Science and technology conference concludes

Kantipur Report
KATHMANDU, Nov 12 - Saying that the significance of science and technology should be clearly mentioned in the constitution in the making and the tradition of limiting the issue just in public discourse should be given up, the Fifth National Conference on Science and Technology concluded in the capital on Wednesday.
The conference also demanded that the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased to one per cent by extending investment in scientific research, investigation and infrastructure development.
Until now, the government has been investing only 0.25 per cent of the GDP in science and technology sector.
The conference has also passed a six-point declaration including the need for making a national strategy for prioritising tasks in the science and technology for the improvement of economic and industrial sector.
"As the country's progress is possible only through science, technology and innovation, the government must give priority for investment in the sector by making a national policy," said Vice Chancellor at Nepal Academy of Science and Technology Dr Hom Nath Bhattarai.
The participants of the conference proposed that the national conference of scientists, which is being organised in every four years, needs to be organised in every two years.
They said that the conference was beneficial for exchanging the achievement in science and technology, its review and formulating new plans.
In the three-day gala of scientists, organised by the National Academy for Science and Technology (NAST) and taken part by 1200 national and international scientists, there were 654 presentations including two special, five plenary and 17 invited lectures were presented in the conference.
The slogan of the conference was “Science, Technology and Innovation for Prosperous Nepal".