अर्थ प्रणाली 
Honorable State Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA), Arun Kumar Chaudhary, officially announced the international affiliation of NMA’s training and the new curriculum for PMG and PML during an event held at Aranya Boutique Hotel in Nagpokhari, Naxal.
The NMA, which has a reach history of conducting mountaineering-related various training including Professional Mountain Guide in Nepal since 1978 and working as the technical wing of the Government of Nepal for mountaineering and rescue, has been offering Mountain Leader training since 2011.
However, starting this year, the Union of International Mountain Leader Associations (UIMLA) has certified the mountain leader training conducted by the NMA. The Annual General Assembly of UIMLA, held on 2nd November 2024 in North Macedonia, officially decided to certify NMA’s training.
With the farsighted vision of the current Executive Board, the NMA has expanded its mountaineering-related training programs to a new level.
The NMA, with financial and technical assistance, has developed a 1696-hour curriculum for PMG and PML, which has been approved by the Council of Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT). The association has also successfully organized the 1696-hour Professional Mountain Leader training and the Fundamental Skill for Mountaineering course, the first component of the 1696-hour Professional Mountain Guide training.
The NMA has distributed certificates to all participants who successfully completed the Professional Mountain Leader training (including Fundamental Skill, Summer Skill, Winter Skill, 80 hours of Mountain Medicine, and High Altitude Skill) and the Fundamental Skill for Mountaineering course. To date, 32 participants have successfully completed the Professional Mountain Leader Training, and 21 participants have successfully completed the Fundamental Skill for Mountaineering course, a compulsory requirement of Professional Mountain Guide Training as part of the new curriculum approved by CTEVT.
The NMA President, Mr. Nima Nuru Sherpa, formally announced that NMA’s training has resumed at full capacity. “The NMA training has not been in full operation since the coronavirus outbreak. Now, we have been able to restart the training in full,” the NMA President said. “These training programs receive financial support from the Government of Nepal. Therefore, I would like to thank the Government for supporting this important work of producing skilled human resources, and we further expect continued support.”
He continued, “We must focus on producing skilled human resources for the advancement of Nepal’s mountain tourism. This will undoubtedly benefit the Government as well. The Government’s ongoing support in this regard will be greatly appreciated.”
Honorable State Minister Chaudhary expressed optimism about the trainees’ potential to elevate Nepal’s pride on the international stage. “Due to global warming, the condition of our mountains is deteriorating day by day. Now, it is our turn to protect our mountains,” the Honorable Minister said. “I am hopeful that these participants will lead the way for our mountains and make us proud internationally.”
The President of the Nepal Press Council, Mr. Bal Krishna Basnet, and the President of the Trekking Agencies Association of Nepal (TAAN), Mr. Sagar Pandey, urged the Government to support the NMA in organizing such training programs. “Thanks to the NMA’s efforts, these skilled human resources are now ready to lead Nepal’s mountain tourism. It is our collective responsibility to support the NMA in this important work,” both dignitaries stated. “Nepal’s mountaineering industry is in need of more skilled human resources, and supporting the NMA in this regard is our only option. Therefore, we urge the Government to continue supporting the NMA in conducting mountaineering training.”
NMA Senior Vice President, Mr. Thakur Raj Pandey, and General Secretary, Mr. Mohan Lamsal, pointed out that the Government has yet to release the allocated funds for the NMA. Although nearly 6 crore has been allocated to the NMA, the funds have not been released.
