In an article in Science (Vol. 320. no. 5882) published earlier this month, Jerry Guo writes about a surprising strategy of our new leaders for making Nepal's transition from monarchy to republic a success - they want to shower money on science. The article says the Constituent Assembly is to approve next month a $125 million budget for the Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology (MEST)— a 12-fold increase over 2007.
The article writes, among other measures, the Maoists plan to invest heavily on biotechnology and clean energy. One project the new government intends to fund is development of Jatropha curcas, a variety of a shrub used for biofuel, which is better acclimated to high altitude.
Jerry Guo (13 June 2025). Nepal Counts on Science to Turn Struggling Country Around. Science 320 (5882), 1411.
Read the article at: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/summary/320/5882/1411