KATHMANDU, AUG 30 -
For the first time in Nepal’s Civil Service history, 14 women have been selected in the fresh batch of Foreign Service Officers for 28 vacant Section Officer posts.  No other service sector has such a big pie of female participation in at one go, according to the Public Service Commission.

Also, for the first time representatives of sections like Madhesi (inclusive), Dalit (inclusive), disabled (inclusive), quota for far western are also represented in the Foreign Service.  The Commission conducted the examination for 28 officer level posts last April. Usually, the 300 plus strong foreign service has a vacancy for just half a dozen posts. According to the Commission, 814 took part in the exams in seven categories.

“The Commission recommended the names and forwarded these to us. They will get appointment letters on Tuesday,” Harish Chandra Ghimire, assistant spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry said. Those selected for the elite Foreign Service carders in the open category are Drupada Sapkota, Prathama Uprety, Lalita Silwal, Sita Basnet, Ranjita Dahal, Sabitra Oli and Srijana Adhikari. Roshan Khanal, Dr. Ila Mainali, Shivani Basnet, Pratima Adhikari were selected under the inclusive (women’s) category.

Indira Gohiwar (Aryal) was selected in the Madhesi (women’s) category and Sabita Nakarmi and Mudita Bajracharya were selected in the indigenous/janajati section.  “This is a record in South Asia. Only Sri Lanka had such a record once,” a thrilled Foreign Secretary Madan Kumar Bhattarai said. Till recently, two Under Secretaries, Ambika Luitel and Sewa Adhikari and an officer Rita Dhital had been hold the fort.

In the past, only Brinda Shah retired as Joint Secretary in the Foreign Service who was the only woman to have reached that level.

“It makes us proud and signals that women are empowering here,” Tika Dutta Niraula, member of the Commission told the Post. Some of the other civil service results have outstanding women-passed numbers and recently the Revenue Service got remarkable women entries. The Foreign Service is the benchmark as toughest service category.

Woman activist and mother of Dr Ila, who comes from the medical fraternity, Hari Priya Pandey (Mainali)  shared her joy with the Post and said that women’s participation is growing in the bureaucracy not because of the quota but due to hard work by women.


Posted on: 2010-08-31 09:22

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