KATHMADNU: The Government of Japan has decided to extend a grant assistance of Rs 306 million to the Government of Nepal for the implementation of the Project for Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) in Japan’s Fiscal Year 2016.

The Exchange of Notes was signed and exchanged between Ambassador of Japan to Nepal Masachi Ogawa and Secretary of Ministry of Finance Lok Darshan Regmi, read a statement issued by Embassy of Japan in Nepal on Friday.

These scholarships are designed to support human asset development in friendly nations through Japan accepting highly capable, energetic, and young government officials to study two years in a Japanese university.

Twenty officers from Nepal, who passed three competitive selection processes, have been selected for the JDS Scholarship in the Japan fiscal year 2016.

The selected officers will leave for Japan in this August in their respective universities, where they will major in economic policy; industrial development policy; development of human resources and administrative capacity of civil servants; building of international relations, or improvement of the legal and judicial system.

JDS scheme was first introduced in Uzbekistan and Laos in 2000 and Nepal is the 15th country to receive JDS.