IITs to conduct entrance exams in Kathmandu: Pranab Mukherjee

"India is happy to help Nepal with its human resource development,” the president said.

Kathmandu: Students from Nepal will be able to write entrance examinations of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) here from next year to pursue graduate and post-graduate courses, President Pranab Mukherjee announced today.

Addressing a seminar titled 'Nepal and India: Exploring New Vistas' organised by India Foundation and Neeti Anusandhan Pratishthan Nepal here, the President, who is on a three-day State visit here, said India and Nepal have enjoyed a long tradition of academic and student exchanges.

"India is happy to help Nepal with its human resource development. Our commitment is reflected in the grant of around 3,000 scholarships to Nepalese students every year, providing opportunities to study in Nepal and in India. We offer more than 250 scholarships annually for Government and non-Government employees of Nepal for training in technical institutes in India," he said.

Mukherjee also said that India recognises the importance of water resources in the accelerated development in Nepal for which post-graduate scholarships for courses in hydel power and water resources management at IIT, Roorkee have been offered to Nepali engineers and experts this year.

"I am also very happy to announce that from 2017 onwards, Nepali students will have the opportunity to pursue graduate and post-graduate courses in Indian Institutes of Technology on a regular basis. For this, our Institutes of Technology will open their entrance examinations to Nepali students. Aspirants would have the option to write these examinations in Kathmandu," he said.

The President said the region is blessed with the young people known for their strong spirit of enterprise, dynamism and entrepreneurship.

"To channelise this energy in the right direction, we must invest in health, education, technology and employment generation. We cannot remain hostage to the political baggage of history and prejudice, nor can we continue to follow policies that have failed to lift our people out of poverty," he said.

Highlighting the age-old relations between the two countries, Mukherjee said in a partnership so rich and diverse in its scope and content, there are bound to be, occasionally, some differences in perceptions.Mukherjee said in a partnership so rich and diverse in its scope and content, there are bound to be, occasionally, some differences in perceptions.

"This is absolutely normal. With enlightened leadership in both countries, regular consultations, open dialogue, mutual trust and goodwill, we have managed to overcome such eventualities. I would underscore that it would be crucial, in our common interest, to stay focused on our shared objective of peace, stability and development for our peoples and our region," he said.