About Me

Academic Degrees

  • Ph. D. (Linguistics), Central Institute of English & Foreign Languages (CIEFL), Hyderabad, India, 1984.
  • M. Litt., (Linguistics), CIEFL, Hyderabad, India, 1980.
  • Post-Graduate Diploma in the Teaching of English (PGDTE), CIEFL, Hyderabad, India, 1979.
  • M.A. (English), Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal, 1967.

Postdoctoral Research

  • Senior Visiting Fellowship, International Institute for Asian Studies, Leiden, The Netherlands, May-July, 1998.
  • External Collaborator in Projection Typolology Project (German Science Foundation DFG), University of Mainz, Germany, April-June, 1997.
  • Rockefeller Foundation’s Fellowship, Bellagio Study and Conference Centre, Italy, April-May, 1993.
  • Fulbright Postdoctoral Fellowship, Department of Linguistics, University of Chicago, USA, 1991-1992.

Awards, Medals & Fellowships

  • Elected Honorary Life Member of Linguistic Society of America 2016.
  • Nepal Prajna Bhasha Puraskar-2069 (Nepal Academy Language Award-2013), Nepal Academy, 2013.
  • Nepal Vidyapati Anusandhan Puraskar-2069, Vidyapati Puraskar Kosh, Ministry of Culture, Government of Nepal, 2013.
  • Suprabal Jansewashree Medal (Ganatantra Divas Vibhushan-2069), Ministry of Home, Government of Nepal, 2013.
  • Itihasshiromani Baburam Acharya Shodhsamman, Shree Lunkarandas-Gangadevi Choudhary Sahityakala Mandir, Kathmandu, 2012.
  • Mithila Ratna Award, International Maithili Conference, Kathmandu, 2010.
  • Fulbright Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, Centre for International Exchange of Scholars (CIES), Washington D.C., 1991-92.
  • Faculty Improvement Fellowship, Tribhuvan University, 1978-83.
  • Shri Mahendra Scholarship, 1963-65 (for B.A. level education), Ministry of Education, HMG.
  • Medals for obtaining the highest marks at I.A. and B.A. exams. at SMB Campus, Rajbiraj.
  • Mahendra Vidyabhusana (for the doctoral work), Ministry of Education, HMG, 1985.

Teaching Experience

  • Approximately 41 plus years.

Positions Held

  • Member, Evaluation Committee, University Grants Commission, Sanothimi, 2009-2015.
  • Member, Humanities ans Social Sciences Cluster Committee, University Grants Commission, Sanothimi, 2011-2015.
  • Advisor, Avadhi Vyakaran, Nepal Academy, 2013-2014.
  • Advisor, Bhojpuri-Nepali-English Dictionary, Nepal Academy 2012-2013.
  • Chairman, Language Technology Kendra, Patan, 2010 onwards.
  • Advisor, Centre for Constitutional Dialogue (CCD), UNDP, 2009-2011.
  • Advisor, Ethnographic Profile, Government of Finland, 2011-2013.
  • Mentor, Social Inclusion Research Fund (SIRF), SNV/Government of Finland.
  • Member, Language Committee, Nepal Academy, 2010 onwards.
  • Language Advisor, UNMIN, 2007-2008.
  • Coordinator, translation and adaptation of MLE Advocacy Kit (UNESCO) into Nepali, Maithili, Bhojpuri and Avadhi, 2008.
  • Team Leader, Nepali Language Resources and Localization for Education and Communication (an EU-funded project, 2004-2007).
  • Member, Committee on Linguistic Survey of Nepal till 2011.
  • Founder Director, Linguistic Survey of Nepal 2008-2009.
  • Life Member, Nepal Academy.
  • Team Leader, Linguistic Survey of Nepal Team, 2008-2009.
  • Member, South Asia Association of Language Processing (SAALP).
  • Member, MLE Steering Committee, MoE, 2007 onwards.
  • Chairman, English Subject Committee, CDC, HMG from 2003-2007.
  • Member, Education for All Project 2003.
  • Member, Tribhuvan University Council from 2002 till 2004.
  • Member, TU Academic Council from 2002 till 2004.
  • Member, TU Faculty Board from 2002.
  • Member, Research Committee from 2002-2009.
  • Member, Nepali Sign Language Committee.
  • Evaluator of school level English textbooks.
  • Head, Evaluation committee for Bilingual Education Project, HMG.
  • Contributor to Population Monograph 2003/2011, CBS.
  • Member, Academic Assembly and Council, Royal Nepal Academy, 1994-1999.
  • Chairman, Linguistics Subject Committee, Tribhuvan University from 2001 onward.
  • Member, English Subject Committee (Education Faculty), Tribhuvan University.
  • Member-Secretary, English Subject Committee, CDC, TU (1992-94).
  • President, Linguistic Society of Nepal, 2000-2004.
  • Coordinator, Education for All (Thematic Group for Indigenous People and Linguistic Minority) (2006-2007).
  • Member, Madan Puraskar Sabha, Lalitpur.
  • Member, Language Policy Recommendation Commission, His Majesty’s Govt./Nepal,1994-1995.

