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Nepal received 345,600 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s bivalent Covid-19 vaccine on Monday. Dr Sarvesh Sharma, Director at the Department of Health Services of the Management Division, said that Nepal received 345, 600 doses of Covid-19 vaccine in the first phase from the COVAX facility today. “Nepal was supposed to receive 1.5 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech’s bivalent Covid-19 vaccine. But, the COVAX Facility sent 345, 600 doses of Covid-19 vaccine in the first phase. Nepal will receive remaining doses of Covid-19 vaccine in a few days,” he said. Dr Sharma said that the vaccines will be stored in Teku Hospital. This vaccine is considered to be effective against sub-variants of Omicron.

In a contrary to the expectations that monetary arrangements will be eased for credit expansion, the Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has continued the existing direction of the monetary policy for the current fiscal year. In a mid-term review of the monetary policy announced on Friday, the central bank continued its approach of controlling credit expansion ignoring the increased calls for easing from the business community and asset market investors. With the review, the central bank has made it clear that economic risks still persist and that the easy availability of credit could again lead to a situation of a surge in imports and depletion of forex reserves.  With import restrictions lifted, ease of credit could again mount pressure on the external sector of the economy, according to the NRB. Thanks to the eight months-long import restrictions, the country's external sector has come back to normalcy with rising forex reserves and remittances and improving the balance of payment (BoP). NRB had announced a tighter monetary policy last July mainly due to the shaky situation of the country's external sector. The central bank in the half-yearly review of the monetary policy has provided some flexibility for small borrowers.  The central bank has extended the time for borrowers who are facing difficulty to pay loan installments and interest amounts on time due to a lack of cash flow. Banks have been barred from taking penalty interest if a borrower makes payment of loans along with the interest within a month after the expiry of the deadline till mid-June 2023. Likewise, the central bank, in order to facilitate the operation of small and medium enterprises and businesses, has also come up with a provision that loans up to Rs 20 million that has remained active until mid-January, 2023 can be restructured and tabulated within mid-July, 2023 16 after analyzing their cash flow and incomes. As NRB continued with its policies of monetary tightening, the private sector bodies have expressed displeasure over the mid-term review. In a public event held in Kathmandu on Friday, the President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry Shekhar Golchha said that the review of the monetary policy has not come as expected. "In order to boost the economy in the current state, it is necessary to make the economic activity sustainable, for that the interest rate had to be reduced. However, the central bank did not bring a concrete policy to reduce the borrowing rate,'' said Golchha. During the same event, FNCCI Vice President Anjan Shrestha, also termed the mid-term review of the monetary policy as 'insufficient'. However, Prakash Kumar Shrestha, Executive Director of NRB said that there is still a risk of imports surging following the lifting of restrictions. If that happens, it will again put pressure on the external sector. "Along with this, the average inflation is still above the target. Therefore, the NRB has not deviated from the direction of the monetary policy during the mid-term review," said Shrestha. NRB has kept the interest rate corridor unchanged. The cash reserve ratio (CRR), is unchanged at four percent while the statutory liquidity ratio (SLR) is also kept unchanged at 12 percent. The central bank has said it will introduce a policy of providing overnight liquidity facilities to banks and financial institutions at an interest rate of 7 percent. Earlier, banks and financial institutions were given overnight liquidity at 8.5 percent interest. "This will help to reduce the borrowing rates," said Shrestha. Similarly, a policy has been introduced to make the monitoring of the spread rate and the premium charged from borrowers effective. The spread rate, which is currently 4.4 percent, has been arranged to be reduced to 4.2 percent by mid-March and to 4 percent by next June through the first quarter review of monetary policy.

A light earthquake hit Taplejung district on Monday. The National Earthquake Monitoring and Research Centre said that it recorded a tremor of local magnitude 4.8 at 4:30 am with its epicenter at Olangchungola in Faktanglung Rural Municipality-7 of the district. The tremor was felt in Taplejung and its adjoining districts. Faktanglung-7 ward chair Chheten Lama said that no damage has been reported so far in Olangchungola due to the earthquake. It may be noted that the 5.4 magnitude earthquake had struck the district with its epicenter at Olangchungola on February 9, 2021.

Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra arrived in Kathmandu on a two-day official visit to Nepal on Monday. A four-member team led by Kwatra arrived in Kathmandu in a special flight of the Indian Air Force at the invitation of Foreign Secretary Bharat Raj Poudel this morning. Nepal desk Chief at the Indian Foreign Ministry Joint Secretary Anuraj Srivastava (North) is also in the team. Foreign Secretary Poudel and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava among others welcomed the team at the Tribhuvan International Airport. According to a source, Kwatra, India’s former envoy to Nepal, is visiting Nepal to fix the date and agenda of Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s India visit. This is the first stand-alone visit of the Foreign Secretary to Nepal since he assumed charge. During the visit, the two Foreign Secretaries will hold discussions on the entire range of multifaceted cooperation between India and Nepal.  

