Latest news with #NRs
India Gazette
3 hours ago
- General
- India Gazette
India hands over newly constructed building in Accham District of Far-Western Nepal
Kathmandu [Nepal], May 31 (ANI): The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu handed over the school building for Shree Mahendra Secondary School, Sanfebagar Municipality, Achham District. As per the release from the Embassy, the school building was formally handed over on Saturday jointly by Lalit Bahadur Kunwar, Chief, District Coordination Committee, Achham; Rajendra Bahadur Kunwar, Mayor, Sanfebagar Municipality and Suman Shekhar, First Secretary, Embassy of India, Kathmandu to the Management of Shree Mahendra Secondary School, Achham. 'School Building of Shree Mahendra Secondary School has been built with Government of India's financial assistance at the project cost of NRs 32.40 million under 'Nepal-India Development Cooperation',' the release stated. For the construction of building the Government of India's grant under 'Nepal-India Development Cooperation' has been utilized for the construction of the school building comprising class rooms, laboratory, computer room, staff room, administration section, principal's room, library, accounts section and toilets for boys and girls. The grant has also been utilized for the procurement of furniture and computers. 'The project was taken up as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) and was implemented through DCC Achham,' the release further stated. Shree Mahendra Secondary School was established in the year 1960 as a Secondary School and subsequently upgraded to Higher Secondary school. The school runs classes from Nursery to 12th Standard. The school has a strength of more than 400 students, out of which 65% are girls. DCC Achham; Mayor, Sanfebagar Municipality, Achham; Chairperson, School Management and other stakeholders appreciated the developmental support being provided by the Government of India to the people of Nepal. They expressed confidence that the new infrastructure would help provide better education facilities to the students of Mahendra Secondary School, Achham. 'It would also help enhance the overall learning environment and contribute to the development of the education sector of the region,' the release mentioned. Since 2003, India has taken up over 573 HICDPs in Nepal in various sectors and has completed 495 projects. Amongst these, 43 projects are located in Sudurpashchim Province including Shree Mahendra Secondary School in Achham. In addition to these, Government of India has gifted 1,009 ambulances and 300 school buses to various hospitals, health posts and educational institutions in Nepal. Amongst these,70 ambulances and 27 school buses have been gifted in Sudurpashchim Province. Out of these, six ambulances were gifted in Achham. As close neighbours, India and Nepal are engaged in wide-ranging and multi-sectoral cooperation. The implementation of HICDPs reflects the continued support of India in bolstering the efforts of Nepal in the growth and development of its people by augmenting infrastructure in priority sectors. Political representatives, government officials, social workers and teachers of the school, students and their parents were also present on this occasion. (ANI)
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
India to build agricultural promotion center in Bajura district of Nepal
Kathmandu [Nepal], May 29 (ANI): The Foundation stone for the construction of the Agriculture Promotion Centre for Food Grains Collection and Distribution Centre was laid on Wednesday at Muktikot of Bajura. As per a release from the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu, the foundation stone was laid jointly by Bharat Bhadur Rokaya, Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality, Bajura and Avinash Kumar Singh, Counsellor, Embassy of India, Kathmandu. 'Building of the Agriculture Promotion Centre is being built with the Government of India's financial assistance at a project cost of NRs. 31.41 million under 'Nepal-India Development Cooperation',' the Indian Embassy stated. The Government of India's grant under 'Nepal-India Development Cooperation' is being utilised for the construction of a building for storage and distribution of grains, comprising a distribution desk, record room, and other allied facilities. 