Development of Information Communication Technologies in Nepal

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• Development of Information Communication
  Technologies in Nepal
• Nirmala Shrestha Silwal

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Introduction

• Geographical Location a landlocked and
  mountainous country, latitude 2622N to 3027N,
  longitude 8012E to 88 12E, total area 147181
  sq.km., length 885km, breadth 193km, height of
  the land 70m to 8848m ( Mt. Everest), Mountain
  35, Hills 42, Plain 23
• Population Distribution Total Pop. 23.4 million,
  Mountain 7.3, Hills 46, Terai 46.7
• Literate 54
• Total teachers 143,000, 43.3 trained

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Current Situation of Using Information Technology

• Slow development up to 1980s, established
  National Computer Centre (NCC) in 1974 to develop
  IT and encourage its application in various
  activities and closed down in 1998
• In private sector IT came into existence 1978 and
  in 1980 software development companies were
  introduced
• Increase personal computers after 1992 and email
  and Internet service started from 1995
• Some institutions committed to IT promotion in
  Nepal are NIUG, ICIMOD, FNCCI, NPEDC, IEDI, IDRC

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• Now, Use of Internet has already revolutionized
  the way people do their work
• Some private institutions are providing the
  computer training packages
• Information technology(IT) has developed rapidly
  in Nepal within a few years of time.
• At present there are 8 licensed Internet Service
  Providers and 2 V-SAT private operaters
• Telecommunication Infrastructure reaches only to
  1528 Village Development Committees(VDC) offices
  out of 3913

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• Especially Human Resource Development in the IT
  sector is far behind if compared to other
  countries
• Government has started scholarships programs to
  train the unemployed youths
• In Education system it is in initial stage
• In secondary level school curriculum, computer
  education is included as an optional subject,
  taught in the most of the private schools of the
  Kathmandu valley and other major cities of Nepal

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• Short wave transmission system was installed at
  Radio Nepal to enable the SLC teachers to
  broadcast the teacher-training program through
  distance mode.
• Now, Government has started to distribute free
  email access to the public(Government) schools of
  the Kathmandu valley.

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Problems and Challenges

• Ø    Inadequate Telephone Infrastructure Only
  1528 VDCs has access to telephone in out of 3913
  VDCs of the country. In these 1528 VDCs the
  telephone is only in the office of the Village
  Development Committee, not in other places.
• Ø    Lack of Human Resource Skill Human
  Resources has to be produced, yet.

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• Ø    Insufficient electrification more than 80
  people are still waiting to reach the electricity
  facilities.
• Ø    Most of the schools do not have the computer
  equipments and teachers as well.
• Ø    Lack of strong political commitment to
  introduce the ICT in school education.
• Ø    Lack of developing sufficient educational
  software.

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• In this way if we look the education system of
  Nepal, computer education is kept as optional
  subject in secondary level and all the teacher
  training packages are delivered either by face to
  face or by Radio aired programs and computer
  interventions in the education system has yet to
  be implemented.

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• Thank you