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Fire incidents have escalated with the start of the dry season.

Four hundred and eighty-eight fire incidents were reported in 14 districts of Koshi Province in the last three months, according to the Koshi Province Police Office.

Superintendent of the Office Deepak Pokharel said 12 people were killed and 24 others injured in the fire incidents in a period of three months from December 17, 2023 to March 21, 2024.

According to him, the fire incidents have mostly occurred due to electric short circuit and when fire lit in the kitchen and cow sheds go out of control.

Stating that wildfires have also broken out in local forests, SP Pokharel warned of the bush fires sometimes spreading to human settlements if not doused in time.

The 3rd Edition of the “Prospects for North Bengal – Investments in Sustainability” an initiative of the Bangal Chamber of Commerce & Industry (BNCC&I) held in Siliguri, India on Thursday with the objective to understand, discuss and initiate dialogues for business opportunities and investments in the sectors which are thriving in North Bengal and also the one which have more potential for accelerating the growth of North Bengal.

Delivering a keynote remark in the inaugural session of the event, Vice President of Nepal-India Chamber of Commerce & Industry (NICCI) Sunil KC underscored the untapped opportunities for economic cooperation between Nepal and India, particularly in the context of North Bengal. He emphasized the need for a holistic approach to development, prioritizing sustainability and inclusivity while leveraging the region's natural resources and strategic location, reads a statement issued by NICCI.

KC proposed key recommendations for economic growth, including further investments in infrastructure development, which he deemed essential for unlocking North Bengal's full economic potential. He emphasized the necessity of increased investment in improving road, rail, and air connectivity along the Siliguri corridor, a crucial transit route linking Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal (BBIN). Upgrading existing infrastructure and establishing logistics hubs were identified as priorities to facilitate the seamless movement of goods and people across borders.

Secondly, he advocated for facilitating cross-border trade and investments, which emerged as a central theme of discussions. KC stressed the importance of simplifying customs procedures and reducing trade barriers to promote greater economic integration within the BBIN region. He also proposed the creation of special economic zones (SEZs) and industrial parks along the Siliguri corridor to attract foreign investments and spur economic growth.

Furthermore, KC emphasized recognizing the imperative of sustainable development. Participants underscored the need to integrate environmental considerations into business operations and investment decisions, including promoting the adoption of green technologies, supporting renewable energy initiatives, and implementing environmentally friendly practices across industries. By prioritizing sustainability, North Bengal can position itself as a responsible and attractive destination for investors committed to long-term environmental stewardship, the statement reads.

Gautam Deb, Mayor of Siliguri Municipal Corporation, Andalib Elias, Deputy High Commissioner, People’s Republic of Bangladesh in Kolkata, Eshor Raj Poudel, Consul General of Nepal in Kolkata, Bhaskar Roy, and Vice President Techno India Group also spoke at the event, representing their respective organizations.

The event successfully brought together industry leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to explore avenues for investment and development in North Bengal, with a particular focus on leveraging the region's strengths and potential for sustainable growth.

Throughout the event, stakeholders engaged in fruitful discussions and networking sessions aimed at identifying collaborative opportunities and forging partnerships for mutual benefit. The importance of innovation, collaboration, and knowledge-sharing emerged as key drivers of economic growth and sustainability in North Bengal, according to the statement.

Angana Guha Roy Chowdhury, Assistant Director-General of the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry, expressed gratitude to all participants for their valuable insights and contributions. She reaffirmed BCCI's commitment to supporting initiatives promoting sustainable development and inclusive growth in North Bengal, underscoring the organization's role as a catalyst for positive change in the region.

Prof Dr Song Zhihui is the vice-dean at the School of International Studies of Sichuan University and the executive director of Institute of South Asian Studies, Sichuan University. Shristi Kafle spoke with him about various dimensions of Nepal-China relations in the context of geopolitics of South Asia. 

As you head the South Asian Center at Sichuan University, how do you see China’s interactions with South Asia? Where does Nepal stand?

Institute of South Asian Studies, Sichuan University (ISAS) was founded in 1964 under Chairman Mao Zedong and Premier Zhou Enlai’s instruction on enhancing the studies of foreign affairs. In 2001, ISAS was entitled as one of the key research bases for humanities and social sciences and one of key institutes for regional/state research in 2011. During the past 60 years, ISAS has been recognized as an effective and influential South Asian studies agency. ISAS enjoys the most complete collection of materials for South Asian studies in China and boasts its rich academic achievements. ISAS has been working closely with its counterparts in South Asian countries to not only promote academic research but also personnel exchanges. In recent years, especially after President Xi Jinping put forward the Belt and Road Initiative, we have attached much importance to work with South Asian countries to promote economic cooperation and people to people bonds. In this regard, Nepal stands at a very important position as it is the focus to connect China and South Asia. If you draw a circle around China and South Asia, you will find that Nepal stands at the very center.

