ICT DAY 2013

As part of celebrating National ICT Day, Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment and Computer Association of Nepal (CAN) on Thursday conferred ICT Awards on two individuals and an organization for their contribution to the field of information communication technology (ICT).

ICT Business Excellence Award was awarded to Mr. Neel Kantha Uprety, now he is a chief election commissioner of Election commission and Bijaya Krishna Shrestha, the president of electronic equipment's maker Beltronix Nepal. Similarly, the Best User in the Private Sector Award was awarded to the e-Sewa for effectively using ICT applications. E-Sewa is an online payment service which facilitates online transactions such as utility payments and paper note-less shopping.

Chief secretary Lila Mani Paudel handed over the awards amid a function here on Thursday. According to Bimal Kumar Sharma, founder president of CAN and the coordinator of the selection team, janaki Technology and Midas Education were short listed as ICT Best Users in 2013. Speaking on the occasion, Paudel expressed hope that the award would encourage ICT experts and both the private as well as public sectors to be more efficient in the coming days. "Technology plays a vital role in the development of a country," Paudel said. He further said that the different sectors of the economy can benefit from the advancement of the ICT sector, expressing government's commitment to prioritize the sector. CAN President Er. Binod Dhakal said, ICT professionals would focus on maximum utilization of available resources in order to make a bigger impact in the development of the sector in the coming days

ICT Business Excellence Award Winners
Mr. Neel Kantha Uprety

 Mr. Uprety duly appointed to the post of the Chief Election Commissioner of Nepal on March 24, 2013 is a high level Election Professional with over 22 years of experience in managing and strengthening the electoral process; specialized experience in election management, project management, negotiation and conflict resolution; in-depth knowledge in electoral systems and procedures. He also has extensive experience of working in post-conflict and conflict-ridden areas under security threats.

Career

• Chief Election Commissioner, June 2009 to till now
• Election Commissioner, October 2006 to May 2009
• Election Experience in Afghanistan (August 2004 to February 2005; and March 2005 to December 2005)
• Senior positions held under Election Commission of Nepal, June 1990 to July 2004

Academic Qualifications 

• September 1988 to May 1990 M.S. in Computer Science, Staffordshire University, Staffordshire, United Kingdom.
• August 1980 to September 1982 Postgraduate Diploma in Public Administration, Tribhuban University, Kathmandu, Nepal.
• February 1978 to October 1980 M.A. in Economics, Tribhuban University, Nepal.

• Training and Study Tours 
• Training: Attended senior level training on election management, leadership, project management; and negotiation and conflict resolution.

Mr. Bijay Krishna Shrestha

Mr. Bijaya Krishna Shrestha is the Founder, Chief Engineer & CEO of  Beltronix-Computer and electronics enineers.He is also the Alternative Director ofHimal Power Ltd and director of Nepal Insurance Co. He has done lot of contributing works in the field Information and Technology. He was one of the innopreneur to import Computers and Electronic Products in Nepal 25 years ago.

Career 

• Promoter : Shangrila Energy, 69% owners of Butwal Power Ltd.
• Chairman: Nepal Electric Vehicle Industry
• Vice-Chairman: Nepal National Committee, United World Colleges
• Past President: Computer Association of Nepal
• Promoter, Past-Vice-Chairman: Bank of Kathmandu
• Promoter, Past-Director: Premier Insurance
• Past-Director: Bishal Bazaar Co.
• Past Treasurer: Nepal Engineers Association

Academic Qualifications 

• Master of Business Administration, 1972 Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois, USA
• Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, 1971 University of Detroit, Detroit, MI USA

USA Work Experience 

• National Semiconductor Corp. Santa Clara, California, USA (1970-71)
• General Electric co.Cleveland, Ohio, US (A1968-69)

Best ICT user in private sector

eSewa is the first online payment gateway of Nepal. It is an associate service of F1Soft International launched on 21 January 2010. It facilitates its users to pay and get paid online. Its headquarters are located at Kalikasthan, Dillibazar, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Services
eSewa is available in two modules: B2B and B2C.Currently, it provides the following online services

• Sending and Receiving Money
• Payment of Utility Bills
• Purchase of Air Tickets and Movie Tickets
• Purchase of Recharge and Calling Cards
• Payment of School and College Bills
• Payment of Internet Service Bills
• Subscription of Newspapers and Magazines
• Payment of Credit Card Bills
• Facility of all eSewa services through mobile phone (mSewa)