The 42nd Management Review Conference of the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) concluded in Sauraha, Chitwan. Held from December 6-8, 2024, the conference was inaugurated by the Honorable Minister of Education, Science, and Technology, and Chairperson of CTEVT, Ms. Bidya Bhattarai. The review conference focused on appraising CTEVT's achievements and formulating strategies for the future. Attended by managers and leaders of CTEVT institutions, it aimed to strengthen CTEVT and leave a lasting impact on technical and vocational education and training (TVET) in the country.

In her inaugural speech, Honorable Minister Bhattarai emphasized the importance of self-assessment for officials and institutional heads within CTEVT. She urged them to review achievements and challenges to set future directions. Highlighting technical education as a cornerstone for nation-building, she stressed identifying new areas of employment and implementing relevant programs. She further emphasized transparency, accountability, and credibility as essential democratic pillars and directed the CTEVT officials to prioritize good governance and effective management in service delivery. The Honorable Minister shared her commitment to facilitating the passage of a TVET bill, which will define the roles of all three tiers of government, in aligning TVET with the federal structure. She emphasized the need to connect graduates to employment opportunities and facilitate pathways to higher education. Additionally, she advocated for integrating vocational concepts into school education, enabling students to choose between general education or TVET after a certain grade. She highlighted the importance of making TVET more specialized, accessible, and inclusive. Honorable Minister Bhattarai also instructed the CTEVT officials to conduct an organizational and management survey and to merge inactive programs and institutions.

Dr. Deepak Kafle, Secretary of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology (MoEST), commended CTEVT’s significant contributions to national development thus far. He acknowledged that the workforce produced by CTEVT has been serving across various fields in the country and extended his best wishes for the success of the conference. CTEVT Member Secretary, Er. Mahesh Bhattarai, outlined the council’s major achievements and challenges, along with the themes for discussion during the program. Guests at the inaugural program included Chitwan’s Chief District Officer, Mr. Prakash Paudel, Chief of the Chitwan District Police Office, Mr. Gautam Mishra, and Council Member, Mr. Bishwanath Ojha. Mr. Tek Bahadur Malla, Director, National Skill Testing Board, welcomed all the guests and participants on behalf of the CTEVT office, while Mr. Nala Ram Devkota, Director of Technical Division, elaborated on the program’s objectives. The event was chaired by Prof. Dr. Om Prasad Baral, the Vice-Chairperson of CTEVT.

The three-day conference featured presentations on six thematic areas. Mr. Damodar Devkota, Director of Admin Division, made a presentation on good governance and employee management at CTEVT. Mr. Binod Badal, Director of Curriculum Development and Equivalence Determination Division, presented on aligning curriculum, instruction and assessment. Dr. Anoj Bhattarai, Executive Director of the Training Institute for Technical Instruction (TITI), highlighted quality and cost-effective TVET in Nepal. Mr. Pramod Bhakta Acharya, Director, QualiTY Project, spoke on attracting students to TVET programs and the concept of model polytechnic institute. On behalf of the trade unions at CTEVT, Mr. Kishor Chandra Sharma, Chairperson, CTEVT Employee Union, presented on CTEVT’s past, present, and future. Mr. Ekaraj Adhikari, Deputy Director of Research and Information Division, and Mr. Shiva Ram Shrestha, Accounts Officer, provided an orientation on implementing the online tracer study system and the computerized accounting system (CAS), respectively.

External experts also contributed to the conference. Dr. Dinesh Chandra Devkota, former Vice-Chairperson of the National Planning Commission (NPC) and Honorable Member of the Bagmati Provincial Assembly, provided insights into CTEVT’s past, present, potentials and way forward. Mr. Arjun Kumar Pokhrel conducted a session on “Divine Lifestyle”.

Participants, including school principals and province directors, shared challenges, best practices, and proposed solutions during the discussions. The participants were then divided into 6 groups based on the thematic areas. They discussed the actionable strategies in groups and made presentations. The participants’ presentations were transformed into a consolidated action plan, which was the commitment of conference to guide CTEVT’s future endeavors.

In the closing session, Council Member Mr. Bishwanath Ojha reflected on the conference’s significant discussions regarding the council’s past, present, potentials and future strategies. Er. Mahesh Bhattarai, Member Secretary of CTEVT, summarized the key issues raised during the conference and directed for the implementation of the proposed action plan. Prof. Dr. Om Prasad Baral, Vice-Chairperson of CTEVT, emphasized the importance of citizen charter to inform service recipients about required documents, timelines, and fees. He urged all offices and institutes to enhance service quality through effective monitoring and supervision and to adopt a team-based approach with clear plans. He thanked all the participants, and organizing teams for their sincere efforts to make the event successful. The conference was attended by directors from CTEVT’s central and provincial offices, principals of 66 constituent institutes, representatives from CTEVT trade unions, and other employees. The event was facilitated by Mr. Deepak Babu Aryal, Deputy Director, Technical Division of CTEVT.