The Nepal-based alumni of Columbia University in New York have opened a Nepal Chapter with former ambassador Dr Singha Bahadur Basnyat as president and the newly-appointed attorney general, Sushil Pant, as vice president. Other functionaries include Prabhakar Adhikari, Gandhi Pandit, Arun Rana, Jogendra Ghimire, Praimal Jha and Purna Man Shakya. Columbia University is celebrating its 250th anniversary this month.