'The project is being taken up as a High Impact Community Development Project (HICDP) and is being implemented through Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality, Bajura,' the release stated further. Chairman, Swamikartik Khapar Rural Municipality, Bajura; Political representatives and other stakeholders appreciated the developmental support being provided by the Government of India to the people of Nepal. They expressed confidence that the infrastructure being created would help ensure proper collection and storage of agricultural products in the mountainous region, where transportation and communication infrastructure are limited. Further, the new infrastructure would enable storage of food items for an extended period of time, thereby contributing to the food security of the region. Since 2003, the Government of India has taken up over 573 HICDPs in Nepal in various sectors and has completed 495 projects. Amongst these, 43 projects are in Sudurpashchim Province, including 2 projects in Bajura. In addition to these, the Government of India has gifted 1009 ambulances and 300 school buses to various hospitals, health posts and educational institutions in Nepal. Amongst these, 70 ambulances and 27 school buses have been gifted in Sudurpashchim Province. Out of these, three ambulances and one school bus were gifted in Bajura. 'As close neighbours, India and Nepal are engaged in wide-ranging and multi-sectoral cooperation. The implementation of HICDPs reflects the continued support of the Government of India in bolstering the efforts of the Government of Nepal in growth and development of its people by augmenting infrastructure in priority sectors,' the release stated. Political representatives, government officials, social workers and community members were also present on the occasion. (ANI)
Times of Oman
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Nepal Police arrests royalist leader absconding since March 28 violence
Kathmandu: Nepal Police has arrested Durga Prasai, controversial businessmen and royalist leader behind the violence of March 28 in capital Kathmandu. Prasai since the day of violence which resulted in death of two people had fled the country and arrested from Kakarbhitta, near the Nepal-India border. "Prasai and his bodyguard has been arrested and is brought to Kathmandu," a release from the Nepal Police stated. After arrest the leader was kept at the District Police Office in Bhadrapur and is on the way to Kathmandu. Upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport, Prasai will be transferred to the District Police Complex and then taken to the Bhadrakali custody facility. He will be presented at the District Court for a remand extension through the District Public Prosecutor's Office. Police officials have confirmed that Prasai will be investigated for crimes against the state, similar to cases previously filed against political figures like Rabindra Mishra and Dhawal Shamsher Rana. The charges stem from the violent royalist protest led by Prasai and Nawaraj Subedi on March 28, which resulted in the deaths of two people and caused an estimated Nepal Rupees (NRs) 460 million in damages. Authorities say they are preparing to demand strong legal action, holding Prasai accountable for inciting violence and causing significant public harm. Nepal's royalist party, the Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), has announced a proposal to develop a new political system as it prepares to launch a capital-centric protest from the third week of this month. On Tuesday, at a show of power in Kathmandu attended by hundreds, the president of the right-wing pro-monarchist party, Rajendra Lingden, proposed a new system that would also accommodate the monarchy. "The country cannot remain in the condition it is now. The country needs to move forward, but not through the way it is standing now. That's why the country demands a new agreement, and for that, a peaceful resolution through the consensus in between all the political powers needs to be agreed on," Lingden said, addressing the mass of hundreds of monarch supporters holding the national flag and placards.
