KATHMANDU: The State Government in Washington of America has included Nepali in the curriculum of academic institutions there. Non-Resident Nepali Mohan Gurung, Commissioner of the State Commission of Washington for Asia Pacific Affairs, said with this decision of the state government, academic institutions there have included Nepali as an optional subject in the curriculum of higher secondary education targeting Nepali students. Gurung, who is currently in Nepal, said the US-based academic institutions have introduced many subjects in multiple languages, but Nepali was yet to be included in the list of optional subjects. Talking to the Rastriya Samachar Samiti, he said the decision paved the way for Nepali students to study Nepali as well in Washington. Presently over 10,000 Nepali speakers reside in Washington and of them, 6,000 are the Bhutanese refugees.