Technology in Nepal

Situation of technology
Group A: Ujjal Pd. Shiwakoti 9/10/2010

Group members Namrata Bhattarai Krishna Pd. Phuyal Kritagya Raj Upadhaya Dawa Doma Sherpa Jyoti Lopchan

Acknowledgements
I dedicate this thesis to our teacher of general paper, Mr. Jeetendra Khatiwada, from the behalf of me and my group members, without whose encouragement we would never have come to end.

This includes those who have helped me over the past 7 days as I have been learning about the technology and its application in Nepal. I would first like to thank my group members, class mates and everyone else who are directly or indirectly attached in my work. I would also like to thank to our parents and guardian for inventing, teaching, and sharing the information with us. Special thanks to Jeetendra sir whose advice and friendship in the field was invaluable. Advisor, whose drive to help others is always inspiring and to the rest of our group. I smile widely when I think of you all.

Introduction

Technology is a broad concept that deals with a variety practice and knowledge of tools and crafts. In human society, it is a consequence of science and engineering. In today's world, technology is constantly changing from a new paperclip to an improvement in hospital machinery. Technology lets people improve the way they live so that they can preserve their own personal energy and focus on the really important factors in life. Some people focus their energy on making new innovations to improve transportation, but TECHNOLOGY HAS BROUGHT us both advantages and disadvantages. Modern science and technology have brought us many wonderful things that help and improve our lives. Science and technology have also brought us many terrible things which threaten to wipe out all life.

In the other hand Technology is scientific developments that aid in problem solving and extend human capabilities. Its purpose is to help mankind, but often it has a negative effect. Guns were developed as a tool to protect one by killing the enemy. However, theyre often used for murder and on innocent people. Many more people die from the gun than are protected.

Nepal has been a late starter in modern science and technology. In process of self- confidence, it developed technological capabilities in some specific areas such as agriculture, civil engineering, architecture, metallurgy, water management, medicine, textile and paper manufacture, dyeing and food technology. Its isolation for over a century, coincide with the Industrial Revolution, rundown the country from the advances in science and

technology elsewhere. After the arrival of democracy in 1950, the country moves on the path of modernization. An initiation in science and technology activities took place, along with the inception of a development plan. Major science and technology organizations, including a science academy, the Ministry for Science and Technology, and several research centers and institutions for higher education in science have evolved during last five decades. However, with the low ratio of science and technology manpower (0.4 per 1, 000 population) and low research and development expenditure (0.35 per cent of gross national product), Nepal faces terrible challenges seeking political commitments with long-term vision and recognition of science and technology as the strategic variable for overall national development.

Uses of technology:
Information technology as a tool of socio-economic development is a significant issue for developing countries. Through declining hardware cost and increasing benefits. IT has been spreading into developing countries. There is a rapid expansion in the use of IT in many sectors of the economy, particularly in public organization. As latecomers to the IT, developing countries face enormous difficulties, perhaps the most important being that they are becoming user of IT without building up the necessary infrastructure, planning and manpower to support it, it is recognized that IT as the most important factor separating the developing and developed country. Countries are being encouraged to attract economic growth by entering the information age and being able to supply or complete at the multinational level. Therefore, there is no wonder that many developing countries are trying to bridge the development gap by means of technology acquisition. Technologies significantly affect human as well as other animal species' ability to control and adapt to their natural environments. The human species' use of technology began with the conversion of natural resources into simple tools. Recent technological developments, including the printing press, the telephone, and the internet, have lessened physical barriers to communication and allowed humans to interact freely on a global scale. However, not all technology has been used for peaceful purposes; the development of weapons of ever-increasing destructive power has progressed throughout history, from clubs to nuclear weapons.

Most of the energy consumed in Nepal comes from traditional sources such as fuel wood, the use of which contributes to deforestation. Terrific potential exists for hydroelectric power development, but growth is inhibited by territory, lack of infrastructure, and insufficient capital investment. Nepal has harnessed only a fraction of its potential hydropower; however, a major hydroelectric facility was under construction on the Kali Gandaki River in western Nepal in the early 2000s. The country is heavily dependent on India for imported, nonrenewable sources of power such as oil and kerosene.

