- Tuesday, 11 November 2025
The Rising Nepal
policies, programmes being Unveiled today
The government is unveiling its annual policies and programmes for the fiscal year 2079/80 on Tuesday. President Bidya Devi Bhandari will read out the policy document at a joint session of the Federal Parliament at 4:00 PM tomorrow. Rojnath Pandey, Secretary at the Parliament Secretariat, said that all the preparations for the address of the President in the House have been completed. The Parliament Secretariat informed that rehearsal reading, seat planning, protocol maintenance and other preparatory tasks have already been completed.
Investigate rape case: Lawmakers
Lawmakers of the National Assembly have asked the government to investigate into the suspects of rape to save girls from the crime. Participating in a pre-budget session in the Upper House on Monday, they said that until and unless the culprits are booked for actions, girls would not be safe in the country. They also raised voices against some contemporary issues like the price hike of petroleum products, local level election and others. Lawmaker Krishna Prasad Paudel said that the local election was conducted fairly. He appreciated the coalition government for conducting the election in a healthy atmosphere.
'Global pledge needed for sustainable development'
Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Narayan Khadka, has stressed the need for global commitment, solidarity and urgent actions to fulfill the obligations towards posterity, informed the Embassy of Nepal in Bangkok. There is a need to focus on accelerated and deliberate actions that promote sustainability, he said in a pre-recorded video message to the 78th Session of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) on Monday, which coincides with the 75th anniversary of its establishment.
Check Tobacco Use
Though anti-tobacco campaigns have been going on in Nepal for years, the use of smokeless tobacco products, including betel quid or gutka, has now become widespread across the country. Such addictive products are manufactured with the mixing of tobacco, crushed betel nut and various spices. These chewing products also contain catechu, paraffin wax, slaked lime and sweet or savoury flavours. People consume gutka, like chewing tobacco, by placing its pinch in-between the gum and cheek. Such stuffs seem to have been designed in such a way that even young adults and others could keep consuming them once they taste these habit-forming items. Despite being hazardous to human health, these products are found in most of grocery shops in both rural and urban areas across the nation. The commonly available gutka brands in Nepal include Bhola and Current. One can see red-coloured empty packets of gutka scattered on every street even in the Kathmandu Valley. Many other Asian countries like India and Pakistan have also been thriving markets for these products.
Local Poll Deflates Oli's Ego
Narayan UpadhyayVoters displayed the power of ballots when they got opportunities to elect local representatives during the May-13 local elections held across the nation. As the result showed, the electorate voted for the ruling party alliance candidates and discarded the main opposition contestants at many local bodies thus puncturing the bloated ego of the UML chair KP Sharma Oli. With alliance partners improving their position as they won over a considerable number of local bodies, many construed the outcome as a powerful message to the UML that committed gaffes during its three-and-a-half years of rule under Oli. Before the poll, the UML chair used to taunt the five-party government as a mandamus-induced government or a government made up through the mandamus order of the Supreme Court. Besides ridiculing the alliance, he used to brag that his party would claim a majority of local bodies because the people would not support the alliance. Nevertheless, voters proved Oli wrong as the alliance partners, especially the Nepali Congress (NC) and CPN-Maoist Centre, turned out to be the main gainers. Through ballots, the electorate gave expression to their pent-up frustration against UML and its leaders. Alliance’s gain The gain of the alliance is a sign that voters did not digest the way Oli and his hangers-on dissolved the parliament and went ahead with splitting the then Nepal Communist Party. Even after the five-party alliance formed the current government, the UML continued disrupting parliament proceedings for about nine months, frustrating the people further. As the local poll results started trickling in, the woebegone UML made an unconditional decision not to disrupt the House proceedings.The NC, the largest among the ruling alliance partners, has so far finished at the top of the result table winning around 325 mayoral and 300 deputy mayoral posts in 753 local units, while the main opposition will have to satisfy around 205 mayors and 231 deputy mayors' seats. In the last local election held in 2017, the Congress had won only 266 mayoral and 223 deputy mayoral positions, while the UML had grabbed 296 mayoral and 331 deputy mayoral positions. Likewise, the Maoist Centre triumphed in 110 local bodies while it claimed 111 deputy mayoral positions in the 2017 poll but has improved its performance by winning around 122 mayors and 126 deputy mayors positions. The five-party alliance has run away with about 500 mayors and 485 deputy mayoral seats. Having won at major places in the last election, UML has almost been wiped out from metropolises while it has lost many of the sub-metropolitan cities, municipalities and rural municipalities.As things have turned out, the alliance partners are jubilant over the poll outcome, which has encouraged them to maintain the alliance for many years to come so that nobody would be a loser. Despite some misgivings that the alliance did not help some of its partners in winning the expected number of seats, it now appears that the five parties will contest the coming elections for the federal and provincial parliaments by giving continuation to the alliance. NC president and Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and Maoist Centre chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda have made commitments in private and public to keep the alliance intact.Apart from being remembered for delivering a blow to the UML, this local poll will be remembered for some unexpected outcomes. Of all the local bodies, the Kathmandu Metropolises captured attention as it produced an unlikely poll scenario. A young rapper, who is an engineer, has led the results over key contests representing the UML and the Nepali Congress. The vote counting trend shows that Balen Shah, 31, would walk away with victory. Another young female candidate, a former Newa beauty pageant winner, has led others in the deputy mayoral race in Kathmandu. Also worthwhile to note are youth and rebel candidates putting up remarkable performances. An independent candidate, Gopal Hamal, cashed in on his immense popularity in Dhangadi Sub-metropolis to defeat the rival contestant of the Nepali Congress, the party that snubbed him while giving party tickets. Another winner, Harka Sampang Rai, an independent candidate who went on electioneering on his own with no supporters, won in Dharan Sub-metropolis on his promises to address pressing local issues. Manoj Kumar Shah Sudi, who revolted against the NC and fought for the Janakpur mayoral seat as an independent candidate, will as well win. Balen, Hamal, Sampang and Sudi are the candidates that remind us that no matter how strong political parties and their candidates are, the voters often go for electing individuals who can effectively show their vision, elucidate programmes and plans for developing municipalities or localities. If we look into the recent results, we find that voters this time around have sided with youth candidates. Contestants 41 to 50 years of age have dominated the results. Overall, reports suggest that 560 local units have found youths as mayors and deputy mayors. Heightened awarenessYoung voters have taken part in this poll, thanks to heightened awareness of their right to elect representatives. Social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and others turned out to be a key force to drive Nepali youths towards polling stations in droves. Youths also acted as influencers, helping form opinions among family members and neighbours regarding candidates and parties contesting in their localities. The success of Balen and Sunita Dangol in Kathmandu and other youth candidates in other locals is an outcome of the youths' active support of them as influencers.Given the latest trend among youth voters, the poll outcome has sent an unmistakable message to political parties: they must now field youths with passion, knowledge and vision for causing or realising positive changes in the localities. As youths are more aware of utilising ballots, the political parties must now field candidates with capabilities to sway over youths and other voters. (Upadhyay is Managing Editor of this daily.)
