Questions Asked in 1st Paper of Joint Secretary (Open Competition Exam) Integrated 2079.09.05

Open Competitive (Combined) Written Examination for First Class, Joint Secretary or Similar (Non-Technical) Post 

Date of Exam: 2079.09.05

Full Marks: 100

Subject: Governance and Development

1. In addition to establishing innovation in its working system, that style is considered to be an innovative state with the character of ensuring a qualitative change in governance. Embedding innovation in governance is not a show-off. It is not just the use of computers in the process. Not only computers but also information technology is required in all processes of government work. In addition to acquiring technology-friendly knowledge and skills, it is necessary for citizens to also gain awareness related to information technology in order to receive services. In fact, it is necessary for the group providing the service as well as the party receiving the service to be ready to use the technology in a productive manner.

In our context, every government agency has used information technology in its internal functioning to provide services to citizens. Each agency has its own software and database developed and used. Various good practices like token system, mobile service citizen charter, integrated service system have been used in service delivery. Some agencies have started using their own software and applications to provide services. Citizen app has been introduced to provide services by integrating many services. An integrated portal has also been used to integrate various statistics. Office Automation system has been implemented with the slogan of paperless service or service with less documents. The e-governance master plan to guide these systems is in the process of implementation.

In spite of all these efforts, the question of whether there has been qualitative innovation or consequential innovation in the governance style is important. In order to be a meaningful innovative state, the use of technology should be accepted as a state culture, while the piecemeal approach is promoted when everyone develops and uses their own software and application, as well as the system built on a weak security foundation and factual basis, (Vulnerability of the System) has increased.

Answer the following questions based on a review of the overall situation in the context presented. (7+6+7+5 = 25)

a) How do you find Nepal's status as an innovative state in the current global environment? Make a critical comment.

b) What are the problems and risks that have appeared to make Nepal's government system an effective innovative system? write

c) In this context, how can the apparent innovation adopted by copying the technology be changed into an effective innovation? Give suggestions.

d) How can the opportunity for technology upgrade be adjusted in our context considering that the innovation done by the developed country is exemplary for us, as well as focusing only on the form without paying attention to the essence and looking at the possibility of fake innovation? write

2. The departure point of established classical values and recognition, the theoretical and operational changes in the world environment government thinking after 1990 are considered. Political social hierarchies are constantly being transformed. The closed system is becoming transparent. The primary source of social change is not the so-called aristocracy, but the common people. Democracy is becoming the state system and the way of government. The impact of these and similar paradigm shifts has also affected the state power, government and administration of Nepal. Our thinking is equally concerned with geography and population as well as global governance. Many aspects of national policy formulation, construction and implementation are now global rather than limited to local geography. For example, environmental protection and climate change, economic concerns, especially world trade and inflation, sustainable development goals, external pressure and national security, pandemics including COVID-19, racial and social justice, inefficient government systems, etc.

Institutions at the center of national policy making, such as the Council of Ministers, National Planning Commission, sectoral ministries, etc., have remained the same in their public policy making process. The act and process of policy making is not only political but also technical. The National Planning Commission is also a think tank. The practice of bringing in local political activists in the name of inclusion continues even in organizations that are supposed to have specific experts who have gained fame in the national and international fields. Analyzing the policy coming from the sectoral ministries and the process of passing the policy from the Council of Ministers, the content and context of the current trends (Content and context) is yet to be established. It is clear from the fact that the policy makers are only limited to "Think Tank" that they should become "Do Tank" in the development goal.

In the above-mentioned perspective, reforms, gaps and overlap should be brought into the working system of the institutions to create Nepal's policy so that it is compatible with global governance.

Analyze the essence and environment including identification of areas of gaps and overlaps. Among the policy-making topics mentioned, present original suggestions about the policy that the government should take to face the challenges of future and current epidemics, including a detailed mapping of the policy-making taken by the government in relation to Covid-19 and other pandemics. (25)

3. In Nepal, with the increase in the migration of farmers from the rural agriculture-based economy, the contribution of the agricultural sector to the gross domestic product is decreasing and the use of technology and machine tools in agriculture, production, productivity and the income of the farmers are not increasing. On the one hand, the contribution of the industrial sector to the gross domestic product has not increased due to the failure of the development and expansion of the industrial sector, on the other hand, the tendency of the large energetic labor force of Nepal to go to foreign employment has increased due to the inability of the industrial sector to absorb the displaced manpower from agriculture. As a result, Nepal, which was a net exporter of food grains until the 1980s, is importing large amounts of food worth billions. According to the Nepal Labor Force Survey, In 2068/69, 73.9 percent of the total population was dependent on agriculture, but it decreased to 60.3 percent in 2078/79 and In 2057/58, the contribution of the agricultural sector to the gross domestic product was 37.9 percent and decreased from that to A.O. It fell to 23.95 percent in 078/79.

