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Fourteen of the 43 individuals applying for the vacant post of Vice Chancellor of Tribhuvan University have been shortlisted. The Recommendation Committee on Thursday announced the short-list for presentation and interview of the candidates.

The shortlisted candidates include Kusum Shakya, Keshar Jung Baral, Govinda Subedi, Chitra Bahadur Budhathoki, Gyanendra Prasad Poudyal, Tankanath Dhamala, Tirtha Raj Khaniya, Narayan Belbase, Prakash Ghimire, Bhojraj Aryal, Mahendra Prasad Sharma, Ram Chandra Basnet, Shiva Lal Bhusal and Surya Bahadur Thapa, according to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

