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Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli underscored doubling agricultural production and called for adopting modern and productive agriculture rising above subsistence farming.

PM Oli, also Chancellor of the Agriculture and Forestry University (AFU), said so while addressing the 13th annual general assembly of AFU from the official residence of the Prime Minister at Baluwatar today.

Insisting that we should remove the reliance on farming for livelihood, Oli viewed that agricultural production would be boosted with thorough study on what crops could be planted where and how the market could be expanded for those products.

For that, he emphasized collaboration among government, cooperatives and the private sector. The Head of the Government requested the AFU to produce skilled agriculture scientists, engineers as well as other human resources given the increasing need and demand of human resources in the agriculture-based country like Nepal.

Around 66 percent of Nepal's population is engaged in the agriculture sector and this sector contributes one-third of the nation's GDP, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

PM Oli in his address further asserted that modern systems and mass production find a market. We will suffer a trade deficit until we increase our production. The tendency of running an economy on the basis of exports and remittance should be bucked," he stressed.

Furthermore, he shared that the government was planning fruit cultivation in vacant land in the forest. In this way we could ensure agriculture contributes to the national economy and thereby increasing self-reliance on food production."

The government has placed a prohibition on carrying out share transactions in office during the office hours after the government employees were found busy in it instead of providing effective services to the service-seekers.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) had carried out a monitoring following oral and written complaints that the employees, especially inside the Singha Durbar, the Central Government Secretariat Complex, were engaged in share transactions during the office time while abandoning their regular official works.

The CIAA had written to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers about this on September 6, after carrying out the monitoring. In line with the CIAA directive, the Prime Minister's Office has urged all those concerned not to operate the TMS during the office hours.

Letters to this effect have also been sent to all the ministries, commissions, secretariats and the Chief Secretary, the Chief Ministers and the Office of Council of Ministers of all seven provinces, with the conclusion that it is not appropriate to carry out private transactions in the share market from office during office time.

"Make arrangements at all the government and public body offices that TMS will not be operated during the office hours and also put in place a system by which the required monitoring could be carried out using the information technology whether TMS is being operated or not during that time," states the CIAA letter.

CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that his party has witnessed people's attraction throughout the country.

Welcoming to the new entrants to the party at Ramgopalpur in Mahottari, Chair Dahal claimed attraction to the party has increased due to the performance of the Maoist party-led government and its agenda.

"The Maoist party has been established as a force to fight for identity", he claimed, adding, "With its clear agenda on good governance, social justice and prosperity, the Maoist party has gained attraction among the people across the country".

He said that the country is now running on the agenda of the Maoists from a political point of view. Dahal also argued that the Maoist Center is better than other parties for its novelty in performance in the government.

"The Maoists have put forward all the agendas including political changes on the basis of people's war and people's movement, election to the Constituent Assembly, declaration of republic, constitution making, provision of federalism, proportional and inclusive representation through the constitution," he said.

Presently the monsoon winds have influence across the country and the low-pressure line of the monsoon is located towards south of the average place, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. 

It will be partly to generally cloudy throughout the country due to the effects.

Light to moderate rainfall is taking place at one or two places of Koshi and Gandaki Provinces. According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, the weather will be partly to generally cloudy throughout the country this afternoon.

Light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is likely to occur at a few places of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces.

Heavy rainfall is likely to occur at one or two places of Gandaki, Lumbini and Karnali Provinces. Similarly, the weather will be partly to generally cloudy throughout the country tonight with chances of light to moderate rain accompanied by thunder and lightning at some places of Gandaki, Lumbini and Sudurpaschim Provinces.

Heavy rainfall is also likely to occur at one or two places of Koshi, Gandaki, Lumbini and Sudurpaschim Provinces. Light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is likely to occur at a few places of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpaschim Provinces during the next 24 hours.

The Department has cautioned the general public of the area for alertness in view of heavy rainfall in the provinces. 

Annapurna Media Network (AMN) has announced its partnership with The Times of Media Group, Bennett & Coleman Co Ltd (BCCL), India’s largest media conglomerate.

Under the agreement, AMN has been designated as the buyer responsible for soliciting advertisements from Nepal across all categories for BCCL’s publications, web platforms and other mediums.

In turn, AMN has appointed BCCL as its buyer to solicit advertisements from India for AMN’s publications and advertising spaces as part of a reciprocal agreement. Both parties have agreed to act in their respective capacities as publisher and buyer.

Speaking about the partnership, AMN’s General Manager, Manoj Basnet, expressed gratitude to the Times of India team and Head of International Sales, Shweta Arora, for facilitating the dual representation agreement.

Life Mantra, a mental health related organization, in collaboration with Kathmandu Metropolitan City-6 organized a rally at Boudha to mark Suicide Prevention Day on Tuesday.

Students from Mahendra Boudha Secondary School, Lord Buddha, Janakalyan Secondary School, Kumari Boarding Secondary School, members of Tusal Youth Club and Attarkhel Yuwa Samaj took part in the program.

The rally, which started from Mahendra Boudha Secondary School this morning, passed through Boudha Stupa, Boudha Pipalbot and Boudha Tusal before converging into a corner Assembly at the same school.

On the occasion, KMC-6 Chairman Bhuwan Lama said: “We were not born to commit suicide, but to develop the society, country and the world. We all have to join hands together to take the country towards the path of prosperity.”

“We have to help each other in every step. We were born to change the society and ensure the rights of every people,” adding, “Like the population is increasing day by day, the incidents of suicide are also on the rise.”

“Family problems, anxiety, depression, substance abuse among others are some of the causes that are leading the people to commit suicide,” he further said.

Meanwhile, clinical psychologist Sulav Raj Upreti said that those who struggle with low self-worth often view themselves negatively, unable to see their strengths, and deny their own needs. This mindset can increase the risk of depression and even suicide.

