This interview of late Madan Kaji Shakya was taken by Sayuj Ratna Shakya and Bidhan Manandhar, students of Class IX, St Xavier’s School as part of their English project.

Madan Kaji Shakya was the Deputy Managing Director at the Nepal Telecom before his untimely death in October 2007.

Excerpts of the interview

Who/what inspired you to choose this field?

Nepal being a mountainous country with hard terrain and difficulty in moving from one point to another, inspired me to take up this challenge and facilitate the nation with ease of use of telecommunications technology. My interest to introduce new technology in telecom services further urged me to bring about some drastic changes in our economy as well as lifestyle.

What kind of struggles did you face to reach thus far?

If you have keen interest, you can get over any problem. Being an electronic engineer itself is a big hurdle. Studying abroad with little finance, making ends meet, and also to study well was one of the biggest struggles that I faced. That is why there are very few such engineers. When I applied at NTC, there was no qualified manpower to fill the post. I started work the very next day.

How has this profession/achievement affected the life of your family?

It did affect my family life because I was too occupied in my profession giving very limited time for the family. My family provided their full support.

What changes would you like to see in your field?

I would like to see newer generations of the mobile technology I introduced and its coverage spread all over the country, so that each and every Nepali has easy access to mobile telephone services at an affordable price.

What are your future plans?

My future plans are to increase the coverage area of mobile network and to enhance the capacity of the network so as to increase the mobile customer.

What are your messages to the younger generation?

My messages are to study hard, always respect your elders and try to do good in your life. Success in life comes in the way that you lead your life into.

Do you enjoy this job?

Yes, I extremely enjoy this job. I enjoy the challenges and the new technology that keeps on being introduced.

Who is your role model?

My role model is my father, who worked hard to keep our family together in harmony. He always demanded things to be done on time and was very time conscious.