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15th Annual Nepal Lecture 2017 (23 Nov, SOAS, London)

Lecture title: Some Reflections on Federalism and Development Strategy in Nepal

Prof Pitamber Sharma (Photo credit Kathmandu Post)

(नेपालको सङ्घीयता र विकास रणनीतिका बारेमा केही विचार)

By: Professor Pitamber Sharma (Former Vice-Chairman of Nepal’s National Planning Commission)

Date, time and venue

23 November 2017

Reception in the Conference Suite to start at 17.30 followed by the lecture at 18.30

Alumni Lecture Theatre (Senate House, first floor)

SOAS, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG

Hosted by: SOAS, South Asian Institute.

Sponsored by: Mr Mahanta Shrestha. http://www.khukuribeer.com

Link to our sponsorship page: http://bnac.ac.uk/bnacsponsors/bnac-al-2017-sponsor-khukuribeer/

Abstract

The paper puts Nepal’s journey towards federalism in perspective and highlights the emergence of ethnicity as a significant factor influencing the federalism debate. The seven-province framework, which is an expression of the changed balance of power in the second Constituent Assembly, and taken as a working model in the Constitution of Nepal 2015, is assessed through a number of indicators to show that it neither adequately addresses the question of identity nor the imperatives of development. The efficacy and effectiveness of provincial development strategies are likely to depend much on contiguous provinces working together on the premise of a regional development strategy.

Biography

Pitamber Sharma, a native of Falebas, Parbat District, taught in the Department of Geography, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur for over two decades and was associated with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) as a regional planner. In 2008 he was the Vice-Chair of Nepal’s National Planning Commission for a brief spell. His publications include Urbanization in Nepal (1989), Tourism as Development (2000), Market Towns in the Hindu-Kush Himalayas (2002), Unraveling the Mosaic: Spatial Aspects of Ethnicity in Nepal (2008), and Some Aspects of Nepal’s Social Demography (2014). He has an MA from Tribhuvan University, MSc from University of Edinburgh, and a PhD in City and Regional Planning from Cornell University.