Nepal is a country that is politically challenged, but does it also lack a ground for innovation? Have the educational institutes and colleges of Nepal really lost their appeal to a point that most students seem reluctant when it comes to pursuing a degree within the country? Why do so many Nepali students aspire to pursue their higher studies elsewhere and settle in a country that is far away from their homeland?

These are important questions to be asked when it comes to the education industry of Nepal.

The burgeoning trend of Nepali students enrolling in foreign universities has been an alarming issue that needs immediate attention. The Nepali universities are highly infamous among students and it is a matter of concern. With the government so apathetic towards the development of advanced level of educational system in this modern era of innovation and technology, it is only natural that the students see no promise of a better tomorrow here in Nepal. Students based in Nepali universities lack exposure with the curriculum focused solely on theoretical knowledge.

Recently, I met two of my friends from school back in my hometown, Tansen. We were talking about the education system of Nepal and trying to list out what is out there, in foreign countries, which is not in Nepal. We were trying to figure out what Nepal needs to keep its students back home. During the conversation we realised that the main problem lies in the lack of a feasible ground where students can engage in an innovative learning process.

For instance, in Nepal there aren’t many, if any, curricula that can cater to students who want to invent. But then again, it’s not only a matter of curriculum either; the institutions are just not equipped with the necessary manpower that can cater to the creative needs and ground-breaking development of the students. Lack of right teachers has only added to the woes of the aspiring students.

It is difficult to find an educational environment here in Nepal where the ingenious ideas and creations of enthusiastic students can be accommodated. There isn’t enough room to play. So often, the students are found discouraged with their efforts discarded, dismissed, or cast aside.

Thanks to the human resources who chair the seats at the administration level and the classrooms, students who try to deviate from their regular routine to take a more imaginative route are often demoralised.

One of my friends, during the same conversation, had shared a very poignant story with us. A group of four engineering students studying in one the acclaimed engineering colleges in the Capital had recently devised a self-made prosthetic robotic hand despite their lecturer’s disapproval and lethargic approach. To their embarrassment, the lecturer, who was not so impressed by his students’ unwavering endeavour, had even argued that they would never succeed in their efforts and that they would fail even before commencing their task. However, the dedicated and committed team of four proved him wrong by relentlessly enduring the obstacles in the course of reaching their ultimate goal. The determined students didn’t get disheartened and finally their hard work came to fruition.

The students were able to build a robotic hand that can be best fitted in the body of handicapped people with congenital abnormalities associated with the arm. The metallic hand is handicapped-friendly and it is resistant to high temperature and water, among other things. But, had the students given into their teacher’s expectations, they could have never broken through.

This story of our technologically backward country is just a representative one. It’s just the tip of an ice-berg. A mammoth portion of the submerged ice-berg has remained unnoticed and it is a big reason to worry.

Nepal can only retain its intelligent students, who could contribute to the society’s greater good, if it can create platforms where such innovative creations and ideas can be acknowledged timely. We are capable of hosting trailblazers in the field of scientific invention and discovery, all we need now are the right institutions and the right teachers that have invention as their top priority.

Karki is pursuing BA in Psychology at Ratna Rajya Laxmi Campus