Science and technology in Nepal

Although a number of sectoral science and technology policies have been adopted since the early 2000s, policy implementation has not always been adequate. Nepal has historically set low targets for research intensity, limiting the effectiveness of sectoral policies.[7]

A number of planned initiatives have failed to materialize. These include a national fund for research in information and communication technologies proposed by the National Information and Communication Technology Policy (2015) and a national biotechnology research centre proposed by the Biotechnology Policy (2006), as well as three other planned research centres: the national nanotechnology centre, nuclear research centre and space research institute.[7]

Although the Nuclear Policy was adopted in 2007, it was only in 2019 that parliament adopted the Nuclear Act facilitating the peaceful use of nuclear science and technology transfer for the health and environmental sectors, in particular. Despite the Renewable Energy Subsidy Policy (2016) having introduced subsidies for mini- and microhydropower, solar and wind energy through its delivery mechanism, the Central Renewable Energy Fund, the share of this type of energy in final energy consumption actually dropped between 2015 and 2019, from 11% to 5% of the total. By 2019, installed hydropower capacity (1,250 MW) fell well short of the target (2,301 MW) for the same year. Most hydropower projects have fallen behind schedule, adding to the cost of developing this infrastructure.[8][7]

A common grievance of the Nepali scientific community is that, although policies themselves are well designed, poor implementation, coupled with a lack of resources, have resulted in unmet expectations. For instance, plans to create a smart city or to digitize Nepal have not materialized.[7]

Whenever there has been an absence of effective policy implementation, other players have stepped up to the plate to deliver knowledge transfer and technological absorption, including through public–private partnerships. Examples are the National Innovation Centre, created through crowdsourcing organized by individuals in 2012 and constructed on land donated by Tribhuvan University in 2019; the Centre for Molecular Dynamics Nepal (est. 2007), created through a non-governmental organization (NGO); and the Smart Urban Technology Challenge, a public–private partnership involving the Kathmandu municipality that organizes regular competitions for entrepreneurial teams to solve problems related to urban development.[7]

The National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (2019) identifies six priority areas: industrial research; agriculture and land use; infrastructure development; optimum use of biodiversity and mining; climate change and disaster management; and better governance.[7]

The policy has pinpointed a number of challenges for science governance, such as a lack of political leadership, a weak administrative capacity and poor co-ordination between line ministries. To improve co-ordination, the Ministry of Science and Technology was merged with the Ministry of Education in 2018 to form the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.[7]

Despite receiving the lion’s share of public research budgets, the majority of research institutes tend to be largely bureaucratic, with an inadequate investment in dedicated research. This explains the lack of a sense of community or concrete goals for knowledge creation and transfer. There is also an absence of mission-oriented research programmes to meet national economic objectives.[9][7]

The National Science, Technology and Innovation Policy (2019) has proposed creating a science, technology and innovation fund but, as of late 2020, no budget had yet been allocated to such a fund. Achieving the policy’s objectives will require responsive institutions and adequate funding.[7]

The same is true for the Three-Year Plan (2016–2018) and Fifteenth Five-Year Plans (2019–2023). Responsive institutions and adequate funding will be vital, for instance, to reach the targets in the Three-Year Plan of a 35% gross enrolment rate in higher education and a 65% Internet connectivity rate by 2018. The plan also foresees support for start-ups through the creation of business incubators at universities and the creation of 11 000 jobs in science and engineering by 2018.[7]

The government’s objectives for the Fifteenth Five-Year Plan covering the period from 2019 to 2023 are no less ambitious: inculcating a science culture and evidence-based research, harnessing science and technology to enhance living standards, promoting emerging technologies and supporting linkages between industry and academia, including with entrepreneurs.[7]

In order to measure progress towards these targets and objectives, the government will need to collect and analyse comprehensive data on a regular basis. However, Nepal still lacks a robust system of data collection for indicators related to science, technology and innovation. For instance, it does not measure the national research effort on a regular basis. No innovation survey has ever been conducted, nor any systematic attempt made to measure the business sector’s contribution to research and development, particularly at a time when value addition by manufacturing to the economy has slipped beneath the 5% threshold since peaking at 9% in 1996, according to World Bank data. The lack of evidence to inform policy-making is a major weakness of the Nepalese research system.[7]

University students in Nepal tend to major in STEM fields.[10] However, they are leaving Nepal in growing numbers. Outbound student mobility increased by 68% from 2012 to 2017 to 49 451 students, 29% (14 445) of whom headed for North America and Western Europe. In the 2016/2017 academic year, Nepal was the 13th biggest supplier of international students to the USA. Of these, 54% enrolled at US universities at undergraduate level and 34% in graduate programmes. The US Chamber of Commerce has estimated the economic contribution of these Nepali students at US$ 369 million.[11][7]

Salaries and grants offered by Nepali institutions are insufficient to retain graduates. For instance, nearly half of advertised positions at the Nepal Agriculture Research Council remained vacant in 2018.[9] The three-year PhD fellowships provided by the University Grant Commission amount to Rs 8,000 (less than US$ 70) per month.[7]

The Nepalese National Academy of Science and Technology has initiated the Return Scientists, Return Home programme (Farka Hai Farka Baigyanik), to foster ties between the government and the diaspora. However, interviews conducted by Osama, Sha and Wickremaisnghe in 2020[7] suggest that this programme has elicited little response from scientists working abroad. The programme has been unable to propose financial incentives, such as support for setting up a laboratory in Nepal, or to offer the diaspora an opportunity to contribute to existing research programmes run by the academy in nanotechnology, biotechnology, molecular research, environmental science and other fields.[7]