Day: May 7, 2024

Kathmandu: Prof Prabal Raj Pokharel has been appointed as the Head of the Central Department of Journalism and Mass Communication at Tribhuvan University. According to the University, TU Vice Chancellor, Prof Dr Keshar Jung Baral, appointed Pokharel as the departmental chief for three months effective from May 5 after approving the resignation tendered by Prof Chiranjivi Khanal. Prof Pokharel was also appointed as the Head of the Department 16 years ago. After his appointment to the post, Pokharel stressed that the State should increase the investment for promotion of journalism sector, its academic progress and research as well as technical and human resources. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: Finance Minister Barsha Man Pun has made it clear that nothing would be done from the government side, discouraging the private sector. Speaking during the discussions held today at the Ministry to collect suggestions from the representatives of banks and finance sector for the next fiscal year's budget, he urged the private sector to put in investment confidently as the government is also its guardian. "The government agencies will not do anything to harass and discourage the private sector. Rather the government promotes and facilitates the private sector," he asserted. Minister Pun shared on the occasion that monetary policy will be aligned with the policies and programmes and budget of the government for the coming year, stating discussions are being held with Nepal Rastra Bank for the same. "The government and the regulator is the State itself. The purpose and policy of the state are the same. Harmony will be maintained in policies and programmes, the fiscal policy and monetary policy," he said. The Finance Minister said that the economy is vibrant this year compared to last year and he is preparing to bring the budget so that it will be more vibrant than the current financial year. Pun also stated that collaboration will be made to achieve certain goals of the State by staying within the policies specified by the constitution. "Everyone's emphasis is to promote, facilitate and boost the morale of the private sector by staying within the economic policy specified by the constitution and discussions and consultations are being held among the stakeholders for that," he said. He made it clear that the policies that are doing good in the economy would be continued ahead. The Finance Minister also urged the private sector to put its views without any inhibition as the State is the guardian of the private sector. Noting that the economic policy should be in accordance with the country's situation, Minister Pun mentioned that information technology is an area that needs to be promoted immediately according to the geo-political situation of Nepal. "According to our geographical situation, we think that when we focus on the information technology sector, it will create a large number of employment opportunities and investment will be more likely. We have thought of promoting the information technology sector through the budget," the Finance Minister said. He said that priority will be given to energy, tourism, agriculture, large and medium infrastructure sectors in the same budget. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, has said the government is preparing to bring Act related to Media Council, Social Media and Mass Communication as soon as possible. Putting forth the views in the discussion on the bills to amend and integrate laws related to Public Service Broadcasting held here today, Minister Sharma mentioned that the bill related to Media Council is at the National Assembly for discussion. She clarified about the formation of a council mentioned in point number 6 of the 'Bill designed to amend and integrate laws related to Public Service Broadcasting' and laid emphasis that the Communications Ministry should take leadership of the council. "We have not yet practiced the public service broadcasting. The bill originated from the National Assembly is in the committee since years. So we have to make it relevant in our context rather than imitating others," the Minister explained. Sharing that the public service broadcasting has been brought to merge Radio Nepal and Nepal Television rather, Secretary at the Communications Ministry, Ram Krishna Subedi, expressed the view that responsibility should be given to the Communications Ministry. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology is to take into account the impact of students learning achievements while running the remaining programmes of the current fiscal year 2023/24. A meeting of Ministry-level Development Problem Solution Committee decided that the ministry and bodies concerned should include the results achieved, major learnings and next year's cost for the relevant programmes along with expenditure particulars while submitting progress details. The meeting held under chairmanship of Education Minister Sumana Shrestha took the decision to propose and implement the programmes taking the conclusion of the researches conducted by the different organisations regarding running programmes as the feedback, according to Minister Shrestha's Secretariat. Similarly, the Ministry and bodies concerned would conduct a survey among the stakeholders (students, guardians, teachers and professional community) about the service they have been providing through research section of thei r respective bodies and submit their report to the Ministry as well as to improve coordination by reviewing the duplication in budget line item. The meeting also decided that all bodies should make weekly log-frame and fulfill the determined goals compulsorily as well as to end the system of providing cent percent marks in performance evaluation without fulfilling the determined goals. Source: National News Agency RSS

