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Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, addressing the 30th convocation ceremony of Kathmandu University in Dhulikhel, highlighted the historical contributions of the Himalayan region to education and scientific discovery. He compared the ancient Nalanda University, established in 427, with renowned Western universities like Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard and Columbia, which were founded much later.

“Nalanda and 10 other universities in the Himalayan region existed over a thousand years ago,” he said. “Many Western nations have not even reached a millennium of existence.” While Nalanda University in India was established in 427, Oxford was founded in 1096, Cambridge in 1209, Harvard in 1636 and Columbia in 1754. He urged students to recognize their heritage as descendants of pioneers in research and innovation.

Referring to the achievements of ancient scholars, Oli emphasized that professors like Aryabhata at Nalanda had discovered the principles of gravity as early as the fifth century, long before Newton (in the 16th century). He pointed out that ancient Himalayan scholars were pioneers in science, mathematics and medicine, with Aryabhata and Bhaskaracharya making groundbreaking contributions, such as calculating the earth’s circumference and distance to the sun centuries ago.

“Bhaskaracharya, in 1150, calculated the Earth’s shape, circumference, distance to the sun and weight—discoveries later confirmed by modern science,” he said. “While the world was shrouded in darkness, our ancestors were exploring nature, philosophy, life and science.” He cited ancient texts and debates in Janakpur from nearly 4,000 years ago as evidence of this intellectual heritage.

Oli further asserted that ancient Himalayan sages made significant advances in surgery, astronomy and philosophy. He mentioned Maharishi Charaka, regarded as the father of medical science, who authored the ‘Charaka Samhita’ about 3,000 years ago. He also spoke of Sushruta, a pioneer in surgery, who hailed from eastern Nepal but had to move to Varanasi to expand his practice. Oli expressed pride in these historical achievements, emphasizing the need for modern students to rediscover their heritage and identity.

PM Oli expressed disappointment that such ancient innovations were overshadowed over time, leaving the region lagging in global progress. He called for revitalizing Nepal’s education system to focus on practical, technical and life-oriented learning, urging universities to design curricula fostering self-reliance and job creation instead of producing job-seekers. “Education must shape capable citizens through character and ethics, not just certificates,” he said.

The Prime Minister also addressed the modern-day challenges of climate change, noting how Nepal’s mountains are turning into barren rocks due to environmental degradation. He called for practical and self-reliant education systems that focus on creating jobs rather than merely seeking them. Oli urged Kathmandu University to incorporate practical, technical and life-oriented subjects into its curriculum to prepare students for real-world challenges. Highlighting the role of education in character-building and ethical development, he suggested that competency is defined not just by degrees but by behavior, values and responsibility.

Kathmandu University Vice-chancellor Bhola Thapa shared the institution’s commitment to promoting educational excellence, innovation and social impact. He highlighted the university’s efforts to democratize education through accessible digital platforms and tailor programs to meet the evolving demands of global and local markets. The university, he said, has focused on strengthening its brand internationally by fostering research, collaboration and innovation.

For the first time in its history, Kathmandu University awarded degrees to students from new programs like Master in Urban Studies, Master in Media Studies, Master of Fine Arts, Master in Indigenous Education and Development, and Master in Health Informatics. The convocation ceremony marked a milestone with 1,256 students graduating, including three PhD scholars. Among the graduates, 51.04 percent were female, and six percent were international students from nine countries, including India, China, France, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Iran, the UK, the US and Bhutan. Since its inception, the university has graduated 46,693 students, with 5,542 of them being international students from 57 countries. 

The convocation ceremony also underscored the strong historical and cultural ties between Nepal and India. Triloknath Singh, director of the Indian Institute of Technology in Patna, lauded the collaboration between the two nations in education and research, highlighting its potential to drive sustainable development. 

PM Oli stressed the government’s commitment to fostering collaboration between universities to enhance employability, innovation and self-reliance among students. He highlighted Nepal’s vulnerability to climate change, calling for environmental justice and student engagement in addressing these challenges. “Education should empower youth to create jobs and contribute to the nation’s identity and progress,” Oli concluded.

Tikapur Airport in Kailali, which has been closed for regular operations since Feb 1997, officially resumed flight services on Sunday. The Tara Air flight YT 1701, carrying 16 passengers, landed at Tikapur Airport at 1:44 pm, marking the start of regular flights to the region.

