Japan to provide Rs 423 million to Nepal for implementing JDS

KATHMANDU: The Government of Japan has provided a grant of Japanese Yen 454 million (approximately Rs 423 million) to Nepal to contribute to the implementation of the Project for Human Resource Development for the fiscal year 2024-25.

An agreement in this regard was formalized today with the signing and exchange of notes by both sides at the Ministry of Finance.

Dr Ram Prasad Ghimire, Secretary at the Finance Ministry, and Kikuta Yutaka, Japan’s Ambassador to Nepal, signed the agreement from their respective sides.

The Japanese Human Resource Development Scholarship (JDS) Programme began in Nepal in 2015 with support from the Government of Japan and it is continuing phase-wise, the Ministry said in a press release.

The current grant will support the scholarship programme for 22 candidates: 20 for a two-year Master’s Degree and two for a three-year PhD course at various universities in Japan.

To date, 127 JDS fellows including 125 master’s degree holders and two doctoral degree holders have completed their studies in Japan and returned to Nepal while 35 are presently pursuing master’s degrees and three PhD there.

During the signing ceremony, Secretary Dr Ghimire said that the scholarship programme will enhance the capabilities of Nepal’s civil service, contributing to improving the public service delivery. As he hoped, it will also contribute to strengthening the bilateral relations between Nepal and Japan.

Ambassador Kikuta expressed his confidence that the JDS graduates will significantly impact Nepal’s development and further enhance the longstanding cooperation between the two nations.

The government has expressed sincere appreciation and thanks to the Government of Japan for its continuous and generous support and commitment to the socio-economic and human resource development of Nepal.