“We must create environments that encourage support and understanding. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, don't hesitate to seek help. You are not alone, and support is always available,” he said.

Similarly, senior clinical psychologist Chetana Lokshum said: there are very few people who take their lives all of a sudden, they plan, prepare and execute. They show several signs such as talking about guilt, not wanting to live anymore. We have to take these signs seriously and consider it as their “cry for help.”

She said that just the way we need physical food for us to function properly in a physical way, we also need mental food for us to function properly in a mental way too, such as:

   - Physical exercise

   - Meditation

   - Cutting off junk food

   - Maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

According to World Health Organization, over 800,000 people die by suicide each year – that’s one person every 40 seconds.

The World Suicide Prevention Day is being observed since 2003 on September 10 each year.

Life Mantra is an organization that raises mental health awareness through community programs, provides specialized counseling to help individuals overcome challenges and offers tailored training for education, health workers, parents and students.

The organization’s objective is to strive to foster social justice, equality, peace, and prosperity supporting disadvantaged groups like seniors, women, children and disaster survivors.

Life Mantra provides services like 

- Individual Counseling (Relationship, Trauma, Depression, Anxiety, Stress)

- Yoga and Meditation

- Hiking for Well-being

- Training and Capacity Building Programs on Mental Health and Well-being

- Awareness Programs

- Parenting Skills Training

- Life Skills Training

- Rejuvenating Retreat

Who doesn’t want to look and feel their best? But it’s not easy. You have to exercise and eat right and those are perhaps the most difficult things to do. Finding the time to exercise is next to impossible when you have a zillion chores at home and work deadlines to meet. Often, there are too many things to do and not enough hours in a day. But that doesn’t have to mean you can’t achieve your fitness goals. You just have to find innovative ways to squeeze some squats and lunges in your routine and get your heart rate up to burn those calories. We are here to arm you with some simple hacks to make fitness a part of your daily life, all without you having to set aside a fixed time for it.

 Make it a group activity

Go for a run or a Zumba workout with a friend. Enjoy a stroll after dinner with your partner. Play badminton with a neighbor. If you make fitness a group activity or engage in it with a partner, you will enjoy it and stick to it. 

 Dance to a song every day 

Play your favorite song and dance to it as soon as you get out of bed or before you take a shower. You can also do this in the evening after coming back from work. It will help you burn some calories as well as put you in a good mood.

 Do 20 squats every two hours

You can easily do about 120 to 150 squats in a day if you simply break it down and do 20 every two hours. You can do this at work too. Simply get up from your seat and do 20 squats before sitting down again. Squats are great to tone your calf and thigh muscles.

 Hydrate

Drink water. We can’t stress on this enough. If you are hydrated, you are less likely to reach for cold drinks or other sugary beverages when you are thirsty. Make sure you have at least eight large glasses of water every day.

 Play with kids or pets

If you have children or pets, this is a great way to feel good as well as get your heart pumping. Toss a ball or play chase to have a good time and make some memories while burning some calories.

 Focus on small things

You might not be able to go for a 40-minute walk, but you can make it a point to get in 500 steps after each meal. You might not be able to join a gym, but you can take the stairs instead of the elevator. Look for little things you can do to stay active. Don’t underestimate its power.

Walk when on the phone

If you are at home or at work and you have a phone call to make, do so moving around. Better, head out and go for a short walk. A 10-minute phone can fetch you a thousand steps. This is a really great way to get your step count up.

Stand on one leg

Studies have found that this feat of coordination provides a proper brain workout, improving neuroplasticity. There’s also the option to close your eyes to make it much more challenging. Do this while brushing your teeth, making tea, or while putting on makeup.

Switch up your commute

If you regularly use the car to go to work, consider walking or cycling to work at least once a day. You might have to leave half an hour early but the results will be worth it. You will also be lowering your carbon footprint and contributing to a cleaner planet.

Do some chores

Every day, do one chore around the house that you normally don’t do yourself. It could be sweeping the stairs, vacuuming the carpets, or cleaning the windows. You will have gotten some exercise in, freed up your house help’s time for something else and, best of all, you will have a clean house.

Use little pockets of time

The most common excuse people have for a lack of exercise in their lives is not having the time for it, yet most of us watch TV on a regular basis. During television breaks, get up and do something—10 burpees, 15 crunches, or some stretching. It all adds up at the end of the day.

Do a 10-minute YouTube workout

Really, nobody is so busy that they can’t do a 10-minute workout at home. There are fitness apps and YouTube channels that provide great mini workouts that can tone your entire body in minutes. If you can’t do anything else, make sure you do at least one of these every day.

Narainapur Rural Municipality of Banke district has recorded a patient of Japanese encephalitis. A nine-year-old girl was found detected with Japanese encephalitis, the Bheri Hospital said.

Pediatrician Dr Pratima Khadka said the girl suffering Japanese encephalitis was receiving treatment at ICU and she had a normal health condition at present.

"The laboratory report confirmed that the child had got the virus," she added.

Chief at District Health Office, Angad Bahadur Shahi, informed that it was not clear whether the girl was immunized against the Japanese encephalitis.

However, there is a mandatory provision that the children from 12 to 23 months after birth are immunized against Japanese encephalitis.

According to medical persons, the virus of Japanese encephalitis is found in pigs and birds. Once the mosquito of culex species bites a human, it transmits the disease.

The virus causes fever, nausea, shivering and headache, according to Dr Sanket Kumar Risal, information officer at Bheri Hospital.

Meanwhile, the hospital has set up a separate ward for the patients suffering diarrhea. Three girls are undergoing treatment here. Among them, one is critical, Dr Khadka added.