Enact Intellectual Property Law
The TRIPS (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) Agreement is a legal convention between all the member states of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) aimed at protecting intellectual property rights. The TRIPS Agreement was negotiated in the 1986-1994 Uruguay Round. The Agreement was implemented on January 1, 1995. The TRIPS Agreement allows member states to provide more extensive protection to intellectual property if they so wish. Nepal became a member of the WTO on April 23, 2004. By virtue of being a member of the WTO, the country is a member of the TRIPS Agreement. The nation is also a member of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and of the Paris Convention for Industrial Property.
Defining A Female
Picture a female. The common descriptions would entail long hair, beautiful eyes, fair skin and a well-endowed body. Hordes of young girls strive to match these so-called feminine traits via means of diet, exercise, makeup and surgery. This prototype is so deeply rooted in our society that any deviation labels the person as non-feminine. If the definition of a female is limited to what meets the eye, where then do we include those females who due to various reasons suffer from hair loss, eating disorders or skin ailments? Do we consider these issues before we pass a judgement on the females around us?
Rejected! Madrid fails agaiwn on attempt to sign Mbappé
For Real Madrid and its fans, it was not about whether it would happen. It was just a matter of when it would happen. Signing Kylian Mbappé was seen as a done deal in the Spanish capital. The only doubts when it came to the young France forward were about whether he would flank Karim Benzema on the right or left side of the attack. Madrid supporters even had already "welcomed" the France star by applauding him at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium when he played with Paris Saint-Germain in the round of 16 of the Champions League in March, when Madrid advanced with a 3-1 win.
Premier Golf Championship tees off today
The final event of the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2021-22, Surya Nepal Premier Golf Championship will tee off at Gokarna Golf Club on Tuesday. The event will be played over 72 holes from May 23 to 26. There will be a cut applied after 2 rounds (36 holes). Only top 21 pros and ties will make their journey to the final 36 holes along with top six amateurs and ties and those who make the professional cut.
City clinch 6th Premier League title
Manchester City clinched a sixth Premier League title in 11 seasons on Sunday by scoring three times in five minutes to come from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-2 in the finale to avoid being toppled by challenger Liverpool. City was trailing 2-0 to Villa until ilkay Gündogan began the comeback in the 76th. Rodri equalized two minutes later and Gündogan put City in front in the 81st. At one point even when City was losing, it was still set to defend the title as Liverpool was only drawing 1-1 to Wolverhampton.
Jacqueline steps in to help Bollywood photographer in distress
Apart from acting in movies, Jacqueline Fernandez is also known to help out people in need. Last year, she had also launched her foundation 'You Only Live Once' or YOLO to spread kindness through various mediums. Recently, Jacqueline stepped in to help Bollywood photographer Manoj Mehara who was in dire need for funds for his brother's medical treatment.
Trailer of Paso released
Trailer of Nepali movie Paso produced by BR Entertainment has been made public. According to the production company, the film will be released on November 11. Actors including Rista Basnet, Sunisha Bajgain, Ram Kumar Bastakoti, Pratik Dulal and Pranav Akash are doing the film. The trailer of the movie tells the story of a young woman trapped inside a wooden box. The film has music by Surya Dayalu, and story, script, dialogues and direction by RB Pun.
UML loses at least 4 mayoral posts in Rupandehi local levels
In most of the local bodies of Rupandehi, CPN-UML has lost the key post in the rural municipalities but won the majority seats of deputy chief. This time, CPN-UML lost the seats it had won in the previous elections. Women who were contesting for the post of deputy chief won even in the areas where the party was defeated in the main post.
Humla becomes self-reliant in garlic
Humla district has become self-reliant in garlic as farmers have become more attracted to its cultivation.
Draupadi Samman conferred on NICCI President Rana
President of Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI) Shreejana Rana has been honoured with Draupadi Samman Patra 2022 in New Delhi of India. Draupadi Dream Trust has honoured Rana, as the President of NICCI, for her contribution in Nepal-India bilateral relation through development and promotion of religious and spiritual tourism in both the nations, the binational chamber said in a statement on Sunday.
