Lost in Transition

Notwithstanding its natural beauty, natural resources and strategic location between India and China, Nepal remains mired in poverty. What holds Nepal's economy back? And what would it take to unleash its development potential? This book tries to address these issues from the perspective of a Nepali development professional with extensive experience in international development. From his perch at the United Nations, Kul Chandra Gautam followed the political and socioeconomic developments in his home country with a mixture of great hope and deep anxiety. He rejoiced at Nepal's good progress in achieving many of the Millennium Development Goals, such as drastically reducing maternal and child mortality, eradicating and controlling certain deadly diseases, promoting basic education and women's empowerment. But he was chagrined by the fratricidal Maoist insurgency that derailed Nepal's nascent democracy and bourgeoning economy. Gautam offers a candid critique of what ails Nepal's politics and economy, and how to rebuild the country from the ruins of the prolonged Maoist mayhem and the mega earthquake of 2015. He calls for an end to Nepal's seemingly endless political transition and shifting the nation's focus to economic development and social progress.