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Currently there is a partial influence of westerly wind across the country. According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the weather will be partly cloudy in the hilly regions while the rest of the country will have fair weather with partial changes.

It will be generally to fully cloudy in the hilly regions of the rest of the provinces, including Sudurpaschim and Karnali Provinces and partly to generally cloudy in the rest of the country this afternoon.

Light to moderate rain is likely to occur at a few places of Sudurpaschim, Karnali and Lumbini Provinces, at one or two places of Gandaki and Bagmati Provinces and at one or two places of hilly region of Koshi Province.

Light to moderate snowfall is likely to occur at many places of the high hilly and mountainous regions of Sudurpaschim and Karnali Provinces and at a few places of the high hilly and mountainous regions of Gandaki, Bagmati and Koshi Provinces. 

According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, the weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly regions of Karnali, Sudurpaschim, Gandaki, Bagmati and Koshi Provinces tonight.

Light rain is likely to occur at a few places of the hilly region of the country including Karnali Province.

Light snowfall is likely to occur at a few places of the high hilly and mountainous regions of Sudurpaschim, Karnali and Gandaki Provinces and at one or two places of the high hilly and mountainous regions of Bagmati and Koshi Provinces.

It will be an imprudent anticipation, if our society hopes to bring an exemplary change or to climb a  progressive ladder to unprecedented steps. How is the education of our nation in its truest form? The  impartial answer can itself prophecy the future of our society. Let’s not probe the stance of privileged  education received by very few students in Nepal, the high majority of children are still getting an  inadequate wisdom in the mere illusion of education- notably in the rural parts of our country.  

The grass roots of our nation are failing to avail itself with the profound opportunity of today.  Although, there is a slight progress in the way of learning among the students of these parts in the past  few years, it is still nowhere near that landmark point which could in turn supersede the face of today’s  Nepal to a better, prosperous, and sustainable Nepal of tomorrow. I had the privilege of beholding the  depths of our country’s education when I conducted small informative sessions in a few secondary level  schools of Kapilvastu district. The informative sessions were mostly based on spreading awareness about literature, novel reading, and poetry reading culture in the schools near my hometown. 

It is no wonder that I found a deficit in creativity and the lack of great aspiration among these countryside students. This result shall be alarming to society because the pedestal of tomorrow is not  highly robust as they shall be to lead the nation in a praiseworthy notion.  

It was also seen that the students were ingrained with the typical aspiration of the same stereotypical  lifestyle that has been prevalent in these towns and villages for a long time. For many students of rural  towns, thinking about the professional career outside the confines of the small towns and nearby  cities seems to be a very big challenge; students are consciously escaping the thoughts of striving for such professional paths. At one instance, I also observed some secondary level students struggling to  comprehensively understand a simple literary excerpt of a novel: it shows how fragile these student’s  reading comprehension skills are.  

When around 5m students (data taken from “Source: Flash I Report 2011-015”, Ministry of  Education, Nepal) of our country are enrolled in community schools for basic level education (class 1-8),  showing indifference to the educational quality of government schools will yield serious  consequences for the nation. The fundamental education till the high school shall be the same everywhere  in terms of the quality offered to the students not merely in academic syllabus, but also in terms of  exposure to broad non-academic activities and personal growth initiatives. When we observe the gap  in education level of two students of Nepal, one coming from a privileged private school and society of  urban areas and another hailing from a normal government(community) school of some rural Nepal,  most of the time the gap is so bigger that there seems to be a time difference of decades in the  education both have received. Though the difference in educational quality is also observed in the  socially and economically advanced countries, the gap that we see in Nepal is way bigger in comparison  to the academic field of high caliber nations. 

Today, the ubiquity of resources has made it easier to close such gaps and it only takes a small step from the governing authority’s side, a small step from the school’s side, and a small step from the student’s side. The right guidance to the students from their surrounding can be propitious on  fostering the student’s intelligence, and ultimately leads the community towards excellence. We can  unequivocally profess that the same students of the remotest areas can bring extraordinary visions to  the table if they are nurtured in a liberal, ethical, passionate, and resourceful environment. ‘What is  needed for the change?’ nothing more than giving assurance to the students “Your talent and ability  are an invaluable jewel that you can use to craft your dreams in the canvas of prosperity”. But here is  the problem, the assurance shall not merely be vocal, it should be presented in an exemplary notion  through the many lenses that print pictures in the subconscious mind of growing children. 

