”They were appointed as Team Members/Helpers for the project. The team members are Dipesh Poudel, Ramesh Ranabhat, Baburam Kharel, Rabindra Shrestha, Anil Maharjan and Prasant Malla. The aircraft was a two-seater light aircraft, which can carry a total of 115 kg of load. The Light Aircraft “Danfe”, named after the national bird of Nepal, is technically known as Ultralight, Microlight, Flexwing, Triked or Power Glider. It is historically the first aircraft of Nepal designed and fabricated in Nepal.
For more Pictures http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=67033&l=309a1&id=646627185
Minister inaugurates bio-gas plant in Budhanilkantha School
November 20, 2008
The Honourable Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Ganesh Shah inaugurated the Biogas Plant in Budhanilkantha Higher Secondary School. The event was jointly organised by Women’s Environment Preservation Committee (WEPCO) and Budhanilkantha Higher Secondary School supported by the UNDP Global Environment Facility(GEF) Small Grants Programme.Around 400-450 kgs of kitchen waste is produced daily in the school where 1200 students and 150 teachers and staff reside. The kitchen consumes 9 LP gas cylinders every day. With the construction of the 50m3 biogas, the school is able to save the cost of one LP Gas cylinder (Rs 1250/day), manage the kitchen waste at source and to produce 5.5Kg of slurry (manure). The total cost of the biogas plant is Rs.370,000 of which 40% (Rs 148,000) has been supported by the UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme through WEPCO in the form of a grant. By saving one LP Gas cylinder to cook food i.e. saving Rs.1250 every day will allow the cost of the biogas plant to recover in less than 10 months. Speaking on the occasion, Minister Shah expressed the need to develop such plants in other institutions as well to curtail the energy need and reduce the municipal waste in the country.
विगतका सरकारले विज्ञान र प्रविधिलाई प्राथमिकता नदिएकै कारण मुलुक पछि परेको भन्दै मन्त्री शाहले यो क्षेत्रको विकास र विस्तार नभएकै कारण प्रतिभा पलायन जस्तो गम्भिर समस्या मुलुकको अघि आएको बताउनु भयो । प्राविधिक प्रतिभा पलायन रोक्न मन्त्रालयले तीन महिना भित्र विशेष कार्यक्रम ल्याउने भन्दै मन्त्री साहले विदेशमा रहेको ज्ञान र सीपलाई कसरी अधिकतम रुपमा मुलुकको हितमा उपयोग गर्न सकिन्छ भन्ने विषयमा मन्त्रालयले अध्ययन गरिरहेको बताउनु भयो ।