DHAKA, A total of 418 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been deployed on Monday ahead of the first phase of the upazila parishad polls to be held tomorrow. "The BGB personnel will work as a mobile and striking force to maintain peace and order in the electoral areas of the upazilas from May 6 to 10 to assist the local administration under Aid to the Civil Power," said a press release issued today. The first phase of the sixth upazila parishad elections in 141 upazilas will be held tomorrow. Voting will begin from 8 am and continue till 4 pm. A total of 1,635 candidates are competing in this phase. Among them, 570 are vying for the post of chairman, 625 for vice chairman and 440 for the post of female vice chairman. Source: Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha

Kathmandu: Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Bhanubhakta Joshi, has spoken the need of ensuring relief to those who were rendered homeless during the November 3 earthquake with its epicenter in Jajarkot district. In his address to the 2nd Nepal Shelter Forum commenced here today, the Minister sought the guarantee of prompt compensation to the quake-affected to build a shelter. " There should be no delay in assisting the disaster survivors to build temporary shelters," the Minister said adding that their status would be further wretched during rains if the temporary shelter was not managed before the monsoon begins. We continue to face disasters in series, according to the Minister who said the woes left by the 2015 major earthquake are yet to be completely healed. The frequent incidents of landslides, floods, lightning, and forest fires each year result in a significant loss of life and property, he said, echoing the need for an effective implementation of policies relating to disas ter risk reduction and management. Applauding the role of the National Reconstruction Authority established to undertake the post-2015 quake rebuild efforts, he said the National Risk Reduction and Management Authority could prove its presence effectively in the management of the post-quake situation in the Karnali Province. Though it is said the federal government would dispatch disaster relief in partnership of the province and local governments, it seems to be less productive due to the financial efficiency, according to the Minister who said all the governments at the three-level are not competitive in terms of the available resources including finances. He said over 100,000 houses are needed to be rebuilt in Karnali. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Damodar Bhandari has underscored on promotion of domestic industries to increase the production and consumption of domestic goods. Addressing the 'Make In Nepal- Swadeshi' campaign organized by the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) in collaboration with the Ministry here today, he said, "It is necessary to promote the domestic industries also to expand trade by taking comparative advantage. Arrangements for this would be made in the upcoming year's budget." He said the Ministry is committed to promoting the domestic enterprises and giving high importance to the domestic industries as well. "The Ministry of Finance has been suggested towards that end and it would be given the same suggestion in the coming years as well. Personally, I will also take special initiatives for this work," he added. The Industry Minister stressed on the need of increasing the contribution of the industry sector to the national Gross Domestic Production (GDP), statin g economic prosperity would be hard to come by until there is the contribution of the industry sector in the economy. He pointed out the need for a big reform for that purpose. Minister Bhandari called on all sides to move ahead towards increasing the industry sector's contribution to the national economy, encouraging investments in the industry sector. The government is committed promoting investment in the industries in collaboration with the private sector. "In order to attract foreign investment as well as domestic investment, I request the private sector to play an important role in encouraging foreign investors based on the experience of the private sector on how to promote investment in the industrial sector and bring in foreign investors," he suggested. Praising the role played by the CNI for the promotion of industries the country since its inception, he expressed his gratitude for the contribution made by the Confederation in facilitating the implementation of the government's policy and increasi ng the industrial production as an organization of genuine industrialists. Minister Bhandari expressed the confidence that the 'Make in Nepal-Swadeshi' campaign, which is being conducted by the CNI in agreement between the Government of Nepal and it, will prove to be a milestone in developing Nepal as a self-reliant, self-sufficient and export-oriented economy. He said, "The Ministry has been giving this campaign a high priority and it has also been helping to make this campaign a success. It will continue to do so in the future. The CNI has been urging the government and the public entities to buy domestic goods and the government is also positive on this. This arrangement is in place in the law as well. The ministry will also take necessary initiatives for its effective implementation. I urge everyone, including the private sector, to use indigenous products." Source: National News Agency RSS

