Karki, who is inspired by Newton´s theory, succeeded in securing the Student Achievement Award (SAA) by presenting his theory on operating a railway in the mountains without electricity or any fuel in an energy conference organized in the USA.[break]
Karki, who was successful in presenting his talent in the world arena by being active with special interest in the sector of science and technology, has recently received a Rs. 25,101-amount cash prize entitled ´Sami Youth Encouragement Award- 2069 BS.´
Rijan had in 2009 won the International Student Achievement Award at the age of 16 from the US space centre NASA. He had at NASA presented a working paper or the laws of gravitation and flabbergasted the participating scientists.
Nurturing a dream of becoming a doctor or engineer while he studied at Class 6, he has now become successful in becoming a famous youth scientist and researcher after he was attracted to Newton´s theories.
Karki, who has put under his belt several national level awards, plans to stay in Nepal itself and do something worthwhile in future. Karki, who is engaged in researches of inventions like ´bouncing car´ and ´RK´s Simple Machine´ named after himself (which can help push anything weighty and stores energy) , has been arguing that substances like water ,soil and rocks can be used as fuel.
The young Nepali boy, who succeeded in winning the prestigious Student Achievement Award from USA by using simple materials around us scientifically, had only passed Ten Plus 2 level from Nobel Academy, Baneshwor, after school education from the Budhanilkantha of Biratnagar.
Karki is now studying at Kathmandu University (KU) with assistance from a Nepali organization and the Wells Mountain Fund of USA.
The fund has provided him 1,200 US dollars annually for four years. With a plan to study physics in the future, he is now studying at B. Sc. first year in applied physics in the university.
Karki says he was more inclined to study after he studied Newton´s three laws of motion in science. He has now been studying a design of a ´bouncing car´ for the past ten months.
Karki, who showed no special interest in studies while young, honed his studies with inspiration of his father. Karki is in a family of four including parents and one brother.
Karki who is more inclined to show anything from deed rather than mere talking, says, "Now is the time to show by doing rather than talking, young scientists like us should be devoted to national development."
Karki says the need of the country today is qualified people who want to do something good, and one who thinks of others rather than his own, adding although there are many youth scientists like him who want to do something in the country itself, there is a lack of resources and infrastructure for it.
It can be believed that Karki can get further inspiration to identify Nepal in the world if all Nepalese assist him in each of his effort as he is also researching on the universe.
In the context that it is now a fashion in Nepal in recent days that Nepalis thinking of visiting developed countries for scientific success, Rijan is an example that something can be done in one´s own country if available resources and means are followed with one´s own skills and capacity of the talented.
If the state could create a proper environment to bring out the talents of youth scientists, Nepal has the possibility of making great achievements in the sector of science and technology in the future.
Although there had been some efforts from government and stakeholder bodies for creating environment for youth scientists to live in the country itself by encouraging them, but that has not been materialized.
It is realized that the concerned ministry is itself confused and the authoritative body National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST´s) sluggishness is also attributed to the failure of making noteworthy achievement in the field of science and technology.
Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology and Environment and Spokesman Gokarna Mani Duwadi says the Ministry is making efforts for developing science and technology and to stop the brain drain.
The three-year reform plan has been in the final phase of implementation and effective implementation will be made from next fiscal year as there is a programme of formulating brain drain strategy in the plan and searching for existing talents and giving them fellowships, he expressed the determination.
In Nepal, NAST has been running some programmes for creating environment for youth scientists to live in the country itself and work, but it could not incorporate most of the scientists.
NAST has now been providing Rs. 100,000 each year for research -oriented youth scientists with graduate in technical subjects and in Masters in science, and providing opportunity of research along with necessary facilities for one to two years at the NAST laboratory to fresh graduates and youth scientists.
NAST Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Surendraraj Kafle says works could not be done as necessary budget was not available even if various plans were presented to the ministry for making environment for youth scientists to remain in the country itself by encouraging them besides developing science and technology.
On one hand, the Ministry says the NAST could not bring necessary plans, on the other, NAST claimed that it could not work for lack of necessary budget sanctions even if plans were presented at the Ministry.
On the whole, it is now urgent for the state to move ahead science and technology for the overall development of the country in the changed world context.
As per the details presented four years ago by NAST, there were 25,000 scientists in Nepal, and they are now 35,000 and of them, 80 per cent are youth scientists.
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