SAF-Nepal Introduction & News

Founder's Prologue

Nepal was under strict security surveillance as we landed at Kathmandu Airport in the last week of September 2000. Nevertheless, Prime Minister G. P. Koirala found time to receive us in spite of the latest Maoist attack and ensuing political crisis. Ambassador Bhek Bahadur Thapa, the first chairman of the Nepalese chapter of the SAF, had briefed the Prime Minister on the SAF’s activities, and the Prime Minister cited several examples of his promotion of regional cooperation through the SAARC programmes and promised full support to the SAF in its future activities.

The Secretary-General of the SAARC, Ambassador Nihal Rodrigo of Sri Lanka, also extended his full cooperation. He received us in his office, on the table of which lay a copy of my publication on Himalayan art.

During discussions, he suggested that the SAF commence its activities in smaller countries, such as Bhutan and the Maldives, whose governments need help, particularly in the field of information technology.

Ambassador Rodrigo expressed his concern that a lack of cooperation between the SAARC member states was holding back South Asia’s cultural, social and economic development, while its sister intergovernmental organizations – ASEAN, NAFTA and APEC – and the Indian Ocean Rim countries had moved closer toward regional cooperation.

He told us that the ball was in India and Pakistan’s court, and hoped that they would soon recognize the damage their confrontational policies were causing to themselves and other South Asian countries, and would turn to cooperative policies that would yield both economic and cultural rewards.

At a meeting arranged by Ambassador Rodrigo, I explained to the seven SAARC directors of their representative countries that the SAF was averse to re-treading the beaten path of funding meetings and conferences, as in the case of many NGOs. The SAF preferred to take an entirely different route to promote regional cooperation through education and other practical, job-creation projects that mobilize youth at grassroots levels.

Madanjeet Singh
SAF Founder

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SAF Nepal Chapter

SAF Chairperson: Dr Nishchal Pandey
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SAF Vice-Chairperson : Dr. Jan Sharma

Mr. Ramesh Timasina
SAF-Nepal, Secretary
Email:- Timasina@safmail.org

News Bandos Island, Malé - 27th November 2025

22nd Annual Governing Council Meeting of South Asia Foundation held on 27 November 2025, Bandos, Maldives

The Annual Governing Council Meeting of the South Asia Foundation (SAF) and Madanjeet Singh Foundation convened on November 27, 2025, Bandos, Maldvies. The meeting saw active Chairpersons from the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka of South Asia Foundation chapters.

News Tribhuvan University, Nepal - 16th August 2025

UNESCO Goodwill Amb. Madanjeet Singh’s Book Culture of the Sepulcher Was Presented to MPhil Students of Tribhuvan University

In a significant academic gesture, the Department of Peace and Conflict Studies at Tribhuvan University received a copy of Ambassador Madanjeet Singh’s renowned book Culture of the Sepulcher....

News Kathmandu University, Kathmandu Nepal - 4th August 2025

SAF-Nepal Alumna Padma Rijal Appointed Lecturer at Kathmandu University School of Law

We are proud to share that Advocate Padma Rijal, an alumna of the first batch of the UNESCO Madanjeet Singh South Asian Institute of Advanced Legal and Human Rights Studies (UMSAILS), Dhaka from South Asia Foundation Nepal Chapter has been appointed as a permanent Lecturer at the prestigious Kathmandu University School of Law.

News UMISAA, BNU, Lahore - 24th July 2025

Prof. Salima Hashmi Congratulates UMISAA Graduate Ms. Subista from Nepal at BNU Convocation

In a moment of pride and cultural unity, Prof. Salima Hashmi, Chairperson of South Asia Foundation (SAF) – Pakistan, warmly congratulated Ms. Subista, a talented young artist from Nepal, who graduated this year from Beaconhouse National University (BNU) under the prestigious UMISAA Scholarship Program.

News Kathmandu, Nepal - 9th June 2025

Dr. Nishchal N. Pandey, Chairperson, SAF-Nepal, Engages in Thoughtful Exchange with SAF Scholars and Alumni over Lunch

Dr. Nischal N. Pandey, esteemed Chairperson of South Asia Foundation-Nepal and a prominent voice in South Asian strategic affairs, hosted an engaging luncheon with a group of SAF Scholars and distinguished alumni. The informal yet intellectually stimulating gathering served as a vibrant platform for exchanging ideas, personal journeys, and shared aspirations shaped by the South Asia Foundation’s vision.