Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) on Saturday organised an interactive programme on-India-Nepal cooperation on IT- to mark its 10th anniversary.

“Rapid growing trend of information technology (IT) has not only brought the world together but also attracted the global intellectuality, which is leading towards sustainable development,” said Dr I P Singh, ambassador of India to Nepal. He also noted that all IT has become a vital tool to the entire development infrastructure.

Referring the India’s world recognition on IT, Dr Singh stated, “IT has proved it as a human brain that could do something wonder. Indian IT institutions are using brain to beautifying mind as well as body, which has already gained the international recognition.”

Stating the greater scope of information technology in Nepal, he suggested at developing human resources in order to meet the market demand and strengthening existing capacity for the long run as well. Dr Singh assured that the government of India would provide support in every possible way to develop IT in Nepal.

The government of India is already agreed to provide a grant assistance of 1344 million rupees to Nepal in order to set up an Optical Fibre Cable (OFC) network along the East-West Highway of the country.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) to construct about 891 km long Information Super Highway was signed on April 12, 2002 between Nepal and India. The optic fibre is a thin thread like silicon, through which light can be transmitted to carry signals that provide unrestricted access to voice, data, video and information, irrespective of locality or surroundings.

With the lack of highly qualified teaching professionals and research-oriented syllabus, the development of IT industry is hard hitting, said CAN president Lochan Lal Amatya, on his presentation on --Institute of Information Technology. The programme is due for an agreement between Nepal and India regarding IT along with other agreements by Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba during his last visit to India, he said.

OFC is the state-of-the-art based on information superhighway, which acts as the backbone for supporting all communication services through multiple circuits and will result a more effective, faster, reliable and without traffic congestion services to Nepali customers, said Ananta Man Singh, executive engineer at Nepal Telecommunication Corporation (NTC), presenting a ‘East-west fibre optic backbone in Nepal.’

Former general manager of NTC Gajendra Singh Bora, secretary of CAN Ravi Shrestha and CAN vice president Biplav Man Singh also expressed their views on the occasion.