These lenses are many more, but most salient lenses among them seem to be family atmosphere and  community’s principles as they surround the children all the time, and play a greater role in the  direction a child takes on his/her journey of education. The lenses of the rural Nepali community are fabricated with fragile glasses, so they are unable to project bigger and clearer images for students  relying on these lenses to draw the sketch of their ambitions and visions. The piles of improvements  that are pending in the field of education in our country are not trivial, and simple mitigation measures  or plans will not be applicable to the distinctive areas grappling with diverse factors or challenges. Still,  we cannot hope for a great revolution- at least not a great leap forward, but a small leap forward could be  possible. This merely necessitates the concerned people of the educational sector being ingrained in their  duty to provide the best education possible without segregating the resources, opportunities,  knowledge circulation to the students based on the factors such as socio-economic status, ethnic  background, or geographical settings.  

Let us start a small journey sparkled with a beautiful dream where all the people of our nation unite to  make the quality education possible for everyone. Not even a single child shall deviate from the waves  of intelligence and nor shall he be pushed away to the deserted land; Nourish each plant in the garden  of knowledge and fill their hunger with the fruits of wisdom. Once we follow this principle, we can all sleep beneath the tranquil sky knowing that our dreams will be showcased up in the clouds of reality  when we wake up. 

Birat Neupane

Undergraduate student 

St Xavier’s College, Maitighar

Nepali Congress (NC) President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and United States (US) Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu held a meeting today.

In the meeting held at leader Deuba's personal residence at Budhanilkantha, Kathmandu, they discussed various aspects of bilateral issues, according to Bhanu Deuba, Chief Personal Secretary to NC President Deuba.

Discussions on contemporary issues also figured in the meeting, added Chief Personal Secretary Deuba.

Assistant Secretary of State Lu arrived in Nepal on Sunday.

While in Nepal, he is scheduled to have courtesy meetings with senior leaders of Nepal and engage with civil society, according to the US Embassy in Kathmandu.

The visit is expected to further bolster the Nepal-US ties and foster cooperation between the two countries on key areas including environmental protection, women's empowerment, cultural preservation and sustainable development.

Chitwan Rhinos defeated Sudurpaschim Royals by 33 runs on Sunday.

This is Sudurpaschim's first defeat in the Nepal Premier League so far. Sudurpaschim had trounced Biratnagar Kings, Kathmandu Gurkhas and Lumbini Lions before this.

Chasing a target of 165-run set by Chitwan Rhinos in the match played at TU Cricket Ground, Sudurpaschim were limited to 131 runs in 18.2 overs losing all the wickets.

Ishan Pandey made the highest 35 runs for Sudurpaschim. He hit four boundaries and one six in 19 balls. Similarly, Saif Zaib scored 18 runs in 11 balls, Binod Bhandari 10 runs, Dilpreet Bajwa 12 runs and Naren Saud 10 runs.

For Chitwan Rhinos, skipper Kushal Malla, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton and Amar Singh Rautela took two wickets each while Rijan Dhakal and Ranjit Kumal took one wicket each.

Chitwan Rhinos, which won the toss and opted to bat first, scored 164 runs in the allotted 20 overs. 

Opener Hassan Eisakhil made 65 runs with the help of six fours and three sixes in 52 balls. Similarly, Ravi Bopara made 36 runs, including two boundaries and two sixes in 18 balls and captain Kushal Malla hit 13 runs in 16 balls. Bipin Rawal made 17 runs.

For Sudurpaschim, Scott Kuggeleijn took two wickets while Saif Zaib, Dipendra Singh Airee and Brandon MacMullen took one wicket each.

United States (US) Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu arrived in Nepal on Sunday.

Before Nepal, he visited India and Sri Lanka.

