It is needless to re-iterate that Nepal is rich in biodiversity and natural resources. This has given biotechnology and related life-sciences sector, an incredible potential for its development. However, no specific budget has so far been allocated in our nation for Science and Technology (3.21% of budget for education sector out of Rs. 8,19,00,00,00,000) which, bitter but true, is a pity. (According to article 205-231, Nepal Budget speech 2073/74, budget for education sector will mainly be for secondary level education.) A major fraction of the budget gets spent on salaries of the employees and very less is actually spent on doing research. Furthermore, we haven’t been able to tap the big-biotech boom in our two neighbouring countries and this gap is widening by every day.


Although, in the recent past, there has been some minimal efforts, from the government, to uplift the life-sciences sector in Nepal, the situation has not improved very much. This is because of following main reasons:

1. Lack of vision and planning in the leaderships of government owned organizations.
2. Lack of funding opportunities for research in life sciences.
3. Lack of implementation of projects approved by government.
4. Lack of monitoring and proper evaluation of research-projects that has been funded by government or the University Grand Commission (UGC).
5. Lack of new job-creation (demand) in life-sciences sector while thousands of life-sciences graduates from Nepal are in supply every year and are forced to migrate abroad.


On the occasion of DNA DAY 2017 which is going to be held on 24th and 25th April, 2017 at NAST(Nepal Academy of Science and Technology located at Khumaltar, Lalitpur - Nepal), Biotechnology Society of Nepal (BSN) would like to collect the support. We believe that addressing following issues can improve the situation of biotechnology and related life-sciences sector in Nepal:

1. Accelerating the project to establish National Biotechnology Centre (NBC) which was approved by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of Nepal in 2011/12 and aimed to establish the centre within 5 years of approval. Very minimal progress has been made since then. (Complete report on NBC development project: http://moste.gov.np/final_draft_of_report_for_development_of_the_national_biotechnology_center )
2. Establishment of long-term research grants to emerging university faculties and scientists.
3. Establishment of long-term research grants (3 years +) to attract Nepalese scholars/scientists trained abroad to work in Nepal as research and teaching faculties in universities across the country.
4. Promotion of need-based research projects in grant-funding competitions.
5. Prioritization of research-activities based on federal and provincial interests in policy-level, as per new federal-governance structure in Nepal.
6. Impact assessments of the research-projects already funded.
7. Proper acknowledgement and definition of a life-science graduates in Public-Service Commission (Lok-Sewa Aayog) exams and public-service positions across the country.
8. Establishment of an autonomous organization to oversee, implement and monitor policies regarding Genetically Modified Organisms(GMOs), bio-ethics, bio-hazards and intellectual-property rights (IPR) in Nepal.


BY PROVIDING THE PERSONAL INFORMATION BELOW, I HEREBY ACCEPT THAT I HAVE UNDERSTOOD AND I AGREE WITH ALL ISSUES MENTIONED ABOVE. I AM WILLING TO GIVE MY FULL SUPPORT TO THE MOVEMENT ON MY OWN WILL.