This Generation Must Stop Needing Passports to Find Work: Nain Singh Mahar

Kathmandu— Nain Singh Mahar, a leader of the Nepali Congress, says that students should not be forced to leave the country after graduating. He believes that the trend of holding a degree in one hand and a passport in the other must end with this generation.

While speaking at a meeting of the Nepal Teachers' Association, Mahar said that we cannot make the country successful by closing down schools and colleges. Referring to students graduating from Tribhuvan University, he said, "We shouldn't just give students a piece of paper; we should give them the power to lead the country. When they finish university, they should have a job waiting for them."

He felt sad that no university in Nepal is among the top 500 in the world. He said we need universities with "great ideas" rather than just "big buildings." He believes that because of places like Mount Everest and Lumbini, Nepal can become a place where students from all over the world come to study. "We are sitting on a pile of diamonds but selling coal," he said. "We need to make it so that when someone searches the internet for where to study, the answer is 'Nepal'."

Mahar said that education should be useful for both the country and the world. He mentioned that the Nepali Congress is working on a new plan for education—not to win the next election, but to help the next generation. He added that Nepal needs to stand on its own feet and become stronger rather than always asking other countries for help.