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Simran Pariyar, who is currently gaining popularity on platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok has recorded a song. Singer Arjun Sapkota has extended an opportunity to Pariyar by presenting a female rendition of his highly successful track ‘Paani Pareko’. 

The song, initially released by Sapkota as a solo performance nine months ago, enjoyed significant acclaim. Sapkota’s version of the song was with the title ‘Ae Thuli’, garnering over 5.2m views.

The female version of the same song is launched anew on Monday, featuring both Sapkota and Pariyar in the music video. 

Directed by Kajish Shrestha, the lyrics of the song is written by Krishna Bashyal. 

As of Friday, the music video of ‘Paani Pareko’ on YouTube has accumulated over 900,000 views.

When a student passes a certain exam (with or without flying colors), that’s something worth celebrating. That means her/his hard work paid off despite all oddities like a perennial struggle to pay soaring tuition fees, having to juggle between studies and work (in case of plus-two and higher studies) or having to wait perennially for the family to send some money and political disturbances that affect the academic calendar more often than not.

Frankly speaking, a government, especially in countries reeling under the collective impact of poor governance, corruption, the rule by law, ever-rising inflation, political instability, soaring tuition fees and the like has precious little to do with individual success. On the contrary, the government acts as an overpowering force pushing the student from the classroom into dirty, difficult and dangerous job destinations abroad with the intent of feasting on hard-earned remittance. 

When a student fails, our society looks down upon the individual holding the latter solely responsible for the failure. Overnight, the person becomes ‘unsociable’ of sorts in circles of kith and kin.
For our society, this failure is a personal problem or a family problem at most. But the setback gives the society some stuff to gossip about. Perhaps the student spent too much time on social media at the ‘expense’ of studies. It is possible that family members did not ‘keep a tab’ on the individual. Or perhaps the person is not that ‘bright’, after all. 

From individual failure, let’s jump into collective failure. 

The results of this year’s grade 12 exams were not a departure from the past. No Krambhangata took place. Out of 448,837 examinees, 51.91 percent passed whereas the rest could not make it, per the National Examination Board.

To borrow from NEB’s Sarkari Bhasa (governmentese), about a quarter—109,527—out of 448,837 examinees got ‘non-graded’ (NG) in English this year. This means they technically failed the exam with a score below 35 percent. 

For a country used to below-par performance on the part of all three organs of the state, this is nothing unusual, or is it? Unusual or not, let’s ponder over the recent below-par performance. 

Our emphasis on English is extraordinary. The whole nation seems to be learning English with a missionary zeal—at home, in schools, colleges, learning centers, in the company of friends and families and several other public fora. 

Apart from private and boarding schools mushrooming across the country, many community and government-run schools have switched to English as ‘the’ medium of instruction from the nursery level itself. So much so that many of the private schools do not even allow their students to communicate in non-English languages within their precincts. Perhaps the only language not taught in English in the classroom these days is Nepali. 

For an increasing number of Nepalis, English—broken or otherwise—is the preferred medium of communication. A good command of the international language is indeed a plus-point. 

Against this backdrop, Grade 12 results on the English front have come as a rude shock despite our Himalayan emphasis on the language, not to mention the pass rate of roughly 50 percent. Of course, a poor result won’t trigger the Education Minister’s resignation. Such things happen seven seas across, not here.  

But to take it solely as the failure of concerned students and/or their families will be far-fetched. 

It is the collective failure of our education system consisting of the government, teachers, students, parents and the society at large. This failure should be an eye-opener for all stakeholders. 

What elements are lacking in our teaching-learning activities—from the preschool to the university level—that lead to about 50 percent of the examinees failing the exams? How much time are English and other subject teachers spending in the classroom? Which teaching methods are they employing? What are the policy gaps at play and how to bridge them?

The government in general and the Education Ministry in particular should formulate—and, not to forget, implement—policies by discussing the matter with subject experts, curriculum developers, parents and teachers.  

The cases of scrub typhus have increased in the District Hospital Bajura amidst the monsoon season.