Dhanajay Tripathi chairs the Department of International Relations at the South Asian University. He closely follows South Asian politics. Narendra Thapa talked to him about wider aspects of Nepal-India relations. How do you see the recent government change in Nepal in the context of India-Nepal relations? India-Nepal relations are not regime based, these are based on socioeconomic, cultural and people-to-people connections. Governments may come and go. The new government has shown its keenness, and Prachanda has been positive toward India. What does India expect from this coalition? India wants to maintain a healthy relationship with all South Asian countries, and Nepal holds a very special place in the Indian foreign policy. Nepal shall not be seen merely in terms of political ties or regime changes. Despite witnessing difficult times, this relationship has remained smooth over the years. Every Indian—and not just the government—expects the coalition government to be friendly toward India. Dahal is familiar with the political and social milieus of India; he knows this country so well. India played a very vital role during his struggle against the monarchy. Against the backdrop of these linkages, every Indian wants an open, friendly Nepal. A few people in India believe that Dahal has sometimes taken positions against India’s expectations. Looking at Dahal’s overall political position, though, I feel that the position he has taken should not be a cause for concern. More than Dahal, I feel that KP Oli, at times in a very rhetorical manner, has taken positions that cannot be considered quite friendly toward India. The China factor is of course, but it is everywhere. To understand it, you have to look at it from the Chinese perspective and not from the South Asian perspective. The Chinese have money,  they want to invest in South Asia. China is a very big power, and it has very good relations with Western countries and many others. So, why can’t it have good ties with South Asian countries? I do not read China investing in a South Asian country as an anti-India thing. Of course, there will be competition between the two giants, and everybody is aware of it. How hopeful are you about the resolution of long-standing irritants like border disputes, security issues, and Nepal’s expectations of a more favorable access for its goods in the Indian market? There is nothing that cannot be resolved between India and Nepal, because it is not merely the politics that connects us. Let me bring a very recent example regarding the construction of the statues in Ayodhya. When two Shila sourced from Nepal were arriving, it was like fanfare in India. This is but one aspect of India-Nepal relations, which often figures in our academic and intellectual discussions. We know there are very strong people-to-people connections. There are issues, particularly those related to the border, which have become quite prominent from 2015 onward. Both sides have shown seriousness to resolve these issues through dialogue. When it comes to the India-Nepal border, it’s an open and porous border. I think both countries are in a much better place to resolve this dispute. Let me explain it a bit. If you look at the India-Pakistan border and India-Bangladesh border, it’s a different story altogether. These are very securitized borders, so the resolution of issues is very difficult, as a lot of political contestation is involved. As for the India-Nepal border, it requires willingness on the part of both sides to resolve it. India should think of a better way to integrate South Asian economies with its market and allow access to Nepali goods in the Indian market. Recent narratives from the Indian scholarly community and media propagate that Chinese activities are on the rise in Nepal. How do you see this? This is a critical question for all South Asian countries. China is investing in all South Asian countries, including Nepal, which also has seen a surge in China’s FDI. Nepal is also part of the BRI project. The Indian strategic community sees it all with a bit of skepticism. Nepal is India’s next-door neighbor and some of these projects will give China access to areas close to the Indian borders. The Pokhara (international) airport is a case in point. China is part of the project (in Pokhara), which is not that far from Gorakhpur on the Indian side. People with a strategic outlook look at these kinds of activities with alarm. This is because India and China, despite good trade relations, have failed to resolve political issues, particularly the border issues. The Indian people may look at increasing Chinese investment in Nepal’s infrastructure sector in a different way, though Nepal has made it clear repeatedly that it wants to act as a bridge between India and China. I don’t feel there are many takers of this position in India. Nepal has to decide what kind of bridge it can be. Nepal and India have to think quite a lot when it comes to China’s involvement. There is suspicion about this whole thing, but I also have faith in people-to-people and social connections between the peoples of the two countries. What are the domains that need improving in terms of government-to-government ties? One of the things we should be doing is focusing more on the people. Somehow over the years, we have seen that young generations on either side of the border have misunderstandings on a variety of issues. This needs to be resolved and both sides need to promote people-to-people contacts. Border issues come second. Political rhetorics hardly help. The two countries should work to resolve the disputes. Market integration is the third important thing. India should think in terms of its South Asia policy with a view to integrating it with the markets of other countries and vice-versa. Fourth, India must look into development projects that it has supported in South Asian countries, including in Nepal. To conclude, I have seen in the last couple of years a shift in Nepal’s position toward China. This change has happened in the last 2-3 years, for whatever reason. In the wake of the Sri Lankan crisis, China is facing questions regarding the utility of its investment in the region. It’s not that things will remain the same. As for foreign policy, it will keep changing and India-Nepal relations will change accordingly. But people-to-people relations will remain the pillar of this relationship. There is a very strong people-to-people connection between these two countries, and we should not ignore this in any of our discussions.