INEXPENSIVE and plentiful Himalayan hydroelectric power remains a dream, with Nepal's total installed capacity standing at only 250 MW. Most Nepalese lack electricity and those linked to the grid suffer periodic power cuts. However, judging by a recent seminar in Kathmandu on Cooperative Development of Himalayan Water Resources, turning the dream into reality looks harder than considered. - With further investment, the local hydro industry could grow at 15 per cent a year, doubling capacity within five years. Investments in electro-mechanical equipment, associated industries and human power would be of record magnitude and such investment could enable Nepal to build the big hydroelectric plants that would be needed in the next century.

Nepal has limited telecommunication services. Postal services have improved in recent years but are still inaccessible to many Nepalese. Few people own telephones, although most urban areas have public telephone services. Radio Nepal broadcasts programs in Nepali and English to more than 90 percent of the population. Television programming is limited, but programs from overseas are available via satellite in remote parts of the country. The major newspapers in Nepal include the Gorkhapatra, Kantipur, and Daily Times; freedom of the press was guaranteed under Nepals 1990 constitution.

Cell Phone Tower Cell phone towers are part of the wireless communications network that makes cellular radio telephone calls possible. Antennae on each tower receive high-frequency radio waves from cell phones. Their range varies from distances as short as 1.5 to 2.4 km (1.0 to 1.5 mi) to distances as long as 48 to 56 km (30 to 35 mi). Cell phone towers are now commonly seen along roadways as cell phone communication has become increasingly popular.

There are more than 7 private Internet Service Provider (ISP) in the Kathmandu valley, besides NTC. Government has also issued license for Cellular & WLL networks to Private parties. NTC has at present 630,000 telephone lines & 100,000 GSM cellular Mobile phone lines. It has VSAT network with 1,000 terminals in the mountain regions to serve the rural areas and 5,000- lines WLL network in Western Development Region. Besides NTC, there are some private service providers in Radio Paging, Video conferencing, Fax mail services, VSAT network etc. These days many teenagers are hooked to Internet Chat and mail services. Internet cafes have sprouted like mushrooms in the country. Tourists visiting the country are also finding it very handy and useful. Web designing courses are in very much demand. Internet is fast becoming a household necessity. Internet users are estimated to be around 200,000 currently and it is fast increasing. Some overseas jobs are also been carried out in the country.

There are some institutions, doing technology related work for Japanese client. Some are doing medical transcription job for US client. Some are doing software development jobs for overseas client. Some are independently working as call centers for overseas clients. The government has also brought forward IT policy to encourage IT related activities. The government is building an IT park at Dhulikhel, a mountain resort of east of

Kathmandu. Many overseas companies have also opened their franchise in Kathmandu. Many are conducting internationally recognized certified IT courses. With all these activities and infrastructure development, the information technology situation in Nepal is heading towards rapid development. Qualified HR well versed in IT is rapidly growing in the country. The IT related works done in the overseas country can be done here at the one fourth of that cost, since human resources costs as well as infrastructure costs here are very low. In fact, many qualified IT personnel have immigrated to overseas for greener pastures. Nepali IT companies are trying to get a breakthrough in the global market, which they are finding it extremely difficult to get access and directly penetrate. IT is the main hope for a landlocked mountainous country like Nepal. The day, Nepal will show its presence in the IT map of the globe, will be the brightest day in the history of the country.