According to the hospital source, in the past one month, the hospital recorded nine cases of scrub typhus.  In addition to this, a case of malaria and two cases of dengue have been identified during the same period in the district of the Sudurpaschim Province.

Scrub typhus is a bacterial ailment caused by the Orientia tsutsigamushi and it is transmitted through mite bites.

The symptoms of the disease include fever, backache, loss of appetite, rash, nausea and vomiting and more, according to Hospital officiating office chief Dr Milan Joshi.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has quashed its previous decision regarding air flights.

Keeping in view the air safety, the CAAN had decided not to operate flights in the hilly areas after 12 noon.

CAAN spokesperson Gyanendra Bhul said that all the previous decisions have been scrapped and the new system has been implemented.

This rule will be applicable only for the planes and helicopters operating domestic flights.

The authority has backtracked from its earlier decision.

Issuing a statement on Thursday, the authority said that the permission will be granted only after the captain and dispatcher makes written announcement by ensuring the destination, air way and maintaining the VMC (VGBL and Distance from Cloud Minima) of the weather in the alternate airport before operating the flights.

Pradeep Adhikari, Director General of the CAAN, had introduced the new rules pertaining to the flights, putting the air business at risk. But, following widespread criticism, he backtracked from his decision.

The previous decision of the CAAN had allowed airlines to conduct flights to remote areas only within the fixed time.

ALSO READ: People losing lives as new rule affects flight operation

Earlier on Wednesday, Karnali Province stakeholders had held a serious discussion with Tourism Minister Sudan Kiranti and Director General Adhikari.

The Director General was heavily criticized in the meeting.

After hearing the problems of the Karnali folks, Minister Kiranti had expressed his commitment to resolve the issue within three days.

As per his commitment, Minister Kiranti directed Director General Adhikari to scrap the old rules immediately.

The Karki Province stakeholders had also expressed their grievances by meeting Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal earlier.

The CPN-UML had also obstructed the Karnali Province Assembly demanding regular flights.

Not so long ago, the government of Nepal advised the people not to opt for panic buying of grains, stating that there was enough grain stock to outlast the upcoming harvest season. 

But the ‘comfortable situation’ appears to have changed all of a sudden.  

Recently, the government of Nepal wrote to India asking for 155,000 tons of grains and sugar, stating that India's global ban on grain export may affect Nepal too.

Spokesperson at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Radhika Aryal, confirmed that the government had written to the Indian government asking for the supply of 100,000 tons of rice, 50,000 tons of sugar and 5,000 tons of paddy.

“The letter has been sent to the Embassy of India in Nepal via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs but the official reply from the Indian government has not been received yet,” said Aryal.

India has imposed a ban on the export of non-Basmati rice across the globe despite objections from the international community. The export policy of non-Basmati white rice, semi milled or wholly milled rice, whether or not polished or glazed, is amended from “free to prohibited,” reads a notice from the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.

The price of rice, Nepal’s staple food, has been escalating in the domestic market right after India announced a global ban on the export of all varieties of rice, save the Basmati. The Indian ban came after Russia announced its withdrawal from the Black Sea Grain Deal in the midst of the Ukraine war, straining a war-hit supply system and aggravating the global food crisis.

The export will be allowed on the basis of permission granted by the Indian government to other countries to meet their food security needs and based on the request of their government.

Before this move, the government had been saying that there was enough gain stock to last three months after which a new harvest season will begin. Despite the government’s assurance, panic buying has been going unabated and the traders have been making hay. As for sugar, the government has said domestic production was not enough to meet the demand.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 8.01 points to close at 2,033.13 points on Thursday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 1.08 points to close at 387. 38 points.

A total of 4,009,263-unit shares of 271 companies were traded for Rs 1. 54 billion.

Meanwhile, Siddhartha Investment Growth Scheme – 2 was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Similarly, Laxmi Equity Fund was the top loser as its price fell by 7.43 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 04 trillion.

