Jointly Organized by International Center for Academics (ICA) and Education Journalist Group of Nepal (EJG). April 16 , 2013 , Tuesday . Hotel Everest, Kathmandu Nepal An interaction program on Status and Challenges of Open and Distance Education in Nepal was jointly organized by International Center for Academics (ICA) and Education Journalist Group (EJG) , Nepal on April 16, 2013 at Kathmandu Nepal . The program was attended by more than 30 (Thirty) Educational Journalist from Leading Media Houses of Nepal, Mr. Mahashram Sharma ,Spoke Person, Ministry of Education Government of Nepal, renowned Educational Expert of Nepal Prof.Dr. Mana Parasad Wagle, Mr. Kamal Dhakal , Director, Committee for Open University Infrastructure Development , Government of Nepal, Mr. Dilli Ram Rimal, Director, National Center for Education Development (NCED), Nepal, Mr. Rameshwore Prasad Sharma, Chief, Tribhuvan University Equivalence Section, Dr. Mohan ChandraAttache (HIC), Press Information , Cultural wing and Indian Cultural Center, Embassy of India, Kathamndu, Nepal, Mr. Prakash Siwal, President EJG , Biswajit Mukherjee, Chairperson, Mr. Amit Giri, CEO and Mr. Shekhar Giri, Spoke person of ICA. Education stakeholders demanded with the government to give high priority for the establishment of Open University. “There is an urgent need of political commitment and government’s priority to formulate necessary laws in order to establish Open University,” education expert Dr Mana Prasad Wagle said at the interaction. Although demands have been raised for Open University for two decades in the country, the government formed a committee on Open University infrastructure development last year. This committee is said to be preparing draft of necessary laws to establish Open University. Dr Pramod Dhakal, member of the committee, however, said that the committee has not been much effective and functional due to the lack of clarity on concept of Open University. Mr. Kamal Dhakal, executive director of the committee, said that sub-committees have been formed for designing course of different faculties. Due to the lack of Open University in the country different educational institutions in Nepal have taken affiliation from Indian and other foreign open universities and offering educational courses and services. ICA , Hope International and Lord Buddha Education Foundation are such institutions offering Academic, Value Added and skill development programs in ODL mode in affiliation with Foreign Universities. Within Nepal the master’s degree programme in Faculty of Education by Kathmandu Univeristy and one-year B Ed programme of Purbanchal Univeristy are some of ongoing higher educational programmes in ODL mode. Tribhuvan University, the oldest University in the country, has stopped open and distance educational programmes after three years of its launch. Spokesperson for Ministry of Education Mahashram Sharma said that the government had given high priority to establishment of Open University in the country. “That’s why a committee has been formed to suggest for necessary laws and development of infrastructure to establish Open University.” All officials and media personell’s present at the program congratulated ICA for being awarded as the “Best Overseas Partner Institution – 2013 Award” for the Best Services by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), India among the 82 (Eighty Two) Overseas Partner Institutions including the Pan Africa Network, SAARC Tele-Education Network, UNESCO and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation support centers present in 43 (Forty Three) countries which was provided on the occasion of The 26th Convocation held at the IGNOU Head Quarters at New Delhi, India on April 12, 2013 by the Hon. President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee. It is the second time that IGNOU has recognised ICA with such prestigious award. ICA had already received the “Best Overseas Partner Institution 2010 Award” for the Best Services by Indira Gandhi National Open University at the 22nd Convocation held on 2nd April 2011. All present at the interaction program acknowledged that contribution of ICA in the area of ODL in Nepal is quite commendable and stated that ICA’s contribution will be quite important for the overall development of ODL system in Nepal in years to come. The interaction program ended with an open session where journalist present interacted with the officials present.