Today, in the United States, we all live in an age of technology and science. The use of technology and science has revolutionized our way of life. There are few things in history that have influenced our lives more than a computer. Today, there cannot be any field that is absent of the influence of computer applications. From farming to rocket science, computers have a huge role to play. The use of the computer has been on the increase for some time in many fields. Medicine is one of the many fields that have made tremendous strides in the twentieth century due to the advent of computers. Computers are used in medicine in almost all areas. Whether it is data management, diagnosis, or treatment, computers have their own applications. Everything we know today in medicine might not have been possible without the valuable contribution of computers. Computers have been used as storage devices for medical information for many years. Computer-based patient records are good examples to prove the worth of computers as information storage. Due to start up and running costs, possibility for abuse, poor functioning, and the risk of loss of confidentiality, they were not used very much in the past. Now, they have become almost indispensable. Computer-based patient records have many advantages. They "have the potential to improve legibility, accessibility, structure..." Computers are used for scheduling and appointment keeping. They are used to keep track of patients' visits. With the help of word processors, letters are typed and sent to patients reminding them for follow-up appointments. Accurate keeping of detailed patient records are extremely important to the medical practitioners.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Different Technologies Tool

The purpose of this tool is to help you select appropriate technologies by identifying the key advantages and disadvantages of each one. We encourage you to add your own list of pros and cons as you use each technology and as new technologies are invented.

Today, we cant imagine ourselves without technological advances such as cars, microwaves, cell phones, computers, and televisions. However, technology wont stop here, but develop further. As technology dev elops, there are not only advantages, but disadvantages from them. A few advantages of upgraded technology are that one can save time and money and life will be made easier as a result of not having to do all the hard labor. In contrast, the disadvantages of upgraded technology are that people will loose their jobs to machines that will do the work for them. In addition, machines and robots are too complex for most people to use.

Maritime Radio Ships must carry communications equipment on board for safety and navigation. Military vessels have entire rooms devoted to radio equipment, but a small ships radio system can fit on a desktop.

The advantages of information technology:

Technology today has made life better and quicker in our modern society; people can't see themselves without computers, cell phones, voice mail, etc... As we look at technologies, questions are raised. The Technological progress makes our society more convenient and safe. Making impossible things possible are similar features of the change which previous people have experienced by social change, like shifting from a hunting society to an agricultural society and establishing a commercial society due to the invention of new tools. To consider these advantages and change of society, modern technology, which we use today, might be not only a new tool but also the tool, which makes a dramatic change in history. However, the contribution of modern technology to society should not be eliminated and should be distributed evenly. Modern technology has solved many problems that people face and play an important role in the development of many countries. Modern technologies create many kinds of products - computers, cloning technology, and video games etc. Many amazing strides in technology have been made since the beginning of civilization, and more are certain to be on the horizon. It is unlikely that early man would have been able to visualize that someday their offspring would be traveling in a space exploration vehicle, yet they certainly set the world in motion toward that goal through their efforts to improve their world by realizing the advantages of technology. I personally would want a developed world with advanced technologies. The following are the reasons why I do want a more advanced world with advanced technologies. My major reason is because when you have advanced technologies, life is much easier as robots and machines would take over your daily life tasks. For example, daily life responsibilities might be serving your breakfast, cutting your grass, or cleaning your room. With robots and machines doing ones everyday jobs one has time to relax. Another reason is because unlike humans, robots and machines do not make mistakes when programmed correctly. They always accomplish tasks perfectly so you wont have to worry about making a mistake and getting trouble. Other reasons why I want advanced technologies are because they save a great deal of time and money. For example, if you are a wealthy man who always had trouble employing talented maids, you can buy a cleaning robot and use it for the rest of your life. Therefore, you wont have to use all your time employing talented maids. Also, you will save a lot of money from not having to pay servants. Another example of benefits from advanced technology is that if there are new, developed vehicles that will transport people to anywhere rapidly, so that one would not need to spend all those boring, long hours in an airplane to try to get to another country, which will save much time not only on long travels but also on daily commutes.

Some of the advantages of technology are:

GLOBALIZATION Technology has not only brought the world closer together, but it has allowed the world's economy to become a single interdependent system. This means that we can not only share information quickly and efficiently, but we can also bring down barriers of linguistic and geographic boundaries. The world has developed into a global village due to the help of technology allowing countries like Chile and Japan who are not only separated by distance but also by language to shares ideas and information with each other.

COMMUNICATION - With the help of technology, communication has also become cheaper, quicker and more efficient. We can now communicate with anyone around the globe by simply text messaging them or sending them an email for an almost

instantaneous response. The internet has also opened up face to face direct communication from different parts of the world thanks to the helps of video conferencing.

