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I’m a college student and I have a job as well. Whenever I have some free time, I like to sleep or scroll through social media. My parents have a problem with it. They think I’m neglecting my studies. But I’m also using my phone for college and work. Also, technology isn’t necessarily bad. I don’t like it when my parents misunderstand me. How can I bridge this communication gap and make them understand that modern technology can align with traditional values? 

Answered by Kapil Sharma, counseling psychologist

I’m going to assume you are in your late teens or early 20s as this kind of problem is more common in that age group. What you are facing is more likely to be a perception vs reality situation. Your parents think social media can harm you but it might be helping you deal with everyday pressures. What you can do here is share how you feel and how social media or technology is helping you in your studies, work, and personal life. 

Generational gap can lead to many problems in the family, especially where technology is concerned. They didn’t have access to it during their times so it will take them a while to get used to it and start seeing its advantages. You can reassure them that you won’t let it hamper your studies or career. Try sharing how you feel it helps you and they might slowly start understanding. 

It can also be a good idea to acknowledge their concerns and appreciate their advice. This way they will feel like you are hearing them out and not dismissing them. In the process, you can also share your thoughts and communicate why you do the things you do so that they get an insight into the workings of your mind as well. 

Try to involve them when you are using the internet. If you are watching something on YouTube, maybe you can get them to watch it with you. Ask them what they would like to watch and tell them what you are interested in. Sharing interests can lead to open communication and a better understanding of one another. 

Every parent worries about their child. Yours too are just looking out for you. In this case, if you are open and honest with them, they will eventually come around. The key is sharing how you feel and explaining things to them. 

Many Nepali youths tend to go abroad to follow their passion, their growth limited by very few opportunities here in their home country. But are they chasing their dreams or is it the prospect of a brighter future? ApEx spoke to three people to find out how big of an element passion is while making decisions for their future and whether financial stability is the most crucial factor. 

Arpan Karki, 20

These days, it’s evident that many young individuals prioritize financial stability over pursuing their passions. The lack of opportunities and limited employment options in the country compel most youths to go abroad. For many, the goal is often to provide a comfortable life for their families here while they work tirelessly.

In Nepal, the prevailing mindset leans heavily towards seeking opportunities abroad rather than nurturing personal passions. Many families actively encourage their children to migrate, seeing it as the only viable path to success. Non-traditional career paths, often associated with uncertainty, rarely attract young people in Nepal. The majority gravitate towards safer, more predictable options, driven by a need for stability rather than a passion for their work. While a few are breaking barriers and excelling in unconventional fields, the majority dream of leaving the country, viewing it as the most practical solution for a better future.

Ishwor Khatri, 26

When it comes to passion and stability, young people should strive to follow their dreams, pursue careers and investments aligned with their interests. Starting a business or investing in something profitable can be a great way to achieve both personal fulfillment and financial security. In today’s expensive world, economic stability is crucial, but it doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your passion entirely. Pursuing what you love can lead to success because passion drives perseverance, even in the face of challenges. While everyone’s journey is unique, many people face pressure from their families to prioritize financial security over their dreams. However, achieving financial stability doesn’t mean giving up on your passion. Every career or sector comes with its own set of pros and cons, and learning to navigate these challenges is a part of the process. If following your passion isn’t immediately feasible, it’s okay to focus on financial stability first. Stability provides a foundation that can support your aspirations in the future. 

Sharda Tamang, 42

As a mother and a working woman, I find the current situation quite challenging. Everything seems to be influenced by trends, and I’ve witnessed significant changes over the past year. These challenges might only increase with time. For the youth of this generation, it’s crucial to follow their passion while also seeking financial stability. In Nepal, finding a good job is difficult, and even when a job seems suitable, the low salaries often make it hard to sustain a decent living. This is one reason why many young people aspire to go abroad. However, it’s vital for young individuals to remain connected to their childhood dreams and dedicate themselves wholeheartedly to their passions. Sustaining that dedication, even in the face of family or societal pressure, is key to achieving personal and professional fulfillment. At the same time, it’s important for young people to stay on the right path and uphold good values. This is where family support becomes invaluable. As parents, it’s our responsibility to guide our children if we see them going astray, while also respecting their aspirations and helping them pursue their goals.

The German government is to provide 100,000 Euros (EUR) to the drinking water project constructed at Dhulikhel Municipality in Kavrepalanchowk.  The drinking water project was damaged by floods and landslides that occurred in the last week of September.

The municipality had in mid-October proposed German Ambassador to Nepal, Dr Thomas Prinz for the reconstruction of the damaged project.

Mayor Ashok Byanju on the behalf of the municipality and Tirtha Sinha on the behalf of the German Agency for International Cooperation signed the memorandum of understanding for the same. 

