Municipality No. 1, Bankgin, within the Suryodaya Municipality, not only granted Swastika Shah a full scholarship for her undergraduate studies but also initiated employment opportunities. "I was anxious about pursuing a bachelor's degree after completing grade 12. The municipality has made education accessible," Shah remarked. "I was seeking employment, and the municipality offered me a teaching position. I will commence teaching today." She mentioned teaching activities began at Mahendrodaya School on Thursday (March 28, 2024).
Shah is not the sole beneficiary of employment following graduation with a full scholarship from the municipality. It has been five years since the inception of the "Nagar ko Ichhya, Chori Buhari Lai Shikshya" campaign, which provides cost-free undergraduate education at the Karfok Campus. "To date, a hundred and fifty-three daughters have completed their undergraduate studies, with twenty-three of them graduating," stated Mayor Ran Bahadur Rai. "Among the graduates, fifteen have sought employment from the municipality. They have been assigned a hundred-day job in various schools and offices."
Employment opportunities were allocated to the graduates based on their academic disciplines and qualifications. Two were designated to the ward office, one to the municipality's Education, Youth, and Sports Department, and one to the Maternity and Child Clinic. At the same time, the remainder were assigned to various schools. They will work for a hundred days in their assigned positions. Rai emphasized that apart from short-term employment, they will also receive support for further education and skill development. "Graduates will receive additional assistance from the employment program," he affirmed. "The municipality will also nurture them based on their skills and capabilities."
Mayor Rai also revealed plans to provide scholarships for undergraduate studies to daughters who reside in the municipality, even if they move here after marriage. "Even if they have reached the legal age, daughters aged 20–22 should prioritize education over marriage. We aim to cultivate their interest in education through this program," he added.
Yognidhi Bhattarai, the head of the city's education department, explained that students are employed based on their qualifications in education, humanities, management, and computers. "We allocate work based on their abilities, not just their college majors," he noted. Gopal Kattel, the head of Karfolk Campus, disclosed that this year, the number of students studying on scholarships has reached 200. Daughters-in-law, beneficiaries of the municipality's scholarships, are pursuing various subjects at Karfok Campus.
Kattel further mentioned that daughters from rural areas, sponsored by the municipality's scholarship program, study diverse subjects on campus. "We have extended the scholarship program to rural campuses to assist financially disadvantaged daughters," he elaborated. "They will receive scholarships for their studies and also benefit from additional hundred-day employment. Scholarship recipients are enrolled in programs such as BBA, BBS, and BED." Despite many graduates pursuing higher education, fifteen graduates are currently engaged in hundred-day employment across various municipality offices, as per Education Section Chief Bhattarai.
Successful daughters in the education sector lauded the municipality's investment. Sujata Bajgain, who completed grade 12 in 2074, initially worried about pursuing a bachelor's degree but was supported by the municipality. Currently pursuing a postgraduate degree after completing her undergraduate studies on a full scholarship from the municipality, Sujata's father, Prem, acknowledged the municipality's commendable efforts. "Our municipality's initiative is praiseworthy and serves as an example in alleviating obstacles such as financial constraints or early marriage from hindering education pursuits," he expressed.