The Social Security Fund (SSF) has launched a contribution-based social security scheme for informal sector workers and self-employed. Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, on Wednesday, unveiled the program which will now enable Nepalis working in the informal sector and self-employed Nepalis to be part of SSF.

With this, four sectors—formal sector, foreign employment, informal sector, and self-employed have joined the SSF. There is a provision in the Social Security Fund Act that workers in the informal sector and self-employed persons can join the SSF. Workers in the informal sector include those working in the agricultural sector, construction sector, and those whose employer is not fixed.

Launching the new program, Prime Minister Dahal said that the launch of the scheme for informal sector workers has given a message that no one will be left out of the scope of social security in Nepal. “In that sense, he said, this day should be considered an important historical day for the establishment of labor rights,” said Dahal.

According to Dahal, all the workers working in the informal sector will gradually participate in the scheme. Dahal said that the social security scheme would be run as an intensive campaign by integrating it under the integrated concept. “The fund is an important mechanism of the state for neglected, suppressed, and oppressed people of the society,” he said. 

As per the SSF procedure, an agreement can be made through the local level to include workers in the informal sector and self-employed persons in the fund. Based on this arrangement, two local bodies—Phendi Khola Rural Municipality of Syangja and Bhimphedi Rural Municipality of Makwanpur have already started enrolling informal sector workers and self-employed in the SSF. 

According to SSF, informal sector workers and self-employed workers can now apply to join the fund. They have to first produce an identity card from the local level as an informal sector worker and self-employed. And, they (informal sector workers) have to contribute a minimum of Rs 2,024 per month. 

As per the procedure, a total of 20.37 percent will be contributed to the fund, of which 11 percent will be from the workers and 9.37 percent will be the supplementary amount provided by the government. However, self-employed persons will have to contribute 31 percent of the minimum wage.

Workers and self-employed persons in the informal sector who join the fund will be able to participate in all kinds of facilities operated by the fund. Contributors will be able to get medical treatment, health and maternity protection, accident and disability and dependent family protection, and old age protection scheme.

The SSF will pay a maximum of Rs 700,000 for the medical expenses incurred in the hospital to the contributor in case of an accident, under the accident and disability protection scheme. 

After joining the SSF, informal sector workers and self-employed workers will get disability pensions, lifetime pensions, and scholarships for their children. 

The contribution-based social security scheme was launched by the then KP Sharma Oli-led government in Nov 2018 with the objective to provide social security coverage to private sector employees.

Though formal sector workers have been receiving benefits from the social security plan for three years back, the SSF started to incorporate migrant workers and self-employed persons living abroad, as well as workers from the informal sector for the first time.

Sun Sunar admitted his six-month-old son, Imran, to the Humla District Hospital on July 31 after he developed flu symptoms. As he also developed pneumonia and diarrhea, the district hospital advised Sun to seek better-equipped hospitals three days later.

Sunar began waiting for an aircraft since air travel is the sole mode of transportation in Humla which is yet to be connected to the road network. However, since no aircraft landed in Humla for about a week, Imran passed away without treatment. “People in Humla are dying even from common illnesses like cough and cold due to lack of treatment. The government has abandoned us,” he lamented.

Kali Bahadur Shahi’s seven-month-old son, Rohit, also succumbed to lack of medical care. Doctors had recommended that Shahi, from Simikot-7 in Humla, take his son to better-equipped hospitals. However, due to the absence of flights, he couldn’t transfer his son from Humla. “My son and two other patients were waiting for a flight to Nepalgunj, but the plane never arrived,” he shared.

Aryan Pariyar, an eighteen-month-old child from Kharpunath-4 in Humla, died due to diarrhea as he couldn’t be taken to hospitals in Surkhet or Nepalgunj because of flight unavailability. Similarly, Sandesh Luhar, a five-month-old from Chankehli-4 in Humla, also passed away as he couldn’t be transferred to hospitals with better facilities.

