New Delhi, August 20:

The Nepal government has expedited its work to upgrade the Rampur-based Agricultural Campus into an Agriculture University and has decided to develop the Nepal Agricultural Research Centre (NARC) as a capable entity.

Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Chhabilal Biswokarma told this daily: “We have decided to upgrade the Rampur Campus and NARC into varsities.”

The minister, officials of his ministry and senior NARC officials are on a visit here to discuss the modalities of assistance to come from the Indian government in this regard.

Minister Biswokarma told this daily that all efforts would be made to realise Nepal’s decision and announcement to develop the institutions.

NARC has been doing research, but they are not recognised at the world level, he said, adding that it was necessary for NARC to get affiliation from a foreign university or educational institution to run recognised Ph D courses.

Minister Biswokarma, NARC executive director Dr Nandalal Shrestha, agricultural ministry joint secretary Suresh Kumar Barma and other Nepali officials today met and held discussions with the dean of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR), the joint secretary of the Indian agricultural ministry and other Indian officials.