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The price of gold has dropped by Rs 200 per tola in the domestic market on Monday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the yellow metal is being traded at Rs 118, 300 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 118, 500 per tola on Sunday.

Similarly, tejabi gold is being traded at Rs 117, 750 per tola. It was traded at Rs 117, 950 per tola.

Meanwhile, the price of silver has dropped by Rs 5 and is being traded at Rs 1,395 per tola today.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has stopped collecting waste from four hospitals with effect from Sunday.

The waste collection of Shaheed Memorial Hospital and Nepal National Hospital in Kalanki and Dirghayu Guru Hospital and Om Hospital in Chabahil has been stopped, said KMC landfill site in-charge engineer Sarkardeep Shrestha.

The decision was taken after a monitoring by the KMC of the waste management system of the health facilities was found not complying with the prevailing law. Accordingly, the hospitals have been instructed to present to the Environmental Management Department of the KMC a plan for decontamination of infected waste, documents related to the commitment made for waste management during the registration and operation of the hospital, and the details of the organizations that have collaborated for waste management.

"Decontamination of infected waste is the producer's responsibility. Furthermore, infrastructure and mechanisms should be established for the proper waste management in a hospital," engineer Shrestha said.

The KMC has been regularly monitoring hospital waste and giving necessary instructions for the past two weeks to make waste management more effective.

The Local Government Operation Act, 2074 BS (2017) has authorized the local government to determine and regulate sanitary waste collection, reuse, processing, disposal and about its service fees. In addition, the local government has also been given the right to penalize health institutions that do not manage the medical waste as provided in the prevailing law.

Koteshwor Multiple Campus celebrated its 34th anniversary recently. The then Vice-chancellor of Tribhuvan University Prof Shivlal Bhusal inaugurated the event by garlanding the statue of Saraswati.

Addressing the ceremony Bhusal recalled the role of community campuses is important in improving the quality of education and said that the contribution of Koteshwor Multiple Campus in providing quality education is commendable. Recalling the contribution of the community colleges in education he said that there is a need for every campus to emphasize on qualitative education rather than quantitative education.

He said that the Tribhuvan University was ready to offer new programs including BBA in the Quality Assurance and Accreditation (QAA) certified campus. Campus Chief Govinda Bahadur Karki, said that students from all the 77 districts are studying in the campus. “The campus is focused on providing quality education.” He said that the campus has entered a new phase after receiving the QAA certification. The campus will move forward in improving the infrastructure with short-term, medium-term and long-term plans.

Professor Resham Poudel who has taught in the campus for more than 20 years was honored for his contribution. Similarly, professors Bharat Rai and Binod Lingden were honored for completing their PhD degrees.

Similarly, students who had won various sports competitions and students who had acquired highest marks in the final examinations were also awarded during the event. Various students presented cultural performances during the event. 

The Hult Prize at Shanker Dev Campus reached its culmination during an event hosted at the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) venue. This collaborative effort with NTB underscored the symbiotic relationship between academia and the tourism sector in nurturing sustainable ventures.

The finale commenced with a welcoming address by Pooja Sharma, the Campus Director of the Hult Prize, setting the stage for a day filled with insightful discussions and groundbreaking ideas. The Chief Guest, Leela Mani Paudyal, Former Chief Secretary of the Government of Nepal, graced the audience with his perspectives on innovation and sustainable development.

A highlight of the event was the keynote speech by Karna Shakya, a prominent figure in tourism entrepreneurship in Nepal. Addressing the young minds present, he emphasized the significance of perseverance and vision in the entrepreneurial journey.

The panel discussion, titled “Sustainable Venture: Pioneering Change for a Better Tomorrow,” featured Bhawani Rana, Chairperson of Sneha Group and Former President of FNCCI; Mani Raj Lamichhane, Director of NTB; and Rajeev Thapa, Partner/Country Manager, Nepal-CDM Smith Inc. Their dialogue centered around the challenges and opportunities in creating sustainable ventures for a better future.