COST EFFECTIVENESS - Information technology has helped to computerize the business process thus reform businesses to make them extremely cost effective money making machines. This in turn increases productivity which ultimately gives rise to profits that means better pay and less tough working conditions.

BRIDGING THE CULTURAL GAP - Information technology has helped to bridge the cultural gap by helping people from different cultures to communicate with one another and allow for the exchange of views and ideas, thus increasing awareness and reducing prejudice.

TIME SAVING -

Technology has made it possible for businesses to be open every time all over the globe. This means that a business can be open anytime anywhere, making purchases from different countries easier and more convenient. It also means that you can have your goods delivered right to your doorstep with having to move a single muscle.

CREATION OF NEW JOBS - Probably the best advantage of information technology is the creation of new and interesting jobs. Computer programmers, Systems analyzers, Hardware and Software developers and Web designers are just some of the many new employment opportunities created with the help of IT.

As there are so many advantages from highly developed technology, there also is a great deal of disadvantages from them. One disadvantage is that as technology develops, robots and machines will take over many jobs and people will loose their jobs by contrast. As people loose their jobs, they will have hard time getting money which would make it hard for them to continue to meet living expenses. Moreover, as people use less money the economy would be difficult to control and especially if it is a country as large as the United States, the problem will influence the world greatly.

The disadvantages of information technology:

There're many people that can't see themselves without the new tools of the 21st C. That's because the technology recreates the essence of humanity and it encourages us to think of all things in the world as standing by, ready for our consumption. So this definitely affects our perception of the natural world. Nowadays we create technology, but technology also creates us.

Another disadvantage of highly developed technology is that machines and robots are complex. It is hard to activate all the machines you have unless you can multitask. If most people have trouble on computers and almost all of us dont know the actual limit of computers abilities, how will we, normal people, work with all the robots and machines? Moreover, just like computers, robots and machines will easily break and most time you wont know how to fix them and one will have to call someone to fix them. People will loose their temper over this and it will create a large expense to repair them.

Some of the disadvantages of technology are:

UNEMPLOYMENT While technology may have streamlined the business process it has also created job redundancies, downsizing and outsourcing. This means that a lot of lower and middle level jobs have been done away with causing more people to become unemployed.

PRIVACY - Though information technology may have made communication quicker, easier and more convenient, it has also bought along privacy issues. From cell phone signal interceptions to email hacking, people are now worried about their once private information becoming public knowledge.

LACK OF JOB SECURITY - Industry experts believe that the internet has made job security a big issue as since technology keeps on changing with each day. This means that one has to be in a constant learning mode, if he or she wishes for their job to be secure.

DOMINANT CULTURE - While technology may have made the world a global village, it has also contributed to one culture dominating another weaker one. For example it is now argued that US influences how most young teenagers all over the world now act, dress and behave. Languages too have become overshadowed, with English becoming the primary mode of communication for business and everything else.

Even as there are as many advantages and disadvantages of technology, I personally wish a more advanced world with great technologies. It would be so cool to work out all the complicated machines and robots. It will be awesome to press just a few complicated buttons than do the labor yourself. In the future it would be more about using your brain and being intelligent than doing the hard labor yourself. I hope these days come within my lifetime.

Impact of technology:
Implementation of a new technology doesnt end with installation of the machinery and explanation of how to use it. It should be accompanied; therefore by transfer in education, organization, administration, employment strategy and research etc. Therefore the use of new technology doesnt contradictory to values accepted for the receiving society. Nepalese social practices and cultural values differ clearly from western practices and as a result, are likely to impact Nepalese users attitudes towards computers. If Nepal wants to gain a place on the global IT map, the country will need to develop a strong, coherent and well designed and a comprehensive national strategy with specific programs, policies and institution to accumulate skills and built makers.

