Development Aid to Nepal: Issues and Options in Energy, Health, Education, Democracy and Human Rights (Nias Reports, 35)

Annotation. An ongoing challenge for Western aid projects in the Third World is that all too often results do not meet expectations. Determined to address this issue at the outset before committing greater sums to its aid to Nepal, in 1996 the Norwegian Foreign Ministry commissioned an extensive analysis of development needs and concrete aid achievements for that country. Now substantially reworked and expanded with data not previously available to international scholars, this study of the energy, health and education sectors in Nepal - as well as the situation there of democracy and human rights - will be of especial interest to researchers and NGOs working in the area Social Sciences Book Cover 1 Half-Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 About the Authors 6 Contents 7 List of Tables 8 Preface 10 List of Abbreviations 12 Energy Development 25 THE NEPALESE ENERGY SECTOR 25 NORWAY AND NEPALESE HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT 27 The Norwegian Himal Asia Mission & United Mission to Nepal 27 The Tinau power plant 28 The Andhi Khola power plant 28 The Jhimruk power plant 28 The Khimti Khola power plant 29 Private Norwegian Company Involvement 29 Statkraft SF 29 Kvaerner and ABB 30 Development of a Legal Framework 31 THE CIVIL ADMINISTRATION AND ITS FORMAL ROLE 32 THE NEA AND INDEPENDENT POWER PRODUCERS 33 HYDROPOWER DEVELOPMENT AS A POLITICAL ISSUE 36 SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES 37 CONCLUSIONS 38 The Human Rights Sector 42 NATIONAL LAW ISSUES 43 Hindu Legal Tradition 43 International Law and National Practices 43 POLITICAL CASES 44 Voting Rights 45 Unsolved Legal Debates 46 CIVIL RIGHTS CASES 46 Women and Property Rights 46 Bonded Labour and Slavery 47 Torture and Death 48 Civil Servant Rights 49 Habeas Corpus 49 Indigenous Peoples and Ethnic Issues in Nepal 49 The Media and Freedom of Expression 50 LOCAL HUMAN RIGHTS, NGOs AND POLITICS IN NEPAL 50 FOFHUR 51 INSEC 51 INHURED 51 DECENTRALISATION AND DEMOCRACY DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS 52 CONCLUSIONS 53 The Education Sector 54 ABOUT THE EDUCATION SECTOR 54 Historical Background 54 National Policies 54 STRUCTURE OF THE EDUCATION SECTOR 55 Primary Education 55 Secondary Education 55 Higher Education 57 THE SECTORS IN FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE 58 Teachers’ Education 59 The Private Education Sector 60 THE WORKINGS OF THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION 60 DONOR ASSISTANCE IN THE EDUCATION SECTOR 62 Project Forerunners 62 BPEP 62 Financing 63 Higher Secondary School Project (“10+2”) 63 Administrative Comment 63 Primary Education Development Project (PEDP) 64 The Current Situation of Primary School Teachers in Nepal. 64 CONCLUSIONS 64 The Health Sector 66 BACKGROUND 66 CURRENT SITUATION 67 Finance 67 Managerial Capacity and Planning 69 The Ministry, Primary Health Centres and the VDC Sub-Health Posts 69 PLANS AND TARGETS 71 CURRENT STATUS OF ACHIEVEMENTS AS AT 1995–96 72 Vaccination 72 Malaria, Kalajar and Japanese Encephalitis 73 Family Planning 74 Hospitals and Health Centres 74 Ayurvedic and Traditional Medicine 76 Other Achievements 76 POLICY ISSUES 77 Local Community and Decentralisation 77 Remarks 77 PRIVATISATION 78 CONCLUSIONS 80 General Observations on Donor Experiences 82 EXPERIENCES WITH THE NEPALESE GOVERNMENT 82 Politics and Bureaucracy 83 Relations with the Planning Commission 84 Ministry of Finance (MOF) 84 Sustainability 84 NGOS AND DEVELOPMENT AID 84 Norwegian Church Aid 85 Redd Barna 86 United Mission to Nepal 86 Views of Political Parties on Development in These Sectors 87 COMMUNIST PARTY OF NEPAL (UML) 87 The Power Sector 87 The Human Rights Sector 88 The Education Sector 89 The Health Sector 89 Suggestions for Norwegian Cooperation 90 NEPAL CONGRESS PARTY 90 Decentralisation 90 The Education Sector 90 The Health Sector 91 The Human Rights Sector 91 The Power Sector 91 RASHTRIYA PRAJANTRA PARTY 91 The Power Sector 91 The Education Sector 91 The Health Sector 92 The Human Rights Sector 92 General Conclusions and Remarks 93 THE ENERGY SECTOR 93 THE HUMAN RIGHTS SECTOR 94 THE EDUCATION SECTOR 94 THE HEALTH SECTOR 94 Appendix 1 Norsk Resyme 96 ENERGISEKTOREN I NEPAL 96 Konklusjon 98 UTDANNELSE 98 Finans 99 Utdannelsessystemet 99 Ministry of Education (MOE) og den alternative donor-struktur. 99 BPEP 100 Higher Education School Project (10+2) 100 Andre prosjekter 100 Konklusjon 100 HELSE 101 Møgedal-rapporten (Mars 1996) 101 Finansieringsstruktur 101 Planleggingskapasitet, ledelse og styring 102 Oppbygging av den regionale helsetjeneste 103 Regjeringens mål 103 Politikk og muligheter 104 Privatisering 104 Konklusjon 105 MENNESKERETTIGHETER 105 Demokrati og menneskerettigheter 105 Demokrati og valg 105 Budsjett 106 Nasjonale lover 106 Kvinners rett til å eie fedres jord 106 Slaveri 107 Tortur og død 107 Etniske faktorer, religion og urbefolkminger 107 AVSLUTTENDE KOMMENTARER OG KONKLUSJON 108 Appendix 2 Resource Book of Foreign Aid Involvement Projects under the Development Budget of the Fiscal Year 1996–97 109 The total development aid to Nepal from 1990 onwards is analysed by donor and sector. For each of the four sectors of development aid (health, education, energy, and democracy/human rights), the Nepalese development strategy and experiences of Norwegian organizations who have been working in Nepal are discussed. Gender and environmental aspects are also considered. Includes comments on national and international law issues and practices concerning the human rights sector This text provides extensive analysis of the development needs and aid achievements in Nepal.