The core of the event was the pitching session, where the top five finalists, chosen from a competitive pool of 40 teams, presented their innovative ideas to a distinguished panel of judges. This panel comprised Vidushi Rana, Executive Director of Goldstar; Anal Raj Bhattarai, Director of Rastriya Banijya Bank; and Anand Bagaria, Managing Director of NIMBUS. The presentations showcased the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of the students.

The competition concluded with Team Digo emerging as the victors, securing a prize of over Rs 600,000. Following closely, Team Triaikyam claimed the first runner-up position, earning nearly Rs 500,000, and Team SuperSquad secured the second runner-up position, winning more than Rs 400,000 in prizes. The total prize pool exceeded Rs 1.5m, encompassing both cash and in-kind contributions, highlighting the event’s commitment to supporting innovative ventures.

When you were teenager,

You felt like the world,

Revolves around you,

Love, ideas, moments,

Everything made sense,

You were so lost into the,

Moments, you rarely witnessed,

The realities of your life.

And the time passes and you,

Feel like you don’t belong anywhere,

Everything you do is just for survival,

You realize everyone has same ideas,

Perspectives, dreams and sorrows,

So somewhere between the journey,

You lost your own world which you,

Used to romanticize so much.

You feel like nobody gives efforts,

Even to the people they love because,

Somewhere they know everything is,

Temporary and it will pass or they,

Get so caught up in their own life,

They rarely have energy for other things.

Those story, books, conversation, hobbies,

Which used to drive you crazy, now don’t even,

Matter to you and everything feels shallow,

There is a constant voice within you,

Nothing and no one will help you except you.

Indira Basyal

BA 3rd Year

Madan Bhandari Memorial College

Pokhara: Ather scooter has been officially launched in Pokhara, with Autoways Pvt Ltd as the authorized dealer for Ather in the region. The Ather experience center is now operational at the Autoways Building in Nayabazar, Pokhara.

Vaidya Energy, a subsidiary of the Vaidya Organization, has started the sale of products from the renowned Indian electric scooter company, Ather Energy, in Nepal.

Autoways has been serving as a Toyota dealer in Pokhara for over two decades, reflecting a longstanding association with the Vaidya family, who are the primary dealers of Toyota in Nepal.

In addition to establishing the first dealer and service station in Pokhara, Autoways has already set up two charging stations. These stations are conveniently located at the Autoways Building Center and Lakeside area. The company plans to install two more charging stations in Pokhara in the near future.

Expressing enthusiasm about the collaboration, Suryansh Vaidya, CEO of Vaidya Energy, stated, “We are excited to partner with Autoways Pvt Ltd to introduce Ather Energy to Pokhara.”

Kathmandu University concluded the AIU North Zone Vice Chancellors meet with the theme ‘Globalization and Internationalisation of Higher Education & The Bharat-Nepal Higher Education Summit’ held from Feb 15 to 17. The summit, hosted at the University campus in Kavre’s Dhulikhel, aimed to facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange among universities from India and Nepal, further strengthening educational ties between the two nations. The event comprised three Technical Sessions focusing on topics such as ‘International Collaborations and Partnerships: Building Bridges for Higher Education,’ ‘Global Higher Education Policy and Regulation: Harmonizing Standards,’ and ‘Student Mobility and Diversity: Enhancing International Experience.’

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal inaugurated the Summit, emphasizing the need to reverse the significant outflow of money from countries like Nepal for higher education. He advocated for creating an environment conducive to youths seeking global opportunities and re-evaluating the internationalization of higher education.

Vice-chancellor of Amity University, Uttar Pradesh, Balvinder Shukla, attended the Summit and highlighted the increased significance of global higher education policy and regulations on an international scale, particularly with the introduction of the National Education Policy-2020.

During the meet, 100 Indian Universities showcased around 5,000 academic and vocational programs, innovations, and best practices. The faculty and students from India and Nepal had the opportunity to interact and discuss mutual research collaborations, faculty/student exchange, twinning programs, joint/dual degrees, etc., showcasing their innovations and best practices.