While in Nepal, he will be meeting with senior leaders of Nepal to advance cooperation on environmental protection, women’s empowerment, and sustainable development, said the US Department of State.  

He will also meet with youth leaders to gain insights into their vision for the future of US-Nepal relations. Additionally, discussions will emphasize the importance of cultural preservation, recognizing Nepal’s rich heritage as a cornerstone of its identity and a key driver of its tourism and economy.

The US Embassy in Kathmandu stated that Assistant Secretary of State Lu's visit will contribute towards strengthening US-Nepal ties.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has extended warm greetings and cordial felicitations to the governments and people of the member states of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) on the auspicious occasion of the fortieth anniversary of SAARC Charter Day today.

In the felicitation message, PM Oli stressed SAARC's prominent role in fostering mutual trust, understanding and cooperation among member states, and expressed firm commitments of Nepal- current SAARC Chair- to its Charters for building a peaceful, prosperous and integrated South Asia. It was mentioned in a press statement released by the Foreign Ministry today.

Highlighting persisting socioeconomic and environmental challenges including climate change and transnational organized crimes, the PM also called for revitalizing SAARC process for promoting shared interest and prosperity of the people in the regions.

Similarly, in a separate message, Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba expressed best wishes to the governments and the people of SAARC member states on this special occasion. Minister Rana acknowledged the vision of founding leaders and importance of SAARC Charter in promoting collective self-reliance, improving quality of life of people and fostering regional solidarity to address multiple challenges faced commonly by the member states.

She also underscored the need for reviving and enabling SAARC to live up to its objective including SDGs in the spirit of amity, mutual consensus enshrined in the Charter.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 45. 93 points to close at 2,689.00 points on Sunday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 6. 96 points to close at 457. 04 points.

A total of 17,392,244-unit shares of 321 companies were traded for Rs 7. 46 billion.

Meanwhile, Khanikhola Hydropower Co. Ltd. (KKHC) was the top gainer today with its price surging by 9. 98 percent. Likewise, Khanikhola Hydropower Co. Ltd. (KKHC), Life Insurance Corporation (Nepal) Limited (LICN) and Joshi Hydropower Development Company Ltd (JOSHI) the top losers as their price fell by 10. 00 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 46 trillion.

The drinking water project initiated 13 years ago to supply water to three wards of Jaljala rural municipality in Parbat remains incomplete. Jaljala, located near Benibazar in Myagdi, began constructing the Jaljala Kukurchihan drinking water project in 2011 to provide water to 500 households across various settlements, including Malgaon, Arubot, Dadakateri and Falamedanda.

According to Tilakbahadur GC, ward Chairperson of Jaljala-5, the project has stalled due to inadequate budget allocation. “With an estimated cost of over Rs 30m, the project has only been receiving Rs 200,000 to Rs 500,000 annually, limiting progress,” he said. To date, only 65 houses in Banmade and Lopre have access to drinking water, with Rs 5m spent so far.

Despite the transfer of responsibility from the federal to the provincial government, insufficient funding has left residents disappointed. Sam Bahadur Tilija, secretary of the Jaljala Kukurchyan drinking water and sanitation consumers’ association, expressed frustration: “Thirteen years have passed waiting for water. The intake, reserve tanks and taps built as part of the project have fallen into disuse for want of water supply.”

The project aimed to source water from the Kukurchihan and Lopre forest springs at the base of Mohredada in Annapurna rural municipality-8 and distribute it to households via taps. Local resident Purkha Purja Pun emphasized the impact of the delay, noting that Falamedanda, a tourist destination included in the project, has been suffering from chronic water scarcity.

This fiscal year, Rs 21m has been allocated for the project under three headings. The provincial government has earmarked Rs 1m, while the Federal Ministry of Water Resources has allotted Rs 10m each for various segments of the Jaljala project.

Jaljala rural municipality Vice-chairperson Deepak Acharya stated that efforts are underway to coordinate federal and provincial budgets to avoid duplication. Project Office Chief Padam Bahadur Kunwar confirmed that work will be divided into phases to accelerate construction and ensure completion.