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I am an 18-year-old science student and handling the study pressure is getting too much for me. I didn’t want to study science but my parents forced me into it. Now I can barely pass any test. It is not like I don't understand science; I just cannot get myself to study the subject. I just want to get over with the two-year course and switch to humanities. In the meantime, I need some suggestions on how to remain calm and focus on my studies. I don’t want to get frustrated all the time. –A worried student Answered by Tashi Gurung, Counseling Psychologist, Happy Minds It’s a good thing to be aware of what field of study you would like to pursue in the future. Not just you, but many at your stage of life are confused on what subject is better for them. Sometimes a lot of us end up choosing the wrong field, but that is okay. There is still a chance to switch to the subject of your interest. So, don’t panic.  Being forced into studying something you are not passionate about can be difficult. But you can get out of it by having an honest conversation with your parents. Tell them what subject you are interested in.  Make them understand your perspective. Tell them what you are passionate about, what career path you would like to choose, and how you and your parents can move forward with the decision you have made for your future.  This is something you need to do to avoid further frustration. One thing you can do is open this topic for discussion in the future rather than shutting it off completely in one conversation. For instance, ask them to think about what you have said and you guys can discuss it again. This way your parents will feel that you are looking forward to their suggestions.  But before switching the course, you must get done with your high school. You need to accept that you must soldier on for two years. Accepting this fact will help ease your frustration. Since you will have already made up your mind about how the two years are going to be, you can work on completing your studies without stressing over it.  Sharing your problems and frustrations also helps. Rather than keeping your problems to yourself, it is best to share them with someone close to you. Allow someone else to show and tell you that you will be able to choose any subject you like after high school, when you are failing to do so yourself. Sometimes we are too consumed with our feelings to see anything beyond that. Having someone in life to share one’s problems with helps you see things differently. They can have a positive influence on your life and state of mind.

Serki Lhamu Sherpa, social worker and president of Azizz Foundation, has been awarded with the title of ‘Emerging Woman Leader in Social Service’ by the Women’s Icon, an organization based in Tamil Nadu, India.  Sherpa has been involved in social service since 2011. She founded the Aziz Foundation in 2016 which has been helping students and school teachers in remote districts of Nepal.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari is leaving for Iceland on Monday to attend Reykjavík Global Forum – Women Leaders being held in Reykjavík on November 8-10, 2022.

The Forum is co-hosted by Women Political Leaders (WPL), the Government of Iceland, and the Parliament of Iceland.

Initiated in 2018, the Forum is an annual event convening women leaders across the sectors, including politics, business, civil society, academia, arts and media. It is a platform to deliberate on the best practices on gender equality, empowerment and women leadership.

Women Political Leaders (WPL) has decided to confer this year the prestigious WPL Trailblazer Award on President Bhandari.

The Award is presented to incumbent and former women Presidents and Prime Ministers in recognition of the achievements of the leading women politicians.

During the visit, President Bhandari is scheduled to receive the award and deliver an acceptance speech. The President will also deliver a keynote speech in the Forum, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Senior officials from the Office of the President and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will accompany her in the trip.

President Bhandari will return to Nepal on November 12, 2022.

Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has publicly backed the findings of a new report showing the urgent need to reduce tobacco use in Nepal. The report from the Nepal Development Research Institute shows that smoking is a bigger killer in Nepal than in any other South Asian country. Over 37,000 Nepalis died from smoking in 2019 – that’s nearly one in five (19.4%) of all deaths, twice the rate in 1990 and well ahead of India where just 13.1% of deaths are caused by tobacco. And the rate of death from tobacco has increased more in Nepal in the last 30 years than in any other country in the world. NDRI is part of a coalition of organisations calling for politicians to:

.     Match the levels of tobacco taxation in India by 2025

.    Ban the sale of cigarettes as single sticks

·   ​Stop the reopening of government cigarette factories

·   ​End tobacco sales within 100 metres of schools and hospitals

At the second National Health Summit conference last month,where the report was launched, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba endorsed the report’s findings saying: “This report provides a worrying snapshot of the impact that tobacco is having on the lives of Nepalese now and the impact it will have in the future if we don’t take action. This confirms that tobacco control must be central to Government’s mission to improve health across the country.” The PM’s endorsement signals that a future Nepali government led by the Nepali Congress party would take tough action to curb smoking. This is backed up by the party’s manifesto, published last week, which now includes a commitment to increase tobacco tax. The NDRI, other members of the tobacco control coalition and other health experts and campaigners are now writing to other party leaders to seek confirmation that the next government, whoever leads it, will do what is necessary to bring down smoking-related deaths and disease. Dr Jaya Kumar Gurung, from the NDRI, said: “When it comes to the number of people who die from smoking, Nepal is a tragic outlier. If we’re going to change this, then the next government will need to take the necessary action. We need higher tax on tobacco and restrictions on sales, and we need it urgently. We welcome the PM’s support and call on all party leaders to confirm they are treating this health problem with the seriousness it deserves.” The NDRI’s new report comes with the endorsement of Bhawani Prasad Khapung, Minister for Health and Population. In a foreword to the report, he writes: “If we do not act now, Nepal is on track to lose over 400,000 lives in the next 10 years because of tobacco. We must urgently step up our efforts to prevent these forecasts from being realized. “I am hopeful that this report will be helpful for policymakers, managers, decision-makers, evaluators, researchers, academics and that it will motivate a multi-sectoral effort at turning these trends around. Such efforts will have the full support of the Ministry of Health and Population and I look forward to collaborating with a range of stakeholders on this important agenda.” The report is also endorsed by Nepal Medical Association and the Nepal Cancer Relief Society.

