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Speaker Devraj Ghimire has said that parliamentary diplomacy will be promoted effectively for world peace, harmony and to reduce the impact of climate change.

He said so while talking to reporters upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport after participating in the 148th General Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Geneva, Switzerland.

Speaker Ghimire said that Nepal has faced geographical and regional challenges.

He informed that there was a sideline discussion in the General Assembly regarding Nepal's participation in the non-aligned campaign and making its role effective.

A delegation led by Speaker Ghimire left for Geneva on March 21 to participate in the General Assembly held at the head office of the IPU from March 23 to 27.

In the General Assembly, Speaker Ghimire delivered a speech on behalf of the Federal Parliament on the topic of 'Parliamentary Diplomacy: Building Bridges for Peace and Understanding'.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that economic empowerment is the most important basis for women's empowerment.

The Prime Minister's Secretariat said that Prime Minister Dahal expressed this opinion while inaugurating the 7th International Women's Business Fair organized by the Federation of Women Entrepreneurs in Lalitpur district on Friday.

Prime Minister Dahal said, "Compared to the past, the condition of Nepali women is gradually getting stronger and better. Everyone's support is needed for women's empowerment. Therefore, in today's world, for women's empowerment, first of all, financial access must be widened." The prime minister also emphasized that the subject of empowerment is connected with power. “Empowerment is connected with power in today's world," he reiterated.

According to the PM, power is connected with economic conditions and there cannot be true empowerment without being financially empowered. He said the government has given it top priority.

The Prime Minister informed the event that tax exemption and concession programs have been conducted in the industries and businesses run by women and pledged to increase them further in the future as well.

PM Dahal said, "It is important to establish a women's entrepreneurship fund to realize the concept of supporting nation building by empowering Nepali women socially and economically through the development of women's entrepreneurship. The government has made tax breaks and other concessional arrangements to promote industries led by women entrepreneurs, which will be increased in the coming days.”

The Rajendra-Anjana Foundation has handed over educational and sports materials and scholarships worth Rs 5.1 million to 21 schools in various districts.

According to the foundation, it distributed scholarships as well as sports and educational materials to 21 community schools in four districts over the past 17 days. "The foundation believes in providing education to Dalit, helpless, and disadvantaged children residing in rural areas as a prerequisite for fundamental social change in the country. In line with this belief, we distributed scholarships as well as educational and sports materials at selected community schools in Parbat, Baglung, Syangja, and Chitwan after conducting necessary studies," it added.

Panchatej Jyoti Basic School, a primary school in a Chepang settlement in Chitwan, was one of the beneficiaries of the program. According to the foundation, its team visited the school premises and handed over the support.

"Furthermore, with the aim of establishing an alliance among 14 schools in the educational, cultural, and technical fields, the foundation organized a digital quiz contest in coordination with Huwās Campus in Parbat Municipality of Parbat," the foundation said in a statement. Shivalaya Secondary School in Galyang Municipality of Syangja, Nirmal Janasewa Secondary School in Paiyun Rural Municipality of Parbat, and Jana Kalyan Secondary School in Bihadi Rural Municipality of Parbat received first, second, and third prizes, while Janaseva Sanskrit School in Paiyun Rural Municipality of Parbat received a consolation prize.

The winner, first runner-up, and second runner-up received medals, certificates, and cash prizes of Rs 30,000, Rs 20,000, and Rs 10,000 respectively, while the school winning the consolation prize received Rs 6,000, according to the foundation.

Rajendra Prasad Shrestha, chairperson of the foundation, said the happiness seen on the faces of students during the foundation’s activities has injected a different kind of energy in him. "These activities are expected to significantly contribute to improving the overall educational level of students," he added.

According to Shrestha, the foundation aims to establish a hostel to improve the educational level of extremely poor, needy, helpless, marginalized, and Dalit students in rural areas; and a self-employment center to provide training for local women.

The foundation, which has been registered in both the US and Nepal, is a non-profit organization. It aims to provide support for education beyond nutritional support for children who are deprived of quality education due to economic constraints.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 2, 100 per tola in the domestic market on Friday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 130, 000 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 126, 800 per tola on Wednesday.

