Mahabir Pun is a Nepali researcher, teacher, social entrepreneur and an activist known for his work in applying wireless technologies to develop remote areas of the Himalayas, known as the Nepal Wireless Networking Project.
23 Facts About Mahabir Pun
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Mahabir Pun is a widely known figure in Nepal, and his work has been recognized by the Ashoka Foundation, the Ramon Magsaysay Foundation, University of Nebraska, and Global Ideas Bank.
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Mahabir Pun was born on January 22 1955 in Nangi, a remote village in the mountainous Myagdi District of western Nepal.
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Mahabir Pun spent his childhood grazing cattle and sheep and attending a village school without paper, pencils, textbooks or qualified teachers.
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Mahabir Pun's life changed dramatically when his father, a retired Gurkha, took the remarkable step of moving the family to the southern plains of Nepal and investing their entire savings in his son's education.
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Mahabir Pun founded the Himanchal High School with a special focus on computer education and other programs with income-generating capacity.
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Mahabir Pun then returned to the University of Nebraska for a master's degree in Educational Administration, which he completed in 2001.
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Mahabir Pun began teaching computer classes to students and fellow teachers, but it proved impossible to establish a telephone connection to the nearest city, Pokhara, and the Internet.
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Later, Mahabir Pun brought in more used computers donated from abroad, distributed them to other schools in other villages, and began work to develop a wireless distance-learning project supported by income-generating ventures.
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Mahabir Pun took steps to ensure the success and growth of his projects, by arranging for other teachers to attend a computer training course in Pokhara, starting economic projects to fund students' expenses and teachers' salaries, and by attracting hundreds of international volunteers with wide-ranging skills.
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Mahabir Pun has since built a new cultural centre, and has developed communication links for yak farmers, as well as new ventures to hc international trekking and tour groups.
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Mahabir Pun has, therefore, succeeded not just in creating a self-sustaining educational system, but a range of new economic and social enterprises to support remote communities.
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Mahabir Pun led the initiative to register a nonprofit organization named "Rashtriya Abiskar Kendra" in 2012, widely termed as National Innovation Center in English.
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Primary objective to establish the Innovation and invention center according to Mahabir Pun is to foster research and developments for the economic development of the country.
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Mahabir Pun worked with the government for funding of the project which did not happen and since July 2016, Mahabir Pun is running a crowd funding campaign to fund National Innovation efforts.
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Mahabir Pun has got social attraction with his donation of land for the National Innovation Center.
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In 2002, Mahabir Pun was elected Ashoka Fellow by the Ashoka Foundation, the global association of leading social entrepreneurs.
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In 2004, Mahabir Pun received the Overall Social Innovations Award from the Global Ideas Bank, aka the Institute for Social Inventions.
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In 2007, Mahabir Pun was awarded the Magsaysay Award, considered by some to be the Nobel Prize of Asia, in recognition of "his innovative application of wireless computer technology in Nepal, bringing progress to remote mountain areas by connecting his village to the global village".
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Mahabir Pun is one of five Nepalis to receive the Magsaysay Award, and the only one to receive the Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership.
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Mahabir Pun was inducted in Internet Hall of Fame in 2014.
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In 2014 Pun was awarded the Jonathan B Postel Service Award by the Internet Society.
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In 2021 Mahabir Pun announced a TV Show Aaviskar on Nepal's first 4K TV channel Galaxy 4K.