The Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoEST) has started the Astronomy and Space Science Branch by opening it. In a program organized on the occasion of the Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO) entering its 16th year, Santosh Sharma, Deputy Secretary of the Ministry and Branch Head, informed that the activities related to astronomy and space science are going to be integrated. He said that organizations working on astronomy and space science will be integrated through the branch.
To promote astronomy in Nepal, NASA has been conducting various activities among school and college-level students. It was informed in the program that since class eight, programs such as the astronomy Olympiad competition, painting, and oratory have been held. This has increased students' curiosity about astronomy.
Member of Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) Dr. Dineshraj Bhuju said that NASA has succeeded in drawing the attention of many students, parents, and the general public to astronomy.
Mentioning that NASA has advanced science and culture in Nepal, he also said that future scientists will be cultural scientists. NASO President Suresh Bhattarai said that 15 years ago, a group of students studying science at the Trichandra Campus started working and established the organization with the aim of advancing Nepal towards a scientific culture. Curriculum Officer of Curriculum Development Center Khil Narayan Shrestha informed that Nepal also started work when space science is becoming global.
In the program, NAST engineer Roshan Pandey, parents Pankaj Kumar Karna, science teachers Sarita Shakya Pradhan and Rupa Manandhar, and others demanded to create an environment for studying and researching astronomy and space science in Nepal.
The program also honored students who excelled in activities organized by NASO at various times. NASO has been advancing its activities in cooperation with the Ministry, NAST, and other governmental and non-governmental organizations working on science.
