- Thursday, 4 December 2025
The Rising Nepal
Curbing Monetary Muscle In Polls
The prevalence of monetary muscle in politics has been an issue of growing concern worldwide. The countries, irrespective of their stages of developmentand institutionalisation of democracies, are all faced with the consequences arising out of the use and abuse of money in elections. A few months ago, South Africa had held local polls where a particular concern had been expressed over the misuse of the resources at the local polls. In the 2020 US presidential polls, the use of monetary muscle was at its worst manifestation. Nepal has not been an exception to it. The top notch politicians, including former prime ministers, have been reported to have expressed their utter dismay over the exorbitant cost of elections even though they have to molest and manipulate the figures and file their returns to the Election Commission swearing that they have not breached the expenditure ceiling fixed by the constitutional entity.
Priority Agenda For Health Strategy
The constitution of Nepal has clearly articulated basic health care as a fundamental right of its citizens. However, there are still critical needs and challenges of ensuring equitable access to quality health services for all in the federal context. Nepal’s new health policy 2019 aims at developing and expanding a health system for all with a particular focus on social justice and good governance. In this context, one of the strategic objectives of Fifteenth Plan (2019/20- 2023/24) is to transform the profit-oriented health sector gradually into a service-oriented sector. This can be achieved by enhancing social accountability of federal, provincial and local governments, and maintaining effective regulation for easily accessible and quality health services including preventive, promotional, curative and palliative care.
You Never Know
I like the phrase 'you never know'. This three-word phrase has a deep meaning hidden in it. In fact, this phrase may link your past to the present and even to the future. It also may give you hope. Further elucidation will make it clearer. To begin with, I never knew I would even be born. After all, who would know? But without their prior knowledge every human is born. I never thought I would ever get married and have a family. I never thought I would come to Kathmandu and stay here for so many years. There are numerous things that have happened which I had never even dreamed of. And I suppose it applies the same to you all. So, you never know. The phrase “you never know” can be a hope and morale booster.
Asian vision shared to conserve elephants
Government representatives from 13 Asian countries have assembled at the 3rd Asian Elephant Range States Meeting to strengthen collaboration and cooperation amongst them in order to protect elephants on the continent. The Asian Elephant Range States Meeting, hosted by the Government of Nepal, is taking place from April 27 to 29, 2022, in Kathmandu, Nepal. Minister for Forest and Environment Ramsahay Prasad Yadav inaugurated the meeting.
24-year-old announces candidacy for Chaurpati vice-chair
Anita Khadka, 24, has registered her candidacy for the vice-chairpersonship of Chaurpati Rural Municipality, Achham. She registered her candidacy from the CPN (UML) on Monday, becoming probably the youngest person to stand for elected office in the upcoming local election. Talking to The Rising Nepal after her registration, Khadka, a resident of Lungra, Chaurpati–5, said that she was standing for her vision of and responsibility towards her society. “I dream of developing and beautifying my birthplace. That is why I am standing for this election,” she explained her decision. “I was born and raised here so I know the local problems. I will try my best to find solutions that work best for everyone.”
8 assembly members vying for mayor
Eight members of the four provincial assemblies from across the country have registered their nominations to contest the election of mayor in metropolitan cities and municipalities by resigning from their post. One of them is former minister of provincial government. UML mayoral candidate of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Keshav Sthapit is one of them who resigned as the member of Bagmati Province Assembly a day before he registered his candidacy. Sthapit had also served as a Bagmati Province Physical Infrastructure Minister. Alongside him, two other Bagmati Province Assembly members have also resigned for the same purpose.
95th Photojournalism Day marked
Photojournalist Club Nepal (PJ Club) organised a photo exhibition here on the occasion of the 95th National Photojournalism Day on Tuesday. The photo exhibition was organised at Basantapur of Kathmandu with the theme of ‘Photojournalism from lance’. At the exhibition, 30 photographs that reflect challenges and risks facing by photojournalists were displayed. The photo exhibition was organised in the joint coordination of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) and the Centre for Media Research Nepal.
Economy should get new direction: Minister Karki
Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki suggested that the forthcoming fiscal budget should focus on economic development by including only concrete issues and programmes. "Here, fear is being created by showing the Sri Lankan economy. The budget should come in such a way as to give a new direction to the country's economy,” he said while speaking at the discussion on policy programmes and budget held at the Ministry of Finance (MoF) on Tuesday.
Road labs built with MCC assistance opens
New laboratories constructed at the Department of Roads with the assistance from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) were inaugurated here on Tuesday. Representatives from the Department of Roads, Millennium Challenge Account Nepal Development Board (MCA-Nepal) and Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) jointly inaugurated the laboratories at the Department of Roads (DoR), a key partner in MCA-Nepal’s effort to sustain the quality of roads and help the government of Nepal address long-term maintenance needs.
3,470 register candidacies for mayoral posts
Altogether 3,470 candidates have registered their candidature for the post of mayor in 276 municipalities across the country, according to the latest data provided by the Election Commission. The government is holding local level elections on May 13. With the registration of large number of candidates, the EC said that people were found excited for the upcoming local polls.
Community mgmt key to forest expansion
Nepal is already on a path to achieve one of the commitments made in the Second Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) in the expansion of forest cover and its conservation. As per the NDC, which has mentioned maintaining 45 per cent of the total area of the country under forest cover (including other wooded land limited to less than 4 per cent) by 2030, the recently released report showed that the forest cover has already reached 45.31 per cent, including 3.62 per cent other wooded land (OWL).
NRAB to suggest Rs. 1.3 trillion revenue estimates for next year
Nepal Revenue Advisory Board (NRAB) has said that the government should aim at collecting about Rs. 1300 billion in revenue in the coming fiscal year 2022/23. Chairman of the NRAB Mahesh Dahal said that the revenue ceiling was considered after reviewing the current status and future prospect. “Through the scientific and pragmatic point of view, Rs. 1.3 trillion revenue should be the target,” he said while speaking at a pre-budget discussion organised by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) here on Tuesday.
New Malaria Alarm
It is a matter of concern that high number of malaria infections has been found among the Nepalis who have returned from India. There is always a risk of such infected people transmitting the disease locally. Such a development poses a public health threat at a time when Nepal is working to bring down the malaria cases to zero with the ultimate goal of eliminating it by 2025. In a scenario where Nepalis get infected across the border and come back with risks of potentially aiding in local transmissions, it is hard to achieve the malaria eradication goal. According to the Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, 359 malaria cases out of total 391 detected in a year were imported. And out of 359 imported cases, 336 were detected in India returnees. Most of the malaria cases have been found in Mugu district of Karnali Province and Dadeldhura and Baitadi districts of Sudurpaschim Province.
Low Women Candidacy Breaches Statute
The second local elections since Nepal became a Federal Republic are scheduled on 13th May 2022. According to the Election Commission (EC) website, there are 8,74,1530 females, 8,99,2010 males and 183 other Nepali citizens above the age of 18 who are eligible to vote during the upcoming elections. Whom will they trust and vote for? The political parties finally registered the lists of their nominated candidates in the eleventh hour of 25th April.
Women’s Obsession With Body Image
Most women, including celebrities are known to have body image issues. Many have spoken about their struggles with weight and how they perceive their bodies. Billie Eilish, who is a famous singer and songwriter, has confessed to having dysmorphia that is a psychological condition in which individuals spend an excessive amount of time worrying about the flaws in their appearances. Such flaws tend to be unnoticeable to others but individuals with Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) are too self-conscious and preoccupied by even the most negligible of flaws in their appearances.