I’m a 20-year-old student, and I think I might be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). As a child, I was pretty outgoing. But that changed when I started getting bullied, and there was no one to help me out. My classmates enjoyed joking about my looks and passing hurtful comments, and teachers ignored it. I’m still traumatized. I have no self-esteem, and I think I’m showing early signs of depression. How do I deal with this? Please help!—SK Answered by Dristy Moktan, psychosocial counselor, Happy Minds First of all, I would like to acknowledge and appreciate your courage to be vocal about what you are going through. That’s the first step you need to take in order to heal. Secondly, you should understand that the environment you grew up in, as a child, has had an impact on your personality. So, recalling the events that occurred in the past will help you find the main reason for your PTSD. It could be, for instance, like you mentioned, your experience during the school days.  However, one thing I would like to suggest is never resort to self diagnosis. A lot of patients tend to google their symptoms and come to a certain conclusion that might be completely wrong. Some of the results are the worst case scenarios. Thinking you have something similar will only make you more anxious. Being bullied can be an extremely traumatizing experience, but that doesn’t always mean you have PTSD. So, in order to get the right diagnosis, it’s best to visit a professional. In case you are diagnosed with PTSD, it’s essential for you to be vocal about the instances that trigger you. So, to start your healing journey, releasing all your built in emotions there and then, whether to a professional, or someone you trust, is the first step. That also includes explaining your feelings to someone whose actions might have affected you, for them to understand your triggering factors and be mindful about it in the future. If you don’t, this issue might get worse. What usually happens is, our mind goes into a defense mechanism where we suppress disturbing emotions, which might result in chronic depression and severe PTSD, which we want to avoid.  About raising your self-esteem, it always starts with working on yourself. In many cases, it’s just our negative thoughts, habit of overthinking, and self-doubt that pushes us behind. And in most instances, we are aware of that. So, in moments like that, ask yourself: “Why am I thinking this way?”, and reflect on your answer. Knowing that answer might help you understand your mental health status even better, and work on finding a solution.  Secondly, it’s important to engage yourself with things that help you get your self-esteem back. The process of doing so might not be the same for everyone, but you have to start somewhere in order to come out of your comfort zone and boost your confidence. It can be a certain activity, getting back to your hobby, or even hanging out with your friends. But it’s on you to find a method that helps you best in order to raise your self-esteem. This is something called a hit-and-trial method. You have to keep on trying until you find a solution.  If you are having a hard time, cry and let it all out. Don’t suppress your emotions because everything you feel is valid. Hug yourself and practice self-affirmations. Ask your loved ones to hang out with you and have meaningful conversations with them. Do anything and everything that makes you feel good about yourself, and give yourself enough time to work on yourself.  Also, creating a schedule for your daily activity helps. Set aside a time for journaling. Jotting down how you feel can help you understand your mental health status. Finding some inner peace by meditating can be helpful too. You aren’t alone in this journey, so I urge you not to panic. Whatever you are going through right now can be treated. 

International Taekwondo referee Dipendra Dhakal has left for Uzbekistan to participate in Olympic referee selection and closed training on Friday. The decisive selection and closed training is being conducted on Feb 12-14. International Referee Dhakal was recently promoted to the second class in the Kyorugi category. The World Taekwondo Referee Committee sent Dhakal a promotion certificate a few days ago. It took Dhakal four years to get promoted from the third class to the second class.

The Election Commission has decided to hold a by-election in Chitwan constituency-2 on April 23. A meeting of the Election Commission held on Sunday decided to hold the by-election for a member of the House of Representatives in Chitwan-2 as per Section 68 of the House of Representatives Act 2074, EC spokesperson Shaligram Sharma said. Rastriya Swatantra Party President Rabi Lamichhane was elected as a member of the House Representatives from Chitwan-2 in the November 20 elections. But, the Supreme Court annulled his status as a lawmaker saying that he didn’t have valid Nepali citizenship.