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Nepali Congress central member and Education Department head Nain Singh Mahar said that economic indicators have turned positive during the first year of the NC and CPN-UML coalition government.

He, however, said that questions have been raised about the implementation of the seven-point agreement, including good governance and constitutional amendments.

He said so while speaking at an interaction titled “People and Government “organized by the School of Democracy in Kathmandu on Monday.

“Many new policies and regulations have been formulated; lawmaking processes have gained momentum. It has been said that this has made it easier for the businesspersons to do trade,” he mentioned, adding, “Important issues like long-stalled peace process work and amendment of the Citizenship Act have also been finalized.”

According to him, an online system has been developed to make it easier for the service seekers to receive services from government offices. It is itself a great achievement for the country that a politically stable government has been formed, he added.

Leader Mahar said that all these works have shown a ray of hope to the people.

He, however, noted that questions have been raised pertaining to the purpose of government operations, direction of implementation, and overall management.

“The seven-point agreement, including constitutional amendments, reached during the formation of the government a year ago has not been implemented yet,” Mahar said. “The government has not been able to do much in controlling corruption and providing good governance, which the people have been hoping for.”

Mahar is preparing to formally file his candidacy for the post of General Secretary in the 15th General Convention of the Nepali Congress.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 32. 00 points to close at 2, 728. 80 points on Monday. 

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 6. 18 points to close at 475. 00 points.

A total of 21,102,540-unit shares of 321 companies were traded for Rs 8. 17 billion.

Meanwhile, Mai Khola Hydropower Limited (MKHL) was the top gainer today with its price surging by 5. 90 percent. Likewise, Samudayik Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (SLBSL) was the top loser with its price dropped by 4. 46 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 54 trillion.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has stated that the country's economic indicators have turned positive during the first year of the current government's tenure.

He claimed this via social site today, adding that national development projects have also started gaining momentum during this period.

"We are about to complete one year in government. During this time, economic indicators have turned positive, and national development projects have taken pace," he wrote.

He further added that with the amendment of laws, the culture of working online has been growing. "There are still lots of works to be carried out and the government focus remains firmly on that," he added.

Nine people lost their lives and eleven others were injured after a truck overloaded with mangoes overturned in Andhra Pradesh’s Annamayya district on Sunday night.

The lorry, carrying around 40 tons of mangoes with 20 workers seated on top, toppled in Pullampeta area of Annamayya district, about 387 km southwest of Amaravati, the capital city of Andhra Pradesh while trying to avoid an oncoming car. Many were crushed under falling crates, according to Xinhua.

Rescue teams and locals rushed to help. Police suspect overloading played a major role, though investigations are ongoing.

Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has directed the concerned authorities to investigate the people who travelled to Spain with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli.

On Sunday, the Home Minister directed Home Secretary Gokarnamani Duwadi and Inspector General of Police Deepak Thapa to determine whether the people except those in the official delegation had travelled to Spain during the Prime Minister's recent visit to Spain.

“They have been instructed to investigate whether anyone travelled to Spain on a visit visa apart from the official delegation,” the Home Minister said.

“The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and the Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau of Nepal Police will be deployed to carry out the investigation. If anyone is found guilty, legal action will be taken in accordance with the law,” he said.

It may be noted that Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had travelled to Spain on June 28 in the course of attending the Fourth United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD-4) in Spain held from June 30 to July 3.

Minister of External Affairs of India Dr. S. Jaishankar met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing on Monday, reaffirming India’s support for China’s presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) — a key regional bloc focused on security, economic, and political cooperation, Firstpost reported.

He noted steady progress in India-China ties since the 2024 Modi-Xi meeting and welcomed the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, calling it widely appreciated in India.

Amid global uncertainties, Jaishankar emphasized the need for open, honest dialogue between neighbours. He is also set to hold bilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to Firstpost.

About 59 percent of this season’s paddy plantation has been completed across the country, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.

As of July 13, paddy has been planted on around 816,405 hectares of land. This is about 8 percent less than the same period last year.

Among the provinces, Sudurpaschim is leading with 93 percent of its target already completed, covering around 164,000 hectares of land while in Karnali Province, paddy plantation so far spreads on 64,000 hectares, reaching 83 percent of the target. In Lumbini, it is 73 percent, with 223,000 hectares of land planted with paddy.

Last year, by this time, the country had reported about 67 percent paddy plantation.

Paddy plantation is still ongoing in many areas and is expected to reach around 98 percent by mid-August.

Ministry spokesperson Mahananda Joshi said that the Tarai region is the most fertile and produces about 70 percent of the country’s total rice, while the hilly regions contribute the remaining 30 percent.

During the previous fiscal year 2080/81 (2023/24), the country had witnessed a total rice production of 5.724 million metric tonnes. Unfavorable weather conditions, natural disasters, excessive rainfall, and droughts create adversities for rice plantation, deferring the plantation schedule in some areas.

In Nepal, paddy is usually grown on about 1.4 million hectares of land. With the use of improved knowledge, skills, modern technologies, and better seed varieties, rice production is expected to increase in the coming years.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, a 10 percent change in rice production can lead to about 1 percent change in the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

This year, an estimated 6 million metric tonnes of rice will be produced, yielding approximately 3.5 million metric tons of edible rice, it has been said.

A 28-year-old woman in Kanchanpur died after being bitten by a snake while observing Chhaupadi, the outlawed practice of banishing girls and women to isolated huts during menstruation.

Police said Kamala Auji of Nigali village in Krishnapur Municipality-1 was asleep in a Chhau hut when the snake bit her. She was rushed to Seti Provincial Hospital in Dhangadhi, but died during treatment. According to Deputy Superintendent of Police Sagar Bohora, Auji had gone to sleep in a neighbor’s hut after the one she was staying in began leaking due to rainfall.

The exact circumstances of the incident are still under investigation, Bohora said.

Despite being legally banned, Chhaupadi remains prevalent in parts of western Nepal, driven by deeply rooted superstitions. Many people still believe that menstruating women are impure and must isolate themselves. 

Mohan Basnet, ward chair of Krishnapur-1, said that the local government demolished around 60 Chhau huts last year as part of a campaign to eradicate the practice, but it persists. The huts typically lack electricity, insulation, and basic bedding, making them unsafe.

Both Kanchanpur and other districts in Sudurpaschim have intensified efforts to eliminate Chhaupadi. 

According to official data, seven districts in the province have dismantled 7,545 huts so far. Achham led the effort with 5,813 huts demolished, followed by 230 in Kanchanpur alone.

Chhaupadi was criminalized in 2017 under Nepal’s Criminal Code, with penalties of up to three months in jail and a Rs 3,000 fine for forcing women into isolation during menstruation. But enforcement remains weak.

“This inhumane practice continues to kill innocent women,” said Dalit rights leader Rajuram Sarki. 

Shivi Luhar, chairperson of the National Freed Haliya Society, urged authorities to treat Chhaupadi huts like any other public-health hazard. “Tear them down and prosecute offenders,” he demanded. 

Sudurpaschim Province records dozens of snakebite cases each year. Health workers warn that Chhau huts, often built near fields or water sources, attract snakes and expose women to hypothermia, respiratory illnesses, and sexual violence.

The local municipality has pledged to accelerate demolitions, expand legal enforcement, and partner with schools, religious leaders, and women’s groups for door-to-door awareness campaigns.

As Auji’s family prepares for her funeral, advocates say her death is a grim reminder of Nepal’s failure to translate legal bans into lived reality—one that will persist until communities replace superstition with science and safety.