According to the Nepal Labor Force Survey 2077/78, there are more than 9 lakh unemployed people in Nepal. Only a small part of them get employment opportunities within the country and a large number of hard working youth go for foreign employment. A.W. In the first 8 months of 2078/79, the number of first-time labor approvals and re-applications for foreign employment was 412,787 according to the Economic Survey 2079. Along with the industrious youth going to work abroad, the agricultural land with us will remain barren and we have to import a large amount of basic food, the trade deficit has increased and the risk of food security has increased.

With the aim of providing opportunities for employment and self-employment, employment targeted programs such as Youth Self-Employment Program, Prime Minister's Employment Program and Prime Minister's Agriculture Modernization Program are in operation. The Prime Minister's Employment Program works to list the unemployed at every municipal level and provide them with employment opportunities. A.W. As of February 2078/79, 71,324 people out of 78287 registered unemployed have been employed under the Prime Minister's Employment Program. Likewise, 443,467 people have received partial employment and 48,781 people have received full employment from the Prime Minister's Agriculture Modernization Program till February 2078. The above targeted employment programs have only addressed a small portion of the unemployed but do not seem to have adopted effective measures to increase employment opportunities on a large scale. The private sector, which creates job opportunities, has also cut down workers due to the worldwide spread of the Covid-19 pandemic. Various studies have said that since the economies of almost all low-income countries are shrinking, job opportunities are reduced and the daily life of low-income people has become more difficult. Due to the increase in the prices of fuel and food items due to the war between Russia and Ukraine, the revival of the economy after the epidemic of Covid-19 has become more challenging for countries like Nepal. Due to the prolonged effects of the Covid-19 epidemic, achieving the goal of the Fifteenth Plan to reduce the rate of multidimensional poverty to 11.5 percent by the financial year 2080/81 has become challenging.

(10 + 7 + 8 = 25)

(a) Recognizing the basic character of Nepal's economy, what are the ways to modernize the agricultural sector and increase production, productivity and farmers' income?

(b) What creative programs should be conducted to take the country to the path of prosperity by creating employment opportunities for the industrious youth?

c) Present an action plan with resources, timelines and expected results for the implementation of the measures suggested in a and b above in order to ascertain their feasibility.

4. According to the Human Development Report 2021 released by the United Nations Federal Development Program (UNDP) in 2021, Nepal has moved up one place in the Human Development Index. Due to covid-19, Nepal's score has been low compared to last year and has remained at 0.602. Even though the number of other countries in the world has decreased during this period, Nepal is still in 143rd place. Among South Asian countries, Nepal's position is weak compared to other countries after Afghanistan and Pakistan. The latest edition of the Human Development Report, which is published every two years, has listed Nepal as a country with a moderate human development index. Nepal's position in the level of human development, which is measured based on three indicators of health and long life, knowledge and standard of living, is not satisfactory.

Due to the multifaceted inequality in Nepal, the situation of human development has not improved. Inequality in terms of gender, caste, geographical area is increasing the inequality in overall human development indicators. The government's efforts to increase investment in target groups and sectors are continuing to improve the human development index. Sustainable development goals have been internalized in plans and programs at the federal, provincial and local levels, and investment in human development index-related goals has been expanded. Infrastructure and manpower development to increase access to education, health, nutrition, sanitation and income generation programs Investment in the sector has been expanded. Grants, technology and infrastructure services have been provided to increase income generation capacity at the local level to create work and employment opportunities. To eliminate income and social inequality, programs have been conducted to promote social protection and social equality. Around 80 social security and social protection programs targeting the weak, underprivileged and economically and socially backward sections of the society are being implemented through the rights related to social justice guaranteed by the constitution. In addition to social security, other programs have also been conducted to directly and indirectly support the strengthening of the human development index. The results of investment and policy implementation in the field of human development are not relatively successful. The fact that the human development component, which was 0.380 in 1990, is limited to 0.602 in 2021, reflects the effectiveness of investment.

In the above-mentioned context, prepare an action plan with the necessary structures and financial resources for the implementation of the existing challenges, the short-term and long-term strategic measures to be adopted to solve them, and to prepare the basis for sustainable development by qualitatively improving the human development status of Nepal. (25)