Journal Editing

  • Advisory Board Member, Journal of South Asian Linguistics, CSLI Publications, 2015.
  • Editor, MLE Newsletter, Kathmandu, CERID: TU, 2011.
  • EditorHimalayan Linguistics (a web journal), Santa Barbara, USA: University of California, 2010.
  • Regional Editor, Annual Review of South Asian Languages and Linguistics, The Hague, The Netherlands: Mouton, 2007.
  • Editor, Corpora, Edinburgh, UK: Edinburgh University Press, 2006.
  • Chief Editor, Nepalese linguistics, 2005-2009.
  • Regional Editor, The Yearbook of South Asian languages and Linguistics, New Delhi: Sage Publications, 1998.
  • Founder Editor, Journal of Nepalese Studies, Nepal Academy, 1993-1996.
  • Founder Chief Editor, Sayapatri (a multilingual journal) 1993-1996, Nepal Academy, Kathmandu.

International Seminars / Conferences Participated

2016 International MLE Conference, Bangkok
2013 International MLE Conference, Bangkok
2008 International MLE Conference, Bangkok, July 1-3.
2007 MLE Symposium, organized by UNESCO, TU, MoE and SIL.
2007 International Seminar on Constitutionalism and Diversity in Nepal, CNAS, TU, 22-24 August.
2006 University of Lahore, Pakistan.
2001 International Conference on Non-nominative Subject, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies.
2000 Sixth Himalayan languages Symposium, University of Wisconsin/Milwaukee.
1998 The Fourth Himalayan Languages Symposium, Pune.
1998 GLOW Colloquium, January, CIEFL, Hyderabad (India).
1998 International Conference on Agreement, Jan. 8-10, 1998, University of Delhi (India).
1997 The Third Himalayan Languages Symposium, Jul. 18-20, 1997, Santa Barbara: University of California.
1996 The Second Himalayan Languages Symposium, Oct. 8-10, 1996, Leiden: Leiden University.
1995 All India Linguists’ Meet, CIIL, Mysore, India.
1992 The Annual Meeting of Linguistic Society of America, Philadelphia, USA
1991 The 20th South Asia Conference, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA.
1987 Seminar on Indian Languages, CIEFL, Hyderabad.
1984 Seminar of Recent Trends in Generative Grammar, University of Delhi.

Number of PhD Students Supervised & Completed

  • 10 PhD students

Foreign Delegation

  • Nepalese Delegation to the 49th United Nations General Assembly, New York, 1994.
  • Royal Nepal Academy’s Cultural Delegation to People’s Republic of China, 1998.

Proficiency in Languages

Maithili (mother tongue), Nepali and Hindi (second languages), Bhojpuri and Avadhi (passive knowledge) and English (fluent).

Countries Visited

USA, UK, Germany, The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Switzerland, Singapore, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Thailand, China, Japan, Sri Lanka, Sweden.