DHULIKHEL: Former Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhatarai said the countries achieving higher levels of progress through economic prosperity had first accomplished political revolution.

At the academia-industry gathering hosted by the Kathmandu University at Dhulikhel on Friday, Nepal’s economic development agendas were relegated when political revolution did not steer to the right path.

He urged the new generation to engage their efforts in creativity rather than indulging in abusing political workers and party leaders.

Noting that the instability of the political and democratic system was the main cause behind Nepal’s laggard status in development, Dr Bhattarai said it was a matter of glory to come to the status of a federal democratic republic today through political revolution.

“Democratic stability is a must in today’s context when capital, technology and labor among others have been globalized”, he said.

Former Finance Minister Surendra Pandey said the education sector was the largest industry in Nepal arguing the need to establish academic institutions for progress and spurring the education sector budget.

Noting that the universities should elevate their existing quality, he recommended the universities actively expand their market reach.

KU’s Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Bhola Thapa said the entire team of the university has engaged efforts for making wider publicity about the educational programs being taught here.

He stressed the need to change the tendency of putting pressure on student admission expressing surprise that no agency or actor has ever asked for the specific human resource in the job industry.

“The country can be taken to the pathway to prosperity through job creation which is possible only in collaboration among the educational institutions, industry and government”, Thapa added.

Also speaking on the occasion, Vice-Chairperson of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Surkrishna Baidhya commented that the country could not move to the economic revolution due to policy problems. Economic revolution sans industrial revolution is not possible he argued, calling for emphasizing promoting the industrial sector and boosting the confidence of industrialists.

KU’s Registrar Prof Dr Achyut Wagle said the political parties should also emphatically incorporate the idea of academic industry in their manifestoes.

“Education, family life and nation’s development are deeply interconnected”, he said.
Director-General of the Department of Industry, Baburam Gautam said the ministry was mooting measures such as software development, e-commerce-related policy and other laws drafting for reforms in the industrial sector.

Coordinator of the KU Department of Academia Industry Collaboration, Dr Ram Lama shared that the KU has implemented special research and innovation programs in the areas of technology, green energy and employment promotion.