January 26: Daayitwa, a not for profit non-governmental organization that envisions an enterprising Nepal, successfully organized the Fellowship Symposium to celebrate the graduation of the 12th Cohort of Public Policy Fellows and the inauguration of Daayitwa Nepal Public Service Fellowship (DNPSF) Alumni Council. 

The Daayitwa Nepal Public Policy Fellowship 2022, which started from June 2022, successfully placed six fellows, including three parliamentarians Gagan Thapa, Gokarna Bista and Kamala Roka, selected from a record 200+ applicants at three government institutions -- the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies and the National Planning Commission. Over the six months, these youth researchers conducted evidence-based policy research and submitted their policy findings and recommendations to their host institutions.

The fellowship programme recognized the policy issues and conducted research in the topics of access to investment, women’s economic empowerment, enterprise value chain, youth employment, and economic governance. The organization partnered with public agencies and parliamentarians to produce meaningful research on pressing policy issues with the key motive of “My Government, My Responsibility.”

The Symposium brought together stakeholders from public, private, and social sectors that discussed and recommended ways to strengthen youth-government relationships and promote evidence-based policy decisions. An ad-hoc committee has been formed to take forward the Alumni.

Dr Baikuntha Aryal, secretary at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology stated that the research done by the Daayitwa fellows has profoundly facilitated the work of the Nepal government. He emphasized on increasing the number of fellows as well. He stated, “It is our own responsibility to make the country better, we cannot rely on others to do it.”