The reopening of the airport has been made possible through the special efforts of Tikapur Municipality, with coordination between Tara Air and Yeti Airlines. Tikapur Airport first began operations on 11 Oct 1984.

According to Ram Lal Dagora Tharu, the Mayor of Tikapur Municipality, Yeti Airlines will operate flights from Kathmandu to Nepalgunj, with connecting flights to Tikapur provided by Tara Air. The initiative also involves active participation from local tourism businesses and other stakeholders.

Regular flights will operate every Sunday and Thursday, following the Kathmandu-Nepalgunj-Tikapur and Tikapur-Nepalgunj-Kathmandu routes. The municipality has signed an agreement with Tara Air to ensure a minimum of 15 seats per flight. Test flights have previously been conducted by Nepal Airlines and Tara Air.

The one-way fare for the Kathmandu-Tikapur flight has been set at Rs 9,000. Mayor Dagora Tharu expressed gratitude for the efforts of individuals and organizations, including Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey, and Minister of State Arun Kumar Chaudhary, who played key roles in reopening the airport.

Minister Arun Chaudhary reiterated his commitment to further improving Tikapur Airport, with plans to introduce direct flights from Kathmandu to Tikapur shortly. He also thanked all parties involved in the airport’s reopening.

With the resumption of services, residents from nearby areas, including Kailali, Surkhet, and Bardiya, who previously relied on flights from Dhangadhi and Nepalgunj, are expected to benefit from the renewed connectivity. Although the runway is gravel-based, plans are in place to upgrade it once regular flights begin.

Two people died and 12 others were injured when a vehicle met with an accident near Chuakhola Boxkating at Lamhi Municipality-9 in Dang along the East-West Highway on Monday.

According to DSP Ishwor Thapa, the vehicle (Lu 1 Ja 4298) was en route to Bardiya from Chadrauta of Kapilvastu when the tragedy occurred this morning.

The deceased have been identified as Prithi Tharu (42) of Shivaraj Municipality-3 and Phulsi Tharu (60) of the same area.  

DSP Thapa informed that the injured are undergoing treatment at Lamahi Hospital.

According to the police, there were 14 people in the vehicle.

Thapa said that the accident may have occurred due to over speeding.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has declared a holiday today to mourn the demise of former Mayor PL Singh.

He passed away this morning while undergoing treatment at the age of 87.

KMC's assistant spokesperson Dhruba Kumar Kafle said that the KMC has decided to close all non-essential services of the central office and all the ward offices to mourn the death of former Mayor Singh.

The Kathmandu Municipality was declared a metropolitan city in 2052 BS on his efforts.

I cry , it doesn’t mean I am weak,

I smile ,it doesn’t mean I am happy.

I panic , it doesn’t mean I am scared,

My feelings change in moments unprepared.

Though I cry, it doesn’t mean I’ve lost,

My tears fall from battles I’ve fought.

My smiles may hide the storms within,

But they show the strength I keep deep in.

Even when I quit, I seem the strongest,

Even with fears, I look the boldest.

For the world sees only what is outside,

Not the struggles I quietly keep inside.

If I pretend, the world thinks I’m strong,

While silence hides where I go wrong.

But when I show myself and speak my heart,

I may stand alone, but that’s my art.

Let them judge, let them misunderstand,

I’ll live as me, and take my stand.

No crowd can measure what I am worth,

For being true is the rarest on earth.

Supriya Paudel

BBM III Semester

United College, Kumaripati, Lalitpur

The Nepal Academy has unveiled a new contribution to Nepali children’s literature with the publication of ‘Pragya Nepali Balgeet’, a 422-page anthology edited by writer and journalist Gopi Krishna Dhungana.  

The book is divided into three chapters, each showcasing a unique aspect of Nepali children’s songs (balgeet in Nepali). The first chapter offers a comprehensive 32-page critique titled ‘Principles, Traditions, and Trends of Nepali children song’, exploring the theoretical and historical evolution of the genre. The second chapter features two songs each by 159 children’s songwriters, with a brief introduction of each contributor. The third chapter presents 56 songs archived in Radio Nepal’s Sound Museum.  

Prominent contributors include luminaries such as Dinesh Adhikari, Prof Dr Krishnahari Baral, Dr Devi Nepal, and many others. The work is priced at Rs 600 and offers insights into themes of national identity, social issues, and religious philosophy.  