What topics do you prioritize when it comes to South Asia and Nepal?

People to people bond is the top priority between China and other countries when it comes to cooperation under the framework of Belt and Road Initiative. There have been misunderstandings and rumors shortly after BRI was put forward. Even in South Asia, there were quite a few negative sayings about BRI. But especially after China started to invest in some countries in South Asia, it has actually brought benefits to the local people, though there was still stigmatization with debt trap. So, we attach much importance with mutual understanding, and better understanding with the people in every country. Of course, Nepal is our closest neighbor and we have a very long history of friendship and exchanges. But as the world is changing, and the western influence is deeply rooted there, we prioritize the better understanding between the peoples of China and Nepal, especially between younger generations of the two countries. That’s why we have hosted several training courses and exchange programs in Sichuan University with the aim to let them understand the real China.  

What are the latest activities and programs at the Center for Nepal Studies at Sichuan University.?

The Center for Nepal Studies at Sichuan University was established with the support of the Nepali Embassy in Beijing and the Consulate General of Nepal in Chengdu. The center not only engages in academic research on Nepal and China-Nepal relations, but it also makes efforts to promote personnel exchanges and even trade and investment, etc. Last year, we had a very hot season of bilateral relationship between the two countries, we not only organized field study trips to Nepal, but also received visitors from Nepal. We also organized a very important joint seminar and two training courses in Sichuan University. We established the first Nepalese Students of Sichuan Universality Alumni in Kathmandu. This year, we will continue to receive Nepali students with BRI Scholarships. We also want to organize more trips to Nepal to understand Nepal better, to see the beautiful scenes, to enjoy the rich culture and to taste the delicious food.  

How is the Center for Nepal Studies cooperating with the Nepali universities? What are its engagements?

We have been very effectively working with Tribhuvan University during the past years. We also have collaboration with other universities such as Kathmandu University, etc. We not only engage in joint academic research, but also in student exchanges. Besides, we have been actively cooperating with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

When it comes to research and academic cooperation, which areas are mostly being prioritized?

We have been primarily working on joint research and conduction of disaster management and rebuilding during the past years, as Sichuan Province and Nepal share similar geographic situations and both suffered from serious earthquakes. Meanwhile, we also organized several training courses on management, governance and poverty alleviation with the young provincial leaders from Nepal. There is a huge scope to cooperate in different sectors.

How about the annual exchange programs of students and professors between the two countries?

The exchange programs between Sichuan University and Tribhuvan University were going very well before the Covid-19 pandemic. It was halted due to the pandemic. However, during the three years of pandemic, we still had  online seminars and lectures. Now that the pandemic is gone, we are restarting our exchange programs gradually, and we are hoping to expand the exchange programs with more universities in Nepal.

How can academic cooperation contribute to Sino-Nepal bilateral relations?

Academic cooperation is the most important way to promote the relationship between the universities and research institutes from the two countries which are playing crucial roles. They can not only provide good and constructive ideas to the various level governments, but also assist entrepreneurs and investors to boost their business, they also help peoples from both countries to understand each other. Academic cooperation is so important that it is not enough to express the contributions to the bilateral relations with words.

What could be the role of such cooperation for China’s Belt and Road Initiative?

The Belt and Road Initiative is the greatest idea to build the shared future for mankind. It has been widely accepted by the international community. It is not only an evident proof to China’s efforts in deepening reform and expanding opening up in the new era, but also a concrete action of China to strengthen international cooperation and improve global governance. The cooperation between China and Nepal has presented a satisfactory answer sheet and best example for the world since it was proposed. I am sure things will be moving ahead in a positive tone and will yield greater benefits to the country and people.

Nepal and the European Union (EU) have reiterated their commitment to work together in upholding democracy and human rights, promoting good governance, realizing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), promoting investment, and coping against global challenges such as climate change.

This is stated in a Joint Press Release issued following the15th meeting of the Joint Commission (JC) between Nepal and the European Union held on March 19 in Kathmandu.

In the meeting, the Nepali side highlighted achievements and bottlenecks in the realization of SDGs. A broad range of issues of mutual interests were discussed during the meeting. Nepal and the EU are celebrating the 50th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year.

The meeting was co-chaired by Sewa Lamsal, Foreign Secretary, and Paola Pampaloni, Deputy Managing Director for Asia and the Pacific of the European External Affairs Service, EU, the Ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.

The EU welcomed Nepal’s Transition Strategy to graduate from LDC status and expressed their commitment to continue their cooperation through the Multi-Annual Indicative Programme (MIP).

The EU and Nepal reviewed the progress of EU’s development cooperation in various sectors. The meeting acknowledged the Sub-commission meeting on development cooperation held on March 6. Nepal welcomed the EU’s MIP for the term 2021-2027. Nepal also appreciated the MIP for aligning with the plans and priorities of the Government of Nepal, the press release states.