A tiger and a rhino were found dead in the Chitwan National Park (CNP) today. The carcass of a big cat was retrieved from Bhimpur of CNP while the rhino was found dead in Nawalparasi (Bardghat-Susta East), according to CNP information officer, Ganesh Prasad Tiwari. A squad from the Nepal Army's security post from Amrite retrieved the big cat and the cause of the death is yet to be known. Similarly, a male rhino was found dead in a community forest along the CNP buffer zone at Kawasoti municipality-15 in Nawalparasi. As the information officer said, it is assessed the animal died naturally. Hooves and a horn of the animal remain non-extracted and safe. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal 'Prachanda' has said he would take high-level diplomatic initiative to bring back Nepali nationals serving in the Russian Army. Prime Minister Dahal said so during the meeting with members of a campaign to save life of Nepalis serving in the Russian Army at the official residence of the Prime Minister at Baluwatar today. "The Office of the Prime Minister is committed to address your demand," he mentioned, adding, "The government has been constantly taking diplomatic initiatives. Initiative have been taken through diplomatic note." Sharing that the government has been continuously involving to save the life of Nepali citizens, the Prime Minister stressed that he was committed to address the demands of families of the Nepalis recruited in the Russian Army. He further said that he had phoned the Nepalis who are in the war zone and discussion was underway continuously through diplomatic channel about their condition. The families of Nepalis serving in the Russian Army had staged sit-in in Kathmandu, demanding to bring back the Nepalis recruited in the Russian Army. The sit-in was postponed after PM Dahal's Public Relations Expert Buddhi GC's the commitment to address their demands. As per the commitment, PM Dahal today met with the family members and pledged to bring back the Nepalis serving in the Russian Army. Source: National News Agency RSS

The households suffering a fire incident at Salle of Halesi Tuwachung municipality-9 have been provided monetary support. Rs 176,000 collected from school teachers and other generous people in the district was provided to the victim families who lost their property in the fire. The fire was spread to their houses from the forest fire on April 26. Seven families displaced after the blaze got the monetary support. A total of 152 teachers extended support. Dipak Bambule, a teacher at Kalika Basic School of Nawalpur, coordinated the campaign to collect monetary assistance for the needy ones. Each family was given the assistance ranging from Rs 12,000 to Rs 45,000 based on the loss they incurred. Those losing entire property in their houses got maximum- Rs 45,000. The monetary assistance was handed over to the victim families in the presence of ward chairman Kashi Raj Rai. The local administration had reported the loss of about Rs 13 million in the blaze. Police informed that 99 houses have perished in mul tiple fire incidents occurred in the district since last July. Source: National News Agency RSS

A toddler from Melkatiya of Ramaroshan rural municipality-7 in the district died in a lightning last night. The lightning killed six-year-old Gaurab Bhandari, a son of Kamal Bhandari, according to Kadka Bahadur Bhandari, former ward chairman. Meanwhile, three persons of a same family were injured, while their house destroyed in a lightning occurred in Dadeldhura district on Monday evening. The thunder bolt hit Devaki Pandeya, his spouse Chandrawati Devi and son Dipesh from Koteuda of Amargadhi municipality-3. A local Bishnu Pandeya informed that the injured ones are however out of risk. Source: National News Agency RSS

Kathmandu: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health and Population, Upendra Yadav, returned home early this morning after attending the 57th meeting of the UN Population and Development Commission in New York, USA. During his stay in New York, DPM held high level meetings including with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and said Nepal would extend full support for making UN further effective. Similarly, in the Commission's meeting, DPM Yadav threw light on the increasing impact of climate change in the least developed countries including Nepal. He also underlined the need for international cooperation and multilateralism to tackle pressing issues of time. Source: National News Agency RSS