Chancellor Bhupal Rai highlighted the book’s importance in nurturing children’s interest in Nepali literature. Vice-chancellor Bimal Krishna Niwa remarked that the songs would appeal to children and serve as a tool for imparting values and lessons. Editor Dhungana emphasized the lack of institutional collections of children’s songs and expressed hope that the book would meet the cultural and literary needs of the country’s youth.  

This comprehensive collection, combining theoretical insights and a treasure trove of songs, aims to enrich the field of Nepali children’s literature and serve as a resource for fostering creativity and learning among young minds.

In honor of Human Rights Day, the 8th Inter A-Level Speech Competition was held at Global College International’s Auditorium Hall. Focused on the theme “Human Rights Today: Dignity, Freedom, and Justice for All”, the competition featured speeches from students across 15 A-Level colleges, addressing critical global issues related to human rights. The event, which was live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube, allowed a wider audience to engage with the discussions.

The competition was judged by Pradeep Sharma, Associate Professor at Tribhuvan University, and Kamal Dev Bhattarai, Editor of The Annapurna Express. Their expertise in political science, human rights, and journalism played a key role in evaluating the participants’ ideas, presentation, and address to the current global issues today.

The winner, Sadhabi Mahat from Rato Bangla School, emphasized that dignity, freedom, and justice are worth fighting for and encouraged youth to take action, starting with small steps. Janvi Subedi, the first runner-up from Kasthamandap Academy, stressed the need to address minority rights. Hridaya Joshi, the second runner-up from Global College, called on the youth to view human rights as a responsibility rather than a privilege taken for granted. She focused on the discrepancies between proclaimed human rights and stark ground reality that point at gross violation of human rights. 

At the event’s conclusion, Suraj Baral, Executive Director of the A-Levels program at GCI, presented certificates to participants and volunteers. The judges were also honoured with tokens of appreciation by Subash Shrestha, Principal of GCI. Rishav Dev Khanal, Program Coordinator, congratulated all participants, highlighting the event’s role in reinforcing the college’s commitment to responsible citizenship and leadership.

When we find ourselves using retail therapy as a substitute for stressful lives, we often fall victim to marketing strategies without even realizing we have been prey to them. Subliminal messaging and subtle marketing have contributed to our growing scale of unused products hidden behind the backs of our cupboards. Many don’t even question why malls have escalators on two ends of the building, compelling oncoming customers to walk a whole round of shopfronts to reach down after coming up. What this does is force customers to browse around the arena and buy goods they might not have thought about. 

Escalator and lift advertising is another advertising tactic in the market industry. Imagine a bored customer trapped in an enclosed space alone, they are bound to read or at least skim through the walls and this is the right moment for the brands to pique curiosity. On average, we spend around 30 seconds on an elevator. The 30 seconds of open slot in our mind is what the brand is seeking to capture with bold images and red offers. Now imagine a customer who visits the lift regularly, the ads on the wall are not new and rather a familiar image ingrained in their mind. This increase in brand recall creates a situation where one recognizes products and might even end up buying them. In a similar case, let’s think about the Coke ads we see daily. Its pairing with the food we are most likely to buy (mo mo in our context, and pizza in the Western context) has made it the top-selling soda in the world. Without realizing it many other food businesses have fallen under the scheme of marketing by offering combos between Coke and food. 

Senses are a crucial part of living but also a victim to experience. It is easy for brands to compel customers to come to them by manipulating their senses. Abercrombie and Fitch is a perfect example of this branding. The Abercrombie stores used to target teenagers and their use of dim light and music made a feeling of being in another world which essentially made them feel mature. This use of senses made for many loyal customers who like the feeling of shopping in the stores. This was furthered by the fact that the company hired model-like staff which added to their branding of being surrounded by attractive faces which attracted customers.

Without much realization, we are pulled to products that are of no use to us or do we need. The sharpest minds fall victim to such marketing at least once in their life and there are few ways to stop ourselves from this manipulation of businesses. First is knowing your spending triggers, in what mood do you usually end up buying unplanned products for yourself? Second, is limiting the budget for things you want as opposed to need. This helps in curbing the effect of marketing strategy as you do not have the budget it needs to buy more products. Lastly, stick to a time-out method- any time there is a desire to shop, wait and think it through before making the purchase. This will help organize your financial goals and not fall victim to marketing plans.

Lujata Shrestha

Undergrad student

St Xavier’s College, Maitighar