Vice-chancellors from various universities in Bangladesh, Thailand, Malaysia, and other European and African countries also participated in the meeting. 

KU Vice-chancellor Bhola Thapa stressed the need for coordination, collaboration, and ongoing dialogue among governments, international organizations, institutions, and stakeholders to ensure the quality, accessibility, and relevance of global higher education policy and regulation.

Black-bellied tern (Sterna acuticauda) is a globally endangered bird species that belongs to the family Laridae and is locally known as “Utkroshi Phyalphyale” in Nepal. The species, once abundant throughout its distribution range, is vanishing silently. This calls for a heightened conservation attention from stakeholders.

Native to countries like Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Thailand, China and other Southeast Asian countries, this species is found near water bodies like rivers, ponds, lakes and marshes. Once found abundantly on the lowlands of Nepal at the elevation range of 75-730 meters, the species seems to have vanished, literally, these days.

Characterized by a distinctive black belly, deeply forked and long tail and slender orange bill, black-bellied tern is a small waterbird measuring 32-35 cm in length. Its diet includes fishes and insects. The bird is quick when diving for fish and skims over the surface of water and land to catch its prey. Nesting and breeding take place from February to April.

This bird is solitary during nesting, nests on sand and gravel islands in water bodies. It shares its habitat with other bird species, so conservation of one species helps other bird species as well. 

In the Bengali region, this bird is considered sacred and is associated with wealth and prosperity. The species is known for its unique appearance and a major ecological role, mainly as a predator to small fishes and insects. The conservation of this species is important to maintain a healthy ecosystem and biodiversity.

Globally, the population of this geographically-restricted species, like several other waterbird species, is declining, with an estimated population of less than 10,000 individuals at present, including merely 10-20 individuals in Nepal. 

Habitat loss and degradation, invasive species, overexploitation of resources and climate change are some of the threats facing the species. Anthropogenic activities such as hunting of the species for meat and foraging for eggs, and use of catapults have impacted the species directly. Invasive plant species in lakes and rivers, overfishing, sand and stone mining and extraction, dam and other water regulatory bodies, recreational activities (picnics near their habitats, boating, etc), agriculture and aquaculture have impacted the species indirectly.  

The threats to the species native to the Tarai region are multiplying, thanks to a number of factors like massive migration of people after the eradication of malaria from the region in 1950s’ and 60s’ in search of fertile farmlands and better infrastructure. Industrial development, rampant extraction of construction materials like sand, stones and boulders from riverbeds, ‘transformation’ of many wetlands turned into settlements and agricultural land, this species and several other flora and fauna are facing an increased threat. Combined, these threats can lead to local extinction of the species. 

What next?

As we have a limited understanding of the ecology of the species in Nepal, including information on its distribution, our first priority should be on addressing the knowledge void. 

What is shocking in this regard is a recent study that recorded just two individuals at the Koshi Tappu Region, considered a prime habitat for the species, pointing toward serious threats facing the species.

Deploying bird watching groups as citizen scientists can be fruitful in this matter. Conservation measures should be carried out side by side as we cannot wait till the ample evidence is collected for devising conservation measures. Raising awareness in local communities particularly those whose livelihood is directly dependent on the rivers and wetland is must.  Sensitization of other stakeholders, including local people, schoolchildren and government representatives are also essential.

Monitoring of the nesting sites to avoid egg collection, prohibition on collection of river bed materials during the breeding season and regulation of the use of heavy machinery in potential habitats are also equally necessary. Also important is the livelihood diversification of fishing communities to reduce their dependence on wetlands. Dams have drawn criticism for their negative impact on many species, but for this species, dams are a habitat. So, we might think of constructing dams in some areas as they provide a perfect habitat for this species and also protect its food habitat.

Conclusion

Black-bellied terns, whose population has suffered a drastic decline in Nepal, need serious conservation intervention. As we lack information on the ecology of the species, there’s a need to carry out research and conservation works side by side. Working together, we can create a better future for black-bellied terns and other waterbirds.

The author is a conservation associate at Environment Protection and Study Center (ENPROSC)