Times of Oman
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Nepal tables bill to tab social media despite fear of censorship
Kathmandu: Nepal has moved forward with the controversial "Social Media Bill" despite claims of attempted censorship and curtailment of Freedom of Expression and Speech. Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung tabled the Bill in the National Assembly on Sunday despite criticism from opposition and social media users. "In order to systematize, limit and for safety, formulation of special law for social media has been practiced all across the globe. In Nepal as well, development in field of Information Communication Technology (ICT), the use of social media is rising. Making right and proper application of social media, social harmony, cultural tolerance and promotion of good governance, by making the social media operators and users responsible by making it limited, secure and organized; to regulate it law is required," Minister Gurung said as he tabled the bill in the upper house. The Bill has proposed the provisions for license (with a two-year validity) for any companies, firms or institutions to operate digital platforms and renewal of the permission, granting the rights to authorities concerned to ban on the operation of such platforms and the remove the contents in violations of the terms and conditions. It has proposed conditions for the users of social sites as well. The opposition as well as the social media users have been claiming these provisions clandestinely attempt to impose censorship and curtail the basic human rights. Earlier, last week, former Education Minister and member of parliament from Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Sumana Shrestha dragged attention of government to discuss the bill with public before moving forward in meeting of the lower house of parliament. "While drafting the bills has there been any consultations and discussions with those whom it is meant for? It again has been proven, whether it is left, right or the center aligned that no one really cares what people want. I want the government to pay attention to this issue and request them to call the youths, talk with them and listen to the voice of people," Shrestha said. The bill has disapproved the social media contents capable of hurting the dignity of others, trolling, hate speech and distortion of information. Similarly, post, like, repost, live streaming, subscribe, comment, tag, hashtag or mention with wrong intention is liable to fine up to Nepali Rupees (NRs) 500 thousand to users of social sites. Debate has arisen over the provision fearing repercussions from the government and senior post officials as it intends to ban on satirical contents. "Now, by bringing the Social Media Regulation Bill, you are trying to legally control freedom of expression and press? Are you above the sovereignty of the citizen? Above the constitution? Are you the master and the citizens the slave? The bill currently registered in the parliament for the operation, use and regulation of social media is objectionable. In the name of regulating social media, it not only stifles the constitutional right of citizens to freedom of expression, but also controls the freedom of the press. In this bill, citizens are being threatened with imprisonment and fines step by step," Pushpa Kamal Dahal, former Prime Minister and Chairman of the opposition CPN-Maoist Center said addressing a meeting of the House of Representatives last week. The Clause 12 (H) of the introduced bill mandates users of social media to 'reveal their identity to the social media platforms in order to use the platform'. A section of the general public is hailing this clause as a step to ensure accountability for the effect of public opinions shared on social media while others are criticizing it for raging head-on against the people's right to privacy. Similarly, Clause 12 (J) has divided opinion on whether it infringes on freedom of speech, privacy, and the right to communication. The clause states, "For the purpose of investigating or inquiring into a crime, the details of a social media user must be provided to the concerned authorities. This means that the users' privacy will not be safeguarded. The user will be required to submit all their data to the relevant regulatory body. Failure to comply could result in a penalty ranging from NRs 2.5 million to NRs 10 million." Several provisions in the bill contradict Nepal's constitution, while vague and incomplete terminologies raise concerns. Critics fear the government will exploit these loopholes to interpret the law in its favor. Another major concern is the government's direct role as the plaintiff in all related cases, giving authorities greater control over how they define and enforce the law. The bill requires a Rapid Response Team to handle such proceedings. Typically, authorities form these teams when immediate action is needed in the public interest, such as during natural disasters. However, the government has introduced a provision to create one specifically for this purpose. The bill directly violates Articles 17 and 19 of the Constitution of Nepal. Article 17 guarantees the right to freedom, stating, "No person shall be deprived of personal liberty." However, the bill does more than restrict personal freedom--it actively penalises individuals for posting, sharing, liking, reposting, live streaming, subscribing, commenting, tagging, using hashtags, or mentioning others on social media. Clause 16 (2) of the bill explicitly prohibits individuals from engaging in these activities with malicious intent: "One must not post, share, like, repost, live stream, subscribe, comment, tag, use hashtags, or mention others on social media with malicious intent." While the bill clearly criminalizes liking or commenting, it fails to define "malicious intent" leaving its interpretation ambiguous. Since the bill does not clarify the term's scope or meaning, anyone accused under this provision could simply claim, "I had no malicious intent," making enforcement arbitrary and subjective. The bill creates a loophole that allows government officials to potentially avoid accountability. If they act against the bill's provisions, they can claim, "I did not act with malicious intent," when the provision is invoked. Whether they can escape responsibility remains unclear. The bill also includes a provision that allows for a fine of up to NRs 5,00,000. Article 19 of Nepal's Constitution guarantees the right to communication, stating, "No prior restriction shall be imposed on the publication or broadcast of any news, editorial, article, composition, or other written, audio, or audiovisual material through any medium such as electronic publishing, broadcasting, or printing."