The Impact of Technology with all of the new technology forcing itself into our lives, many of us can't help but get sucked into the excitement. So, as we struggle to figure out where the future is heading, we think whether it is good or bad. It is good for some people because everything we do we use technology and one of the example is Computer. If computers can be used to handle large amount of data, which national planning inevitably requires to utilize to improve operational efficiency by reducing the time taken to process such as billings, collecting financial dues which would help increase government income in various revenue generating agencies and departments. In Nepal, to produce the first population census reported in 1962 manually, took almost a decade to collect, compile and process and produce a report, whereas after the introduction of computers in census department in 1971, it took only year to publish the countrys second census report. The installation and operation of Main Frame IBM-1401 computer in 1971, in the National Computer Center (NCC) in Kathmandu in 1971 for the National population census saw the advent of Electronic Data Processing Technology in Nepal. NCC was established with the purpose of giving computer related service to government bodies, developing computer manpower and enhancing computer consciousness. Later on NCC used ICL-2950/10 Main Frame computer, a DG Mini-computer, a Prime Mini-computer. Now, there is an Information and Technology ministry itself in the government level and a National Informatics Center (NIC) under the ministry, instead of NCC, to advise and formulate National level IT policies and plans. Inspired by the success of NCC's activities and to fulfill the people's quest for new knowledge and skills, now a day there are more than 300 private Computer training institutes. These institutes, both big and small have played a significant role in promoting IT awareness in the country. Besides conducting training programs, many of these private companies offer Consultancy services, Software Packages and Hardware maintenance as well as computer assembly. IT solution provider companies are also slowly coming up in the capital Kathmandu. In the education sector also IT subject have been introduced from the primary level to higher secondary level. These days, there are many colleges running graduate level academic IT courses. Personal Computer is fast becoming an essential household item in the affluent families of the country. Internet technology has also been introduced to the country. Modern Telecommunication Services, which are the backbone of IT, are recently developed. In Nepal first Telephone Exchange was established in 1960.

Automobile Systems Automobiles are powered and controlled by a complicated interrelationship between several systems. This diagram shows the parts of a car with a gas engine and manual transmission (the air filter and carburetor have been removed to show the parts beneath but usually appear in the space above the intake manifold). The major systems of the automobile are the power plant, the power train, the running gear, and the control system. Each of these major categories includes a number of subsystems, as shown here. The power plant includes the engine, fuel, electrical, exhaust, lubrication, and coolant systems. The power train includes the transmission and drive systems, including the clutch, differential, and drive shaft. Suspension, stabilizers, wheels, and tires are all part of the running gear, or support system. Steering and brake systems are the major components of the control system, by which the driver directs the car.

Authoritative agencies are failing to guide and regulate the technology acquisition from both internal and external sources in a way to maximize the benefits and advantages of imported technologies for building up its technological capacity. The importance of technologies is operated in a very liberal manner without any serious attempts at learning and absorbing them. Pattern of achievement of it is being influenced by a complex and dynamic interaction of forces like social, political, economical and cultures. Two economic aspects of technology acquisition are important to consider funds for initial investment and return on this investment in low and middle income countries. Funds are often not sufficient to buy expensive technology. Most of the technologies used in Nepal are donor given and problem is often encountered after the project period. It is not guaranteed that investing in foreign currency on new technology will bring economic benefit to the country; however it could push a country into a debt loop.

Laser Welder High power lasers are used in industry to weld together large pieces of hard metals. These lasers can produce temperatures above 5,500 C (about 10,000 F).

IT application in developing countries is not a recent phenomenon. The role of government in relation to IT use and development dates back to 1960s when most of the developing from Asia, Africa and Caribbean adopted the computerization as their national strategy. The early IT-based systems were all in the public sector introduced as a package project from the donor agencies and were based on the hardware and software designed by and for the developed countries. Considering the fact that such centralized IT system requires administrative and support infrastructure, it was maintained within a government environment. The Nepalese Government has initiated a number of efforts to give a direction to IT application and development in the country. This includes a plan to establish a national computer-training program; to encourage research activities in software development; to create a national information bank; and develop a networking system to disseminate and collect data and information. The highly trained personnel in the public and private sectors have been organizing themselves into a profession, the most notable effort being the 1992 establishment of a Computer Associations of Nepal (CAN) and the 1997 establishment of the Internet Users Group. The emergence of an indigenous computer profession may be seen as a development likely to reduce Nepals reliance on foreign experts and expand the knowledge base beyond a small group of private computer vendors. The important question at this stage is: how successful have the government and the private sectors been in achieving their goals of developing and providing IT services across the various sectors of the economy?

