Why the Young Should Know Dr. Mahabir Pun — The Scientist of Nepal We Cannot Afford to Overlook
In an age where our attention is pulled in every direction by curated images, fleeting trends, and the relentless pace of entertainment, it’s easy to forget the quiet heroes. The ones who don’t walk red carpets or trend on social media, but instead walk dusty roads, knock on village doors, and light a fire in the hearts of the forgotten. Dr. Mahabir Pun is one such hero. And I believe—deeply—that the youth of Nepal and beyond must know him, remember him, and be inspired by him.
I sat down to write about him not because he’s famous, but because he’s important. In fact, he’s essential—to our story, our future, our sense of what’s possible.
Born in the remote village of Nangi in the Myagdi district, Dr. Pun’s early life was shaped by scarcity. Access to basic education, electricity, and communication was limited. But from that very lack, he developed something rare: an unshakable drive to connect, to educate, and to innovate. After earning his Master’s degree in Education from the University of Nebraska, he could have stayed abroad. He could have chosen the comfort and predictability that many of us dream about. But he came back—armed not just with knowledge, but with purpose.
And then he began to do something quietly revolutionary.
Through the Nepal Wireless Networking Project, Dr. Pun brought the internet to rural areas where even roads struggled to reach. He connected students, teachers, health workers, and farmers to the world. He didn’t just bring technology—he brought opportunity. He showed us that innovation isn’t about flashy gadgets; it’s about solving real problems for real people, especially the ones the world tends to overlook.
But what moves me even more than his projects is how he leads. Just recently, I came across a photo of him—69 years old, standing in a local market, personally selling his book about innovation to raise funds. No ads. No sponsors. Just a man, his mission, and a table stacked with hope.
That image stayed with me.
It reminded me that true leadership is not about being in the spotlight—it’s about carrying the light to others. It’s about showing up, again and again, even when the world isn’t watching. It’s about believing that a young girl in a village school, or a curious boy in a remote mountain town, might hold the next big idea—and doing everything you can to give them the tools to pursue it.
In Nepal, where systemic support for science and innovation often gets buried beneath politics and short-term priorities, Dr. Pun’s unwavering focus is a quiet rebellion. He’s not just fighting for bandwidth or buildings—he’s fighting for imagination. For the belief that a small nation with big dreams can stand tall if it invests in its thinkers, doers, and dreamers.
To the young readers—especially those scrolling through this post on their phones in cities or villages, wondering where they fit in this vast, uncertain world—I urge you: Know him. Read about him. Talk about him. Be inspired by his grit and grace. Understand that changing the world doesn’t start with resources—it starts with responsibility. And Dr. Mahabir Pun embodies that truth like few others.
The future belongs to those who build. And we are lucky, as a country, to have had someone quietly laying the foundation all this time.
We will look back one day and realize that while many chased fame, Dr. Pun chased purpose. And in doing so, he gave us something priceless: a reason to believe that progress, too, can grow from our own soil.
Let’s not wait to celebrate him later. Let’s support him now, learn from him now, and follow the trail he’s carved through mountains, minds, and hearts.
