Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, July 20:

Shrinking funds, accompanied by apathy shown by the National Planning Commission towards researches and lack of coordination among research centres under the Tribhuvan University have discouraged aspiring researchers, speakers at an interaction organised by the Education Journalists Group (EJG) in the Capital said today.

Dr Hridaya Ratna Bajracharya, executive director, Research Centre for Educational Innova-

tion and Development (CERID), said, “Since most of the researches are funded by donor agencies, they focus more on donors’ needs, not on the nation’s needs,” adding: “There is no mechanism to measure the contribution made by research centres in policy-making process.”

Dr Mohan B Gewali, the executive director at the Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST), said the RECAST has been working for development of technologies suitable for rural areas.

Professor Nirmal Man Tuladhar, executive director, Centre for Nepal and Asian Studies (CNAS), said, “For the last four years, the CNAS has not received budget for conducting research. Some academic researchers, which the CNAS is conducting at present, will benefit the agencies alone.”