The Election Commission (EC) has completed printing of the ballot papers for upcoming federal and provincial elections. The poll body said that the number of voters who will reach the age of 18 by November 3 is 17.9 million 88 thousand 570. The Election Commission has printed around 80 million ballot papers for the elections. The Commission has already transported the ballot papers under the Proportional Representation election system. The ballot papers have been dispatched to Taplejung, Panchthar, Ilam, Jhapa, Sankhuwasabha, Tehrathum, Bhojpur, Dhankuta, Morang and Sunsari districts. The ballot papers in Gandaki, Karnali, Lumbini and Sudurpaschim Provinces have already been transported. The EC had authorized the Janak Sikhshya Samagri Kendra (JSSK) to print the ballot papers.

Rape accused Nepal national cricket team captain Sandeep Lamichhane will be kept in the central jail in Sundhara. Following the order of the Kathmandu District Court, Lamichhhane will be kept at the Sundhara-based central jail Jagannath Dewal, Dinesh Mainali, spokesperson at the District Police Office, Kathmandu, said. A government lawyer had filed a charge sheet against Lamichhane at the Kathmandu District Court. A single bench of Justice Madhav Ghimire on Friday had issued an order to keep Nepal’s leg spinner Lamichhane in custody. Earlier, a 17-year-old girl had filed a rape complaint against Lamichhane at the Metropolitan Police Circle, Gaushala when he was abroad to play Caribbean Premier League (CPL) from Jamaica Tallawahs. According to the complaint, Lamichhane had allegedly taken the girl to various places in Kathmandu and Bhaktapur on August 21 and raped her in a hotel room the same night.

Nepal Army personnel have been mobilized in Sunsari district to make the elections to the House of Representatives and Province Assembly slated for November 20 successful. The District Security Committee, Sunsari said that the Nepal Army personnel have been mobilized in sensitive and highly sensitive areas from Friday. Chief District Office of Sunsary Indra Dev Yadav said that Nepal Army personnel have been mobilized in Inaruwa, Duhabi, Ramdhuni and Barahachhetra of Dharan and Itahari Sub-Metropolitan Cities of Sunsari hold the elections in a peaceful manner. He said that the Nepali Army personnel have also been deployed in Koshi, Bhokraha, Nursing, Harinagar, Dewangunj and Amadhudhagadhi Rural Municipalities. Chief District Officer Yadav said that 440 from Nepali Army, 1, 581 from Nepal Police, 873 from Armed Police Force, 16 from National Investigation Department and 2, 559 temporary police personnel were mobilized in the district for the elections. The Nepal Army personnel will patrol the voting centers and other places of Sunsari.

As November 20 elections draw near, political parties and their candidates are busy canvassing. They have unveiled their election manifesto with a slew of populist programs designed to attract voters. As election fever grips the country, some candidates have been found engaged in a disinformation campaign to discredit their rivals. Even the top leaders are in it. Social media is awash with false information against candidates. For a free and fair election, it is imperative that political parties encourage their candidates to make their campaign fair and transparent. They must try to win the hearts and minds of voters through noble visions and ideas. Spreading false information in order to manipulate voters is not good for a democracy. It will not allow voters to make an informed-choice. In Nepal’s context, where digital media literacy is minimal, many voters are prone to believe whatever information they are beamed onto social media. This could affect the outcomes of the elections. While the Election Commission (EC) has taken some measures to curb the spread of misinformation in the run-up to the November 20 polls, its moves have also generated the debate on freedom of speech and expression. The commission has been criticized for trying to muzzle free speech. Yes, people should be allowed to express their opinions, but in that process, they should not spread misleading information in violation of the poll code of conduct. Major political parties and civil society organizations also have a role to play to ensure a healthy election process. Parties should instruct their candidates and cadres not to strictly adhere to the regulations set by the EC while campaigning. Civil society organizations, meanwhile, can run their own campaigns to educate voters about the dangers of disinformation on social media, and urge them to trust only those information that have come from legitimate sources. In an ideal democracy, people should be allowed to exercise their franchise with their conscience, in a free and fair environment.