The German Embassy in Nepal through GIZ was ready to provide Rs 14.2 million support for the reconstruction of the drinking water project.

As per the agreement, the financial assistance would be provided to Dhulikhel Drinking Water and Sanitation Consumers' Committee within a few days, said the mayor. 

Locals of ward no 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 and government offices at the district headquarters have still been facing problems with drinking water.

Meanwhile, drinking water is being supplied in the municipality after partial reconstruction of the project.

Committee Chairperson Krishna Bhusan Shrestha said Rs 1.97 million has been spent to carry out repair and maintenance of the project so far.

Around Rs 35 million has been estimated for the complete reconstruction of the three-decade old drinking water project.

The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is arranging alternative power supplies to ensure uninterrupted construction of the Kathmandu-Tarai/Madhes Fast Track in Bhimphedi Rural Municipality-8 and Indra Sarovar Rural Municipality-3, Makawanpur.

To facilitate ongoing construction of bridges, tunnels, and other structures, the NEA will require approximately 12 MW of electricity in these areas. The plan involves operating the previously used 66 kV line from the Kulekhani First Hydropower Station at 11 kV, relocating a 22.5 MVA power transformer from Jageda to the Dhorsing Substation, and supplementing the supply with a higher-capacity transformer.

Floods and landslides on Sept 19-20 severely damaged the 22 MW Bagmati Khola Small Hydropower Plant and the 2 MW Khanikhola project, cutting power to the Malta Substation and halting electricity supply to the fast track. Reconstruction of these projects is underway, with completion expected by next Chaitra.

A high-level NEA team, led by Managing Director Kulman Ghising, inspected the affected areas and explored immediate power solutions. Ghising emphasized the importance of ensuring power supply through alternative measures to avoid delays in this national pride project.

Deputy Managing Director Manoj Silwal instructed local distribution heads to expedite restoration efforts. Once the damaged hydropower projects resume operations, the previous power supply arrangements will be reinstated.

The national flag carrier, Nepal Airlines Corporation, owns three Twin Otter aircraft for domestic flights, all of which have been grounded for nearly 12 years.  

One of the aircraft, DHC 6-300 with the call sign ABX, has been sitting idle under the sun at Tribhuvan International Airport since 2012. After its grounding, the remaining two aircraft continued operating on 19 routes until one, Nine-ABT, was grounded on June 6 due to an engine issue. For about six months, only one Twin Otter, Nine-ABU, remained operational for domestic flights. However, it too was grounded on Dec 23 when its engine’s flight hours expired, leading to the complete suspension of the airline’s domestic operations. Despite this, Nepal Airlines Corporation’s leadership appears indifferent to maintaining the grounded aircraft.  

Nepal Airlines is the only carrier serving the country’s remote hilly and mountainous districts. With the grounding of its fleet, all domestic operations have ceased, leaving four contract pilots, 19 engineers, and more than 50 technical staff without work. Employees report that the corporation is losing millions of rupees monthly due to administrative expenses, including staff salaries, despite the suspension of flights.

The Twin Otter Nine-ABU’s engine flight hours expired on Dec 23, and the aircraft had been flying under a flight-hour-saving strategy since May 2024. According to a corporation employee, the right-hand engine’s maximum flight hours had already been reached.  

Meanwhile, the engine of Nine-ABT, grounded on June 6, seized during maintenance. Without a spare engine available, the corporation was unable to repair it. Parts from the Nine-ABT, including its engine, were subsequently transferred to the recently grounded Nine-ABU, according to a source within the corporation.  

The flight hours for the Nine-ABU’s engine were originally capped at 3,600 but were reportedly extended to 4,000, according to insiders. However, the corporation’s technical spokesperson, Engineer Manoj Kumar Shah, refuted these claims. “The corporation is compromising safety by exceeding the approved flight hours. The engine’s capacity is 3,600 hours,” Shah said. He added that the decision to fly the aircraft was made to serve civil aviation needs rather than for commercial profit.  

The corporation had called for bids to repair the engine on Aug 9. Israeli company Bet Semes and Nepali company Mater Trading applied. Bet Semes had prior experience with Nepal Airlines’ engine repairs, while Mater Trading, registered in 2018 for goods transportation, had no relevant background.  

A second tender was issued on Oct 3, to which only Bet Semes responded. Despite Bet Semes’ global reputation for repairing PT6-27 engines, the corporation delayed finalizing an agreement for over two months. A formal agreement with Bet Semes was finally signed on Dec 21. As per the contract, the company must provide a repaired engine within 45 to 90 days, with delivery expected by the end of Jan 2025.  

