Three separate Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) were signed on February 25, 2007 by the Embassy of India, Kathmandu with (a) District Development Committee, Jhapa and Shree Adarsha Vidya Mandir Higher Secondary School of Ghailadubba VDC in District Jhapa for providing cooperation grant of NRs. 2,14,48,981/- for the construction of school building, (b) District Development Committee, Jhapa and
Shree Pashupati Secondary School of Rajgadh VDC in District Jhapa for providing cooperation grant of NRs.1,44,00,397/- for construction of school building and (c) District Development Committee, Ilam and Shree Karfok Vidya Mandir of Panchkanya VDC in District Ilam for providing cooperation grant of NRs.2,25,61,275/- for construction of school building, toilet block and boundary wall.
Shree Adarsha Vidya Mandir Higher Secondary School in Ghailadubba VDC and Shree Pashupati Secondary School in Rajgadh VDC are two important schools of their localities in District Jhapa and cover a large catchment area of adjoining VDCs. Established with community support in the late 1950s and early 1960s respectively, both these schools are among the oldest in their areas and together fulfill the educational needs of close to three thousand students (over 1500 students for Shree Adarsha Vidya Mandir and over 1200 for Shree Pashupati Secondary School). These schools are presently functioning in old, dilapidated and inadequate classrooms and lack resources for their repair and upgrading. The current Indian cooperation projects, which follow another on-going project in the educational sector in District Jhapa, will help in creating the requisite infrastructure for the two schools in keeping with their high educational standards. In the case of Shree Pashupati Secondary School, the proposed infrastructure to be built with the assistance of the Government of India will actually enable the school to upgrade to higher secondary level, thus further contributing to the development of education in a number of adjoining VDCs.
Shree Karfok Vidya Mandir, located in Karfok VDC at a distance of 33 km from the district headquarters of Ilam, was established in 1955 as a secondary school and was later upgraded to higher secondary level in 1998. Presently, the school has more than 1600 students, reflecting the good academic reputation it enjoys in the district. It also provides special classes and boarding facilities for about 25 physically challenged students. Under the current project, which will be the first GOI-assisted project in the educational sector in District Ilam, assistance will be provided for construction of school building, toilet block and boundary wall to help the school overcome constraints caused by its presently inadequate and decrepit infrastructure.
Under these MOUs, monitoring committees have been constituted for each project consisting of representatives from the respective school management committee, representatives of DDC and relevant District authorities to oversee the project, supervise the construction work and ensure effective utilization of the cooperation grant.
These three projects are part of the on-going bilateral economic cooperation programme between India and Nepal, under which more than 175 projects are being realized in the sectors of education, health, community development and infrastructure covering almost all the districts of Nepal with an outlay of over NRs. 2000 crores.
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