Similarly, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 129, 400 per tola. It was traded at Rs 127, 300 per tola.

Meanwhile, the silver is being traded at Rs 1,525 per tola today.

The light rainfall taking place in different parts of the country for the past few days is likely to continue until Saturday, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.

The weather will improve gradually from Sunday after the low impact of the westerly wind.

Meteorologist at the Department Raju Pradhananga said the pre-monsoon remained active particularly in the eastern part of the country due to local wind, low-pressure wind remaining close to Nepal and the moisture-laden wind from the Bay of Bengal.

"Currently, the weather across the country is partly to generally cloudy. Rainfall is taking place in some hilly areas in Bagmati and Gandaki Provinces. Weather will improve from Sunday," he said. 

The Division said that chances of light rain or thunder and lightning are likely at a few places of the hilly region of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpashchim Provinces and some places of Terai.

Likewise, there are chances of light snowfall at a few places of the high hills and mountainous regions in the country.

The Tribhuvan University (TU) has formed a three-member high-level committee to probe into the missing answer sheets of two subjects of the bachelor's degree.

A meeting of the TU Executive Council held on Thursday decided to form the committee under the leadership of former TU Registrar Prof Dr Chandramani Poudel. The committee has been directed to submit the report within 30 days.

Issuing a press statement on Thursday, the TU said further decisions would be taken on the issue of missing answer sheets after receiving the report from the committee.

The answer sheets of Population Studies of the bachelor's degree first year with code number 422 under the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Basis of Education (Code No. 412) of the Faculty of Education of the B. ED first year were missing after the examinations were held in May 2023.

The TU has issued a notice to conduct the examinations of the two subjects on April 1.

The TU has said that its serious attention was drawn to the news and editorial carried out by different media outlets by expressing concerns on the issue of missing answer sheets.

It has been more than a year since Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said concluding transitional justice is one of his key priorities. However, there has been no progress in resolving the disputes among parties regarding some contents of the transitional justice amendment bill pending in the Parliament. Parties have yet to reach a consensus on whether to categorize arbitrary killings or all killings except those resulting from clashes as serious human rights violations. Conflict victims argue that all extrajudicial killings, mental torture and physical torture should be labeled as serious violation of human rights.

While parties may differ on ways to approach these issues, it is not difficult to resolve them if there is political will and honesty among the major parties. Since the inception of the peace process in 2006, parties have used the transitional justice issue as a bargaining tool rather than making serious, sustained efforts to resolve it. Just before the recent change in the coalition government, parties told people they were in negotiation to reach consensus on contentious issues and claimed that they were close to an agreement. With the formation of the new coalition, however, parties have not touched on the issue. Previously, the CPN (Maoist Center) and CPN-UML were at loggerheads on contentious issues while the NC appeared flexible. Now, the Maoists and UML seem flexible to compromise, while the NC appears tough.

The international community is one of the major stakeholders in Nepal's transitional justice process. It has reservations about some provisions in the amendment bill. Similarly, the concerns of conflict victims must be addressed to avoid societal conflict in the future. Since it has been almost two decades since the Maoists joined the peace process, transitional justice should be accorded the highest priority. It should not be a bargaining tool for state power. As the head of the government, Dahal should make extra efforts to resolve the contentious issues. So far, it seems Dahal is seeking ways to avoid prosecuting even those involved in serious human rights violations. The issue of transitional justice can be settled easily if Maoist leaders accept the international standards and honor Supreme Court verdicts.

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) on Thursday filed a graft case against 19 individuals including former Nepal Telecommunications Authority Chairman duo Purushottam Khanal and Digambar Jha for carrying out irregularities while procuring the Mobile Device Management System.

The anti-corruption watchdog filed the case against 19 people including Khanal, Jha, Director Ananda Raj Khanal, Deputy Director/Director Min Prasad Aryal, Assistant Director/Deputy Director Binod Chandra Shrestha and two companies.

According to CIAA spokesperson Narahari Ghimire, a case was filed at the Special Court against them for carrying out irregularities while purchasing the Mobile Device Management System.

The Commission has sought a fine of Rs around Rs 910 million from them.

Earlier, the then Chairman Khanal resigned from his post following controversies over the procurement of Mobile Device Management System.