Air services in the hilly districts of Karnali have come to a halt after the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN) banned flight operations after noon. Flight operations are nearly impossible due to frequent poor weather conditions in the mornings, and flights are prohibited after noon. Consequently, the people of Karnali are suffering due to lack of flights. Political parties, civil society leaders, and the general public have urged CAAN to reconsider its decision, but the authority has taken no action in this regard.

Simikot Airport in Humla used to witness 12-18 daily flights on a daily basis. However, the airport now appears deserted. While weather conditions often worsen in the morning, flights are barred from operating in the afternoon, leading to disruptions in flight operations. 

“Our suffering knows no end. With no road transport available and aircraft not coming, we are stuck,” said Devilal Upadhyaya of Kharpunath-4. “I’ve been staying in a hotel in Simkot for the past four days, waiting for a flight to Nepalgunj. I’ve exhausted all my money on food and accommodation. I'm returning home now.”

Mahendra Singh, Chief of Simikot Airport, said that the people in hilly and mountainous regions are suffering due to CAAN’s impractical regulations. “Airlines are allowed to operate flights in the morning when the weather is often unclear. The weather becomes better in the afternoon, but flights are not permitted,” he added.

Shreenath Poudel, Chief District Officer of Humla, mentioned that the issue has arisen because aviation officials in Kathmandu have imposed rules on remote hilly districts. “People are coming to the local administration seeking a solution to this problem. Political parties are echoing the same sentiment. Despite our efforts, the problem remains unresolved,” he explained.

Airlines used to operate daily flights to remote airfields such as Juphal in Dolpa, Simkot in Humla, Talcha in Mugu, Khalanga in Jumla, and Kolti in Bajura. However, these airfields are no longer seeing flights these days. Although road transport is available in other districts, Humla being an exception, it is unreliable, especially during the monsoon season. 

Talcha Airport in Mugu has not seen any flight operations in the past two weeks. Consequently, patients referred by district hospitals are unable to reach Surkhet or Nepalgunj for treatment. Durga Lawa of Chhayanath Rara-13 has been waiting for a flight at Talcha Airport for two weeks as she cannot use surface transport due to her  poor health. Hima Budha from Kapurkut in Salyan, who is currently working in Mugu, has also been waiting for flights to Nepalgunj from Talcha Airport for two weeks. “Poor road conditions make it impossible for me to travel to Nepalgunj by road,” said Budha, who is seven months pregnant. 

Since flight services are unavailable, Mugu District Hospital doctors have been referring patients to the Karnali Institute of Health Sciences in Jumla. “Some cases need to be referred to Surkhet or Nepalgunj, but due to the absence of flights, we have been referring them to Jumla,” explained Dr Karna Raj Bham. 

Prior to the implementation of the new rule, Sita Air, Summit Air, and Tara Air operated one to two daily flights to Talcha Airport. 

Dolpa has also experienced disruption in flight services for the past two weeks. Ramchandra Neupane, a civil society leader in Dolpa, criticized CAAN for playing with people’s lives by prohibiting flight operations after noon. 

Yanki Gurung from Dolpo Buddha-3 in Upper Dolpa said he couldn’t take his mother to Nepalgunj for medical treatment on time due to lack of flights. “It took us three days to reach Nepalgunj, and the journey was arduous,” he shared. 

Karnali Province Chief Minister Rajkumar Sharma emphasized the need to reform policies that adversely affect the people. “CAAN’s new rule has created hardships for the people of Karnali. Everyone has the right to life, which this rule violates. I will raise this issue with the federal government soon,” he added. 

According to the Bajura District Police Office, Agni Bohora of Budhinanda-3, Udaya Narayan Sah of Swami Kartik Rural Municipality, and Aina Giri of Jagannath-1 died due to lack of flights at Kolti Airport. Giri died while being transported to Dhangadhi by road. 

Development work halted

Kamal Gautam, who looks after Simrik Air’s operations in the western sector, CAAN’s new rule has hindered development work, as helicopters are now prohibited from carrying heavy cargo using sling operations. “We are unable to transport telecommunications equipment to Mugu, hydropower equipment to Mugu, and hospital equipment to Bajhang,” Gautam explained.