Recovery And Resilience

The government had lifted the four-month-long lockdown since last Wednesday but it has continued restrictions in the areas where the people assemble in a large number that can risk the transmission of COVID-19. However, the extended lockdown, enforced to contain the virus’s spread, has crippled the economy beyond the immediate recall. One economist has estimated that around 4.5 million Nepalis have lost their jobs owing to the lockdown. One rational behind the resumption of business is to avert...

Laudable COVID-19 Response

The world has still been grappling with the outbreak and spread of coronavirus pandemic. Ever since the virus was first detected in China some seven months ago, countries across the globe have been trying hard to bring the virus under control to safeguard the life of their citizens. Yet they have lost many of their citizens to the virus, despite working hard to stop the virus from infecting people adopting various means, and treating them with the help of all modern medical technology and facilities....

Lifting Of The Lockdown

As Nepal has continued to witness a sharp fall in the number of COVID-19 cases over the past some weeks, the government has finally terminated the nationwide lockdown effective from Tuesday mid-night. The lifting of the 120-day lockdown has definitely brought a lot of cheers to all the

Reviving Sick Industries

Public enterprises (PEs), which are established, owned and controlled by the state, play a vital role in providing goods and services to the people at an affordable price. The idea behind the operation of public undertakings is that the government has responsibility towards the citizens. F

Tackling Rain Disasters

Meteorologists have predicted yet another spell of torrential rains in different parts of the country and cautioned people about landslides and flashfloods that may cause devastation along riverside settlements. Rivers such as Kankai, Kamala, Bagmati, Tinau and West Rapti have now been put on the danger list and the downstream dwellers need to remain high on alert to save lives and valuables in case of calamities. Heavy rains in the hills cause floods in the rivers and the settlements and physical...

Profit Motive Of Private Schools

There is no denying the fact that private schools have contributed much in the development of the education sector in Nepal. These schools, however, are often criticised for their uncanny and self-seeking activities. Although all the teaching-learning activities have come to a complete halt ever since the enforcement of the nationwide lockdown on March 24, private school operators have made frequent attempts to collect fees from guardians under different headings. It is embarrassing to note that...

Monetary Policy Boosts Business Confidence

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought nations across the globe to their knees, with disastrous repercussions on the people’s mobility, economy, trade and supply chains of basic commodities. It hit hard both micro- and macroeconomic spheres as manufacturing and service sector shrank beyond im

Increasing Arrears

The whopping rise in government arrears indicates the indelible fact - the unnecessary expenditures by the government departments, offices and various agencies. What is more distressing is the fact that these agencies, responsible for making large and unnecessary spending, have apparently fa

Roads In A Shambles

The Ministry of Urban Development under the Federal Government was in the spotlight during the nationwide coronavirus lockdown as it remained busy carrying out maintenance of roads in the Kathmandu Valley as well as in other parts of the country. Consequently, most of the roads in the capital valley l

Journalistic Credibility

As the fourth estate, the media play crucial role in informing the people and forming public opinion on the burning issues of the society. With increasing awareness and affordable technology, the media have widely been expanded and become indispensable part of the citizens’ life. As its importance is growing over the years, the media have undergone rapid changes in its form and contents. In its initial stage of evolution, the print media emerged as the effective vehicle of passing information,...

Assurance Of Unity

At a time when the people were feeling apprehensive and angry about the prolonged bickering among the top leaders of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), party co-chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda has assured that the party will not split at any cost. Party unity and the smooth functioning of the government were threatened after former prime ministers and other top leaders of NCP demanded the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. The party wrangling at the top leadership level worsened...

Tackling Monsoon Menace

The flash floods, landslides and inundations, triggered by incessant heavy rains, have wreaked havoc in different parts of the country. Dozens of people have lost their lives while many private houses, roads, hydropower plants and other public infrastructures have been destroyed in various districts for the last few days. Sindhupalchowk, Myagdi, Lamjung, Kaski, Dhading, Jajarkot and Sankhuwasabha have so far been the worst-hit districts. On Saturday alone, additional 19 bodies were recovered from...

Fake And Fabricated

Journalism is a sacred profession committed to the principle of disseminating fair, factual and objective information to the readers. It offers citizens informed choices, enabling them to sift facts from fiction. It is expected to flow the unvarnished ideas, facts and views so that the latter would form their opinion without any deception and error. The media commands respect in our society because of its role in balancing the three organs of the state – exe

Cushioning Corona Crisis

The outbreak of coronavirus pandemic has left the economy of several countries of the world in disarray. The sudden outbreak of contagion forced many countries to observe a prolonged lockdown that unleashed an unfathomable stress on their respective countries' economy. The world has not yet been able to control the pandemic even after about six months of the virus outbreak. As the world reels from adverse impacts of the deadly disease, the trade, industries, businesses, banking services and overall...

Combat Drug Abuse

Drug abuse has been one of the major social problems in Nepal with an increasing number of people, especially youths, becoming addicted to it. Drugs are chemicals that affect the users' body as well as brain. Persons may take drugs through various ways such as injection, inhalation and ingestion. Studies have shown that various drugs can have different effects on health of the users. Some of them may have severe health consequences. Such effects may be permanent. Once addi

Find The Middle Path

The ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) is facing a severe crisis since it was founded in May, 2018 from the unification of the two large communist groups – erstwhile CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre. The successful merger took place on the back of astonishing election victory in November and December of 2017. The electoral alliance, forged in October of the same year, had produced the synergic impact. The NCP’s emergence as the largest pol

Dark Side Of Monsoon

Just two weeks after the onset of this year’s monsoon rains, 85 incidents of landslides have been reported across the country. These natural disasters have claimed 32 lives. Loss and damage of physical properties has amounted to Rs. 9.1 million. Monsoon rain is a lifeline for Nepal because its agro sector largely depends on it. However, rains do not always fall in the manner we desire. While there are droughts and inadequate precipitations in some a

Tourism’s Huge Loss

The outbreak of the novel coronavirus has had an unprecedented impact on the global economy as the lethal virus disease has already gripped most nations. Tough measures, including lockdowns, have been in place globally to contain the spread of the virus. Such restrictions have been helpful in dealing with the pandemic. But these steps have proved to be detrimental to the entire economic sector. Keeping this in mind, numerous nations have recently gone for lifting or relaxing restrictions, as a move...

Carve Sustainable Development Path

The world is reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic for more than five months. The lockdown and other restrictive measures, imposed to slow down the virus’s spread, have badly disrupted the people’s mobility, production, supply chain, tourism and other economic activities. Millions of people involved in formal economy were laid off while those living on the margins of society lost their sources of livelihoods and incomes owing to the extended lockdown. Nepal,

Differences Within NCP

Troubles have clearly been brewing within the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP), threatening the party unity. The top party honchos appear to be divided, which is evident from the deliberations that are currently taking place in the party's ongoing Standing Committee meeting. The top decision making body of the party was said to hold its discussion on the current problems facing the nation, but the meeting unfortunately veered towards existing rivalry among the top bra