KATHMANDU, Jan 7: Former presidents of Nepal Mountain Academy (NMA) have expressed dissatisfaction over the decision of the government to merge the NMA into the Nepal Academy of Tourism and Hotel Management (NATHM).

The former presidents of the NMA held a press conference on Saturday to express the opinion that it is not appropriate to merge the two institutes with different objectives. It will have a negative impact on the communities, stakeholders, and students of the mountaineering and adventure tourism sector, they said.

They expressed regret with the decision to merge the two institutes despite repeatedly speaking to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation against it. They have claimed that if the decision is implemented the future of around 300 students will be in a limbo.

They appealed to all related government agencies to develop the NMA as a laboratory to study and research the mountainous region and instead develop it as an autonomous institution.

On the occasion, the former president and executive director of NMA Lakpa Phuti Sherpa recalled that the Academy played an important role in the management of education related to mountain climbing, and held the view that the merger of the two institutes will affect the development and promotion of the mountain climbing sector.

Another former president of the Academy, Prem Kumar Shrestha, said that the Academy has an important role in protecting the mountains of Nepal and claimed that the merger would not be compatible as the roles of the two institutes are different.

According to NMA, 33 undergraduate students of the Academy have successfully carried out study and research along with climbing of the 6,470 meter high Mera Peak, 16 postgraduate students have studied the 6,126 meter high Chulu Peak, and 15 students have successfully climbed the 6,190-meter Lobuche Peak along with study and research.

Likewise, nine graduate level students have climbed 7,100 meters high Mt. Himlung and 28 undergraduate students have climbed Thorang mountain with a height of 6,144 meters, while carrying out study and research on it.

The NMA was established in 2002 under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. It provides academic courses affiliated with the Faculty of Management, Tribhuvan University.

 
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