Information technologies are the product of developed countries, and to make that technology suitable for developing countries, there should be an effort to build a capacity to recognize the importance of implementing IT according to local development needs. It is not what technology, but what strategies can be adopted to lead an appropriate information system in a country. It is precisely at such moments that the research can make a valuable contribution to a particular nation by bringing to the fore the relevant issues to assist in such strategies. Each country is unique. Appropriate information technology at the level of the policy maker means that the information technology provides the means for or supports activities, which in national terms are seen as

desirable. Formulating an appropriate information strategy, which is favorable and supportive to development, a country can best use information technology for overall progress.

Comparison between technology of Nepal and other countries:

In a small landlocked country like Nepal where the major part of the country consists of high mountains and rolling h ills - and has an ethnically complex society there have been major obstructions for information technology development and its wider application. Yet, IT is of critical importance for a number of reasons for Nepal: it makes it easier and more plausible for a small land-locked country to acquire a global perspective through direct links with the rest of the world and it is an essential part of restructuring, and moving upstream into high value-added, highly skilled activities. IT use, if planned, developed and managed properly can bring about greater efficiency in organizational operations, a better working environment, an effective decision-making process, better product quality and better quality of life for people generally. It is therefore important for developing countries to put more effort into finding out where they might have gone wrong in applying this technology. Where do the problems really lie and what can be done about them? The developing countries need to learn by themselves and within their own environment ways in which IT can be applied to serve their own needs. Nepal is far behind in the field of technology then other countries. Some of the field in which Nepal is lacking behind are as follows: Rocket: Comparing with other countries, Nepal is unable to put a single step in technology. We can see other countries forward in technology and are able to develop rockets and step in moon and other planets, but Nepal is lying far behind. Rocket for Nepal is still impossible to think.

Nuclear weapons: Taking examples of Afganistan, Iraq, North Korea etc, they are considered as expert in manufacturing nuclear bombs and weapons. Bombarding and attacks were common since many decades, but Nepal still depends on other countries to protect her self. With requirement by the national government arms and weapons are bought with the permission of other developed countries.

This can be taken as positive aspect as well, being considered as peace living country.

Auto mobile: Even after an existence of tough competition between the auto-mobiles company in developed nations Nepal is unable to adopt such technologies and rely upon other countries to import required number of vehicles. Every year thousands and thousands of vehicles like cars and motorbikes are imported from outside by high amount of taxes.

High technology of hybrid electric automobile engine

Railway platform: Since few decades, developed nations are working for development of metro rail. Technology has progressed in such a way that other nations are trying their best in inventions of fast moving trains, but in Nepal a single rail way was contracted but not in use. In countries like China, Chinese railroad engineers overcame significant geographic obstacles to extend train travel to most parts of the country.

Conclusion
In Nepal, especially in the public sector, technologies come as a package with development projects from various donor agencies. These projects have primarily focused their activities on the development and delivery of specific outcomes, within specific time frames. Consequently, continuity has been provided through project renewals and extensions. However, repeated project renewals suggest a lack of institutional capacity to sustain the use of the new technology on internal resources. It also perpetuates dependency by the organizations on external resources over which they have no control; and on a technology they cannot support on their internal resources.

Actually in Nepal, the policy instruments and the relevant dependable agencies are failing to guide and regulate the technology acquisition from both internal and external sources in a way to maximize the benefits and advantages of imported technologies for building up its technological capacity. The importation of technologies is operated in a very liberal manner, without any serious attempts at learning and absorbing them. Similarly, the diffusion and commercialization of their technologies are practiced on an unplanned basis.

Page Words Characters <no space> Characters <with space> Paragraphs Lines

21 5339 28442 33763 107 562