| Biswo |
Posted
on 28-Mar-01 01:51 PM
I must say this whole Japan thing is nothing new, nothing ominous,
but entirely sanctimonious posture by Japanese authorities and
apparitchiks in Nepalese government.
In 1993-4, I also took the ministry of education test to go abroad
and I was in the position where I could have chosen to go to Japan.
The scholarship was a good deal, they would provide US$1200.00
per month as stipend, and tuiton was free. I think 80% of medical
expense was also free. But we were all afraid to reject the
scholarship at hand and give a try to Japan scholarship.Only in
1993,The Japanese embassy rejected all three governmental nominees
and sent a daughter of embassy offical to study medicine in Japan.
The government didn't protest, but Deshantar weekly published
a report on this.
I knew the whole story about that girl, because she was resident
of Kalanki and Khairahani(near to my hometown,Tandi in Chitwan).
When I asked one of her closest relatives why she was sent(and
how ), their answer told me that applying to Japan was futile
unless you have 'somebody' there in embassy.Btw, the father of
the girl was first class officer in the embassy for more than a
decade.
Of course, later embassy was supposedly not so blunt. I know
a few of my friends who were simpleton villagers and still went to
Japan in government scholarship. But the scholarship awarded in 93
-94 were all embroiled in controversy.
There is another facet of this whole controversy: is Japan the
only nation where student go to study and don't return?What
about Australia? What about a lot of J1 scholars in USA
who go to another country after finishing their study here? And
among 13 students the government sent to China in 1994, only
three are working in Nepal now. It is all because there is no
guarantee that they would be given a decent job after going back
to Nepal,while they get job/opportunity elsewhere without much
effort.Afterall, these people are not dumb people.
I understand that staying abroad is morally reprobable.But the
solution of such problem is not what our people are thinking of
doing in Nepal. Sending old people doesn't solve the problem.
You need to send smart,bright and young people, because they
can learn faster. It is only that you need to give them assurance
that given their acadamic performance,they would be given a good
job back in Nepal.
I think they should also be spared of 'Lok Sewa Aayog' test.
Lok Sewa Aayog tests are very similar to the syllabus of Pulchok
engineering college. It becomes more difficult for students
studying abroad to compete with the questions with Pulchok people.
If people studying in Japan are asked to take those tests, they
will probably not pass without effort of three months, because
they study a lot of stuffs in Japanese language. Technical terms
are different there, and it takes a while to translate everything
in mind.Why should they be asked to take Aayog test after spending
thousands of dollars on them for previous five years? It is always
wise to keep track of their acadamic prowess in their university,
and withdraw the scholarship offer if they don't fare well there
rather than giving them a 'spook' of aayog. A lot of my friends
told me that they were afraid of 'interview' in aayog. Their
opinion is if you don't have 'afno manchhe' , interview is hard
to pass. Minister like Gobinda Raj Joshi always helped to bolster
such idea in people's mind.
My only suggestion is: let's not make the whole thing ludicrous
by suggesting more ludicrous remedies.
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