India Helps Nepal Rebuild Two Schools in Kavrepalanchowk Under Post-Earthquake Partnership

India has extended its post-earthquake reconstruction partnership with Nepal by supporting the construction of two new secondary-school buildings in Kavrepalanchowk district, strengthening educational infrastructure for students and teachers in the Himalayan country.

Foundation stones have been laid for new buildings at Shree Janak Secondary School and Shree Janhit Secondary School, with the two projects carrying a combined estimated cost of NPR 11.85 crore.

The schools are being reconstructed through grant assistance from the Government of India as part of its wider commitment to rebuilding educational, healthcare, housing and cultural infrastructure damaged by the devastating 2015 Gorkha earthquake.

New Infrastructure for Shree Janak Secondary School

The reconstruction of Shree Janak Secondary School is expected to cost approximately NPR 6.35 crore.

The proposed infrastructure will consist of two academic blocks containing 18 classrooms, science laboratories, a library and administrative offices. The expanded facilities are expected to provide the school with substantially greater space for classroom teaching, scientific education and institutional management.

Shree Janak Secondary School is situated in Namobuddha Municipality and serves students from the surrounding communities of Kavrepalanchowk. The institution provides education up to Grade 12 and offers academic and vocational streams, including animal science, pure science, computer science and hotel management.

The availability of dedicated science laboratories will allow students to receive more practical exposure instead of depending entirely on textbook-based instruction. A modern library can similarly provide access to reference materials, study spaces and resources beyond the regular curriculum.

The new buildings are also expected to ease pressure on existing classrooms and create a safer and more organised learning environment.

Shree Janhit School to Receive New Academic Blocks

India is also funding the reconstruction of Shree Janhit Secondary School at an estimated cost of NPR 5.50 crore.

The proposed school complex will contain two blocks with seven classrooms, science laboratories, administrative offices and dedicated sanitation facilities.

Separate and properly maintained sanitation infrastructure is particularly important for improving school attendance, health and dignity. Such facilities can have a significant impact on the continued participation of adolescent students, especially girls, in secondary education.

The laboratories and classrooms will enable the school to improve both its regular academic programmes and practical science instruction. The administrative spaces will provide teachers and school authorities with dedicated areas for managing admissions, records, examinations and student-support activities.

Indian and Nepali Officials Attend Ceremonies

The foundation-stone ceremonies were attended by Narayan Singh, First Secretary at the Embassy of India in Kathmandu; Kunsang Lama, Mayor of Namobuddha Municipality; and Laxmi Prasad Bhattarai, Project Director of the Central Level Project Implementation Unit under Nepal’s Ministry of Education and Sports.

Teachers, students, government representatives, media personnel and members of the local community also participated in the programmes.

The presence of representatives from the Indian Embassy, Nepal’s central reconstruction authorities and the municipal administration reflected the cooperative model through which the projects are being implemented.

While India is providing the reconstruction grant, the projects are being coordinated with Nepal’s education authorities and local institutions. This approach ensures that the buildings are constructed according to the educational requirements and disaster-resilience standards established by the Government of Nepal.

Schools to Follow Earthquake-Resilient Standards

The construction of the two schools forms part of a larger group of educational projects recently taken up under Indian assistance.

In May 2026, Nepal’s Central Level Project Implementation Unit signed contracts for the construction of 14 schools across Gorkha, Nuwakot, Dhading, Dolakha, Kathmandu, Kavrepalanchowk, Ramechhap and Sindhupalchowk districts.

The 14 projects are being supported through a Government of India grant of NPR 56.02 crore. The buildings are to be constructed according to Nepal’s earthquake-resilient reconstruction standards and will include classrooms, furniture and separate sanitation facilities for boys and girls.

The focus on earthquake-resistant construction is especially important in Nepal, which lies in a highly active seismic region. School buildings not only serve as places of education but can also become emergency shelters and community-support centres during natural disasters.

Reconstruction therefore involves more than replacing damaged structures. It requires safer designs, stronger materials, improved evacuation arrangements and facilities capable of supporting students for several decades.

India’s Wider Reconstruction Commitment

Following the 2015 earthquake, India committed assistance worth $1 billion to support Nepal’s reconstruction efforts. The assistance included both grant funding and concessional financing for housing, education, healthcare and cultural heritage projects.

India has supported the reconstruction of 50,000 private houses in Gorkha and Nuwakot districts, 85 educational institutions across eight districts, 133 health facilities across 11 districts and the conservation of 30 cultural heritage sites across eight districts.

Of the educational projects, 70 schools and the Tribhuvan University Central Library had already been completed and handed over to the Government of Nepal by January 2024. Additional school projects are now being implemented to complete the wider reconstruction programme.

India has also provided technical assistance for designing and supervising educational buildings. The Central Building Research Institute in Roorkee has worked with Nepal’s reconstruction agencies to support disaster-resilient designs and project management for schools in earthquake-affected districts.

Education at the Centre of Development Cooperation

Education has remained one of the most visible components of the India–Nepal development partnership.

Beyond the post-earthquake programme, India has supported school buildings, colleges, libraries, hostels, technical institutions and scholarship programmes throughout Nepal. Many of these projects are implemented at the community level and are selected in coordination with Nepal’s central government, provincial authorities, municipalities and local communities.

India’s High Impact Community Development Projects programme, launched in 2003, has funded hundreds of smaller projects in sectors such as education, healthcare, drinking water, sanitation, roads, rural electrification, agriculture and cultural preservation.

According to the Indian Embassy, nearly 600 such projects worth approximately NPR 1,583 crore have been undertaken across Nepal. Many of them involve school buildings and health centres intended to improve essential services at the grassroots level.

These relatively localised projects often have a direct and measurable effect. A new classroom block can reduce overcrowding, a science laboratory can introduce practical learning, and proper sanitation can encourage more students to remain in school.

Strengthening Ties Through Community Projects

India and Nepal share an open border and extensive civilisational, cultural, religious and family connections. Their development partnership adds a practical dimension to these historic ties by focusing on infrastructure that directly serves local communities.

The reconstruction of Shree Janak and Shree Janhit secondary schools represents this community-oriented approach. Although the projects form only a small part of India’s overall assistance to Nepal, their impact will be felt daily by students, teachers and families in Kavrepalanchowk.

Once completed, the new buildings will provide safer classrooms, better scientific facilities, improved sanitation and more effective administrative spaces. They will also strengthen the ability of the two schools to accommodate future enrolment and expand educational programmes.

For India and Nepal, the projects demonstrate how bilateral relations can be translated into durable public infrastructure. For the students who will eventually study in the new classrooms, they will represent something more immediate: safer schools, improved opportunities and a stronger foundation for the future.

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