On regional and multilateral processes, the EU and Nepal discussed SAARC and BIMSTEC. The two sides underlined the importance of effective multilateral cooperation. The EU praised Nepal’s contributions to UN Peacekeeping Operations. The EU and Nepal reaffirmed their commitments to cooperate within the United Nations, World Trade Organization, and other global fora to promote effective multilateralism and the rules-based international order.

Human rights including social inclusion were also discussed at the meeting. The Nepali side reaffirmed its commitment to upholding human rights and concluding transitional justice as soon as possible. The EU expressed hope on the early conclusion of Nepal’s peace process.

The two sides unanimously agreed that corruption, including money laundering and financing of terrorism, is a major impediment to sustainable development. The EU took note of Nepal’s ongoing legislative efforts and underlined the importance of compliance and enforcement.

The EU commended Nepal’s remarkable strides on inclusive participation and women empowerment. Both sides praised the EU flagship action “Empowered Women, Prosperous Nepal”, launched last year by the EU and the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens of Nepal. The EU commended Nepal for the child grant schemes and encouraged its expansion.

The EU appreciated the achievements made by Nepal in its socio-economic transformation. The EU and Nepal appraised the recent developments in upholding the democratic processes and institutions, and stressed the important role of civil society and media for strengthening democracy and good governance.

Nepal underlined their multiple vulnerabilities of natural disasters, exacerbated by the impacts of climate change, and discussed climate adaptation finance. The EU complimented Nepal for its position on Climate Change and the ‘Mountain Agenda’ during COP28 and also on its ambitious goal of reaching net zero carbon status by 2045.

The Nepali side expressed gratitude for the EU's generous assistance following the Jajarkot earthquake, in post-earthquake resilient reconstruction and recovery efforts, and appreciated the cooperative partnership in disaster risk reduction.

The two sides exchanged their views on bilateral trade relations, including the criteria for acceding to the Generalized Scheme of Preferences Plus (GSP+).

Nepal expressed appreciation for the exchanges under the Erasmus+ program, and the scholarships offered for Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree programs, including people-to-people contacts.

The EU and Nepal underlined that air safety remains a key priority area in their bilateral relations. Nepal assured of addressing all observations of the EU’s assessment visit in September 2023, while the EU will support Nepal in this process. Both sides agreed to follow-up at technical levels.

The next Joint Commission meeting will take place in Brussels next year.

The Election Commission has sought submissions from political parties, civil society, media, and all the stakeholders concerned over the Political Parties Act-2017 as it aims to enhance the effectiveness of managing and regulating political parties.

The EC has constituted the Act Amendment Directive Committee coordinated by an election commissioner and the Act Amendment Drafting Committee headed by EC secretary and these committees have taken ahead the process for amending the Act, according to EC assistant spokesperson Ram Datta Pandeya.

The EC intends to facilitate substantive discussions among concerned entities on various aspects, including internal democracy in political parties, party membership, fund management, financial transparency, implementation of party statutes, dispute resolution mechanisms, decision archiving, and voluntary economic assistance.

Similarly, it aims to facilitate discussions on transparency, preparations of election manifesto and its enforcement, provisions for party separation and formation, accounting and auditing standards, single electoral symbol utilization, code of conduct enforcement, and the State funding for political parties. The aim is to address these issues appropriately and reach conclusive decisions.

The government has appointed four individuals as the members of the National Planning Commission.

A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday decided to appoint them as the members of the National Planning Commission.

Making public the decisions of the Cabinet meeting, government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said that Dr Sangita Singh of Kathmandu, Dr Kusharendra Bahadur Mahat of Jumla, Dr Araniko Pandey of Lalitpur and Dr Shivaraj Adhikari of Palpa were appointed as the NPC members.

The government has decided to promote Joint General Secretary Chudamani Paudel to the post of Secretary.

A Cabinet meeting held on Thursday made the decision to this effect.

Government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma informed about this.

A total of 5. 64 million children have been vaccinated against measles and rubella in the immunization campaign launched by the government.

The government had launched the immunization campaign from February 25-March 20 in view of the risk of measles and rubella infection.

Chief of Child Health and Immunization Section, Dr Abhiyan Gautam, said a total of 5.64 million children were vaccinated against the government's target of vaccinating 5.742 million children. 

"The children were vaccinated as per our target. The preliminary-phase report received from the districts mentioned that 96 percent children were found vaccinated under the campaign," he shared.

The government had launched the immunization campaign against measles and rubella infection in 75 districts except in Rukum West and Jajarkot this year. It had launched the vaccination campaign in Rukum West and Jajarkot earlier.

The children from nine months old to 15 years of 21 districts sharing borders with India and three districts of the Kathmandu Valley as well as children from nine months to five years of 51 districts were vaccinated under the campaign.

A total of 49,937 health workers and 59,906 volunteers were mobilized to make the immunization campaign a success.