Mahabir Pun is a Nepali scientist, teacher, social entrepreneur, and activist who is best known for being the creator and leader of the Nepal Wireless Networking Project(NWNP). This project received international recognition including the Magsaysay Award for his work in this field. He was inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame and was awarded the Jonathan B. Postel Service Award by the Internet Society in 2014.

Besides, Pun is also active on the social media platform with around 192k followers on his Twitter account: @MahabirPun and has around 2.1k followers on his Instagram account: @mahabirpun1

What is Mahabir Pun famous for?

• Famous as a Nepali scientist, teacher, social entrepreneur, and an activist
• Known for being the creator and leader of the Nepal Wireless Networking Project(NWNP)

When and where was Mahabir Pun born?

Mahabir Pun was born on January 22, 1955, in Nangi Village, Myagdi, Nepal. His birth name is Mahabir Pun Phagami. He holds a Nepali nationality. His ethnicity is Asian while Aquarius is his zodiac sign.

Pun was born as the oldest child to Krishna Pun(father) and Purbi Pun(mother). His father was a former British army. He was raised in his hometown, Nangi, a remote village in the mountainous district Myagdi District of western Nepal. He spent his childhood grazing cattle and sheep. 

He attended a village school without paper, pencils, textbooks, or qualified teachers. After his father got retired from the British army, his family moved to the southern plains of Nepal for Pun's better education and life. He then joined Khairahani Higher Secondary School in Chitwan. However, he could not continue his education after graduating from high school due to financial problems.

He worked as a teacher for about 12 years in four schools to support his brothers' and sisters' education and he also joined Amrit Science Campus(ASCOL) to continue his further studies. He applied to several universities in UK and US for years. Finally, after earning a partial scholarship, he attended the University of Nebraska at Kearney and got graduated with a bachelor's degree in Science Education in 1992. 

Pun then returned to his hometown. After observing the critical need for sustainable education for native children, he founded the Himanchal High School which specially focuses on computer education and other programs with income-generating capacity. Later, he returned to the University of Nebraska and got graduated with a master's degree in Educational Administration in 2001.

Mahabir Pun’s Career

• Mahabir Pun is a humanitarian who has contributed a lot to the education field and scientific development of Nepal.
• After returning from the United States in 2001, he successfully campaigned for the donation of used computers from Japan, Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, and the US, and powered them with two small hydro generators installed in a nearby stream. 
• He then started teaching computer classes to students and fellow teachers.
• After facing communication and network problems, he requested assistance from the BBC. Some volunteers from Europe and the USA reached him after the BBC publicized his dilemma.
• Finally, Pun became the first Nepali to introduce wireless internet technologies to develop remote areas of the Himalayas, known as "Nepal Wireless Networking Project" in 2002 with the donations and supports from volunteers, and foreign institutions like the Donald Strauss Foundation, the International Center for Applied Studies in Information Technology at George Mason University, the World Bank, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Doodle Labs, Pacific Wireless and others. 
• In this project, some local institutions including the E-Networking Research and Development, Gandaki College of Engineering and Sciences, and Prime College also contributed a lot.
• By 2013, the project was able to service more than 140 remote mountain villages.
• Besides, his success in creating a self-sustaining educational system, he has played a vital role in the new economic and social enterprises to support remote communities in Nepal.
• Intending to establish the Innovation and invention center to foster research and development, Pun led the initiative to register a nonprofit organization named "Rashtriya Abiskar Kendra" or "National Innovation Center" in 2012.
• This institution has been helping in the economic development of Nepal since its commencement in 2012.
• In the year 2021, Pun started a TV show "Aviskar" on  Nepal's first 4K TV channel Galaxy 4K.s

Mahabir Pun Awards and Achievement

• Mahabir Pun was elected Ashoka Fellow by the Ashoka Foundation in 2002.
• He was awarded the Overall Social Innovations Award from the Global Ideas Bank, aka the Institute for Social Inventions in 2004.
• He became one of the five Nepalis to receive the "Magsaysay Award" in 2007. The award is also considered to be the Nobel Prize of Asia.
• In 2007, he received an honorary degree as a Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Nebraska.
• In 2014, he got inducted into the Internet Hall of Fame.
• In the same year, he won the Jonathan B. Postel Service Award by the Internet Society.
• Pun also received the ICT pioneer Award in 2019.

Who is Mahabir Pun’s Wife?

Mahabir Pun is a married man. He is currently married to his only wife, Om Maya Pun. Om Maya is his childhood love. The couple tied the knot in June 1988. The couple is blessed with a daughter, June Pun who was born on September 20, 1998, in Pokhara. His wife did not go along with him to live in his parent's home in Chitwan. Pun and his family are happily living together in Kathmandu, Nepal.

How much is Mahabir Pun’s worth?

Mahabir Pun has earned a good amount of money from his profession as a scientist, teacher, social entrepreneur, and activist. Having started his career as a teacher, Pun has a come long way becoming the national hero of Nepal for his contribution to the educational system and economic development of Nepal. Including all of his earnings, Pun has an estimated net worth of around $2 million as of 2022. However, he spends most of his income on innovations and inventions.

How tall is Mahabir Pun?

Mahabir Pun is a handsome man with a well-maintained body physique in his mid-60s. He has a fair complexion with black hair and a pair of brown eyes. He stands tall with a height of 5ft 11 inches(1.8) and has a bodyweight of 73kg(160 lbs). His shoe size is 7(US).