On the international front, Nepal Airlines’ narrow-body aircraft Nine-N-AKW, which requires a mandatory C-check, has been flying under a flight-hour-saving strategy since October due to delays in selecting a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) provider. The aircraft currently operates only two to three sectors per week instead of the usual 27–28 flights, averaging just two hours of flight time daily.  

Currently, the corporation operates two wide-body and two narrow-body aircraft on nine international routes. However, with the Nine-N-AKW nearing its grounding due to delayed maintenance, the airline’s operational capacity is shrinking further. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation has taken no visible action to address these issues.  

Article 93(1) of the Constitution of Nepal, 2015 states that the interval between the two consecutive sessions of the federal parliament shall not be more than six months. The budget session was prorogued in mid-September 2024, meaning that the deadline for convening the winter session has not passed.

Notwithstanding this provision, the winter session should already have begun in accordance with a prevailing practice of convening the session within three months after the prorogation of the budget session.

With over 20 bills pending, lawmakers have their hands full. The parliament will need ample time for deliberations on each bill and for incorporation of concerns coming from lawmakers as law-making in a democracy is not done at the crack of a whip.

So, what is stopping the government from recommending the President to summon the winter session?

Some existential crisis, fear of criticism or some other factor?  

What’s exactly cooking in the corridors of power?

Media reports point out that the government has some other designs. Rather than stepping up preparations for the session, the two major ruling parties—the CPN-UML and the Nepali Congress—are in talks to introduce an ordinance that will actually ‘facilitate’ the splitting of political parties.

 These dark-room negotiations and delay in convening the session have not gone unnoticed. Speaking at a program of the Federal Parliament Secretariat recently, the Speaker of the House of Representatives expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in convening the session. Describing the government as the child of the parliament, he accused the child of sidestepping, undermining and even boycotting the mother.

Lawmakers from the opposition parties have objected to this style of functioning, accusing the government of seeking to rule through ordinances, ignoring the voices of the people and trying to avoid criticism.

On their part, some ministers and ruling party leaders have conceded that inter-party talks on whether or not to present the bill on splitting of political parties during this session are in progress, indicating that the winter session may convene in about a fortnight.

Summing up, the government should learn some bitter lessons from similar misadventures instead of trying to ‘facilitate’ the split of parties for temporary gains, rule through ordinances and undermine the concerns of the opposition and the people if it indeed wants the polity to stabilize and deliver.

The 132/33 kV substation constructed in Markichowk, Tanahun, has officially come into operation. The Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) recently completed the substation’s construction, marking the conclusion of the Madhyamsyangdi-Dumre-Damauli 132 kV transmission line project. Additionally, the Madhyamsyangdi-Damauli-Marsyangdi 132 kV double circuit transmission line is now operational.

The commissioning of the Markichowk Substation is expected to significantly reduce issues such as voltage drops, frequent line trips, and voltage loss in Gorkha, according to Kulman Ghising, Executive Director of NEA. He explained that electricity was previously supplied to Gorkha through a 33 kV line via Damauli-Dumre-Ambukhaireni, which presented challenges due to the long distance. With the new substation, electricity will now flow from Markichowk to Gorkha via Ambukhaireni, shortening the 33 kV line, reducing system leakage, improving voltage stability, and ensuring a more reliable supply.

Ghising also noted that electricity from the 132 kV line at Markichowk Substation can be stepped up to 220 kV through the 132/220 kV substation under construction as part of the Marsyangdi-Matatirtha 220 kV transmission line project. This ongoing project includes the development of a 132/220 kV substation at Markichowk itself.

The project, initiated in fiscal year 2012/13, involved a contract with the Chinese company Pinggao Group Co Ltd. The scope included constructing the Markichowk Substation, expanding GIS bays at Madhyamsyangdi and Damauli substations by one and two, respectively, and adding GIS bays at Lower Marsyangdi. The total estimated cost, funded by the Government of Nepal, NEA, and a concessional loan from the Asian Development Bank, was Rs 600m. According to project chief Shah, the construction was completed within the estimated budget.

The NEA is pursuing a nationwide campaign to build new substations and expand the distribution system to provide quality and reliable electricity. Following the successful elimination of load-shedding in Nepal, the NEA plans to construct and upgrade 30 grid substations and 20 distribution substations during the current fiscal year. Additionally, the authority aims to complete 600 circuit kilometers of transmission lines and 8,000 circuit kilometers of distribution lines within this period.

The government has also adopted a policy of developing high-capacity transmission lines to ensure a consistent power supply for existing and upcoming industrial areas and corridors. To support this, the NEA is actively upgrading substations, building new transmission lines, and strengthening the overall power distribution network.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 2, 000 per tola in the domestic market on Friday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 153, 500 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 151, 500 per tola on Thursday.

Similarly, the price of silver has increased by Rs 20 and is being traded at Rs 1, 810 per tola today.