In a significant boost to educational infrastructure in Nepal’s remote Far-Western Province, a newly constructed school building funded by the Government of India was inaugurated in Baitadi district’s Patan Municipality on Thursday. The event underscores the deepening bilateral ties between India and Nepal, particularly in grassroots development initiatives.
First Secretary at the Indian Embassy in Nepal, Narayan Singh, along with Patan Municipality Mayor Gauri Singh Rawal, jointly unveiled the modern facility at Shree Bhumeshwar Secondary School. Established back in 1951, the school was upgraded to the 10+2 level by the Nepalese government in 2011. Today, it serves around 300 students, many from underserved communities in this backward region.
During the ceremony, Mayor Rawal and school management representatives expressed heartfelt gratitude for India’s ongoing support. They highlighted how the new infrastructure will transform educational access, providing safer and better-equipped classrooms for local children. ‘This development will elevate standards in an area long plagued by limited facilities,’ Rawal noted.
The project falls under the High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP), implemented through local authorities. Launched in 2003 as the Small Grant Project Scheme, HICDP targets Nepal’s priority sectors like health, education, water supply, sanitation, rural electrification, and river management. According to the Indian Embassy, 573 such projects worth approximately NPR 13.59 billion have been initiated across Nepal, with 294 in education—including 217 school buildings.
A recent agreement signed during External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s January 2024 visit to Nepal doubled the funding cap per project from NPR 50 million to 200 million, signaling India’s amplified commitment. As close neighbors, India and Nepal continue to foster multifaceted cooperation, with HICDP exemplifying support for Nepal’s development at the community level. This inauguration not only enhances learning environments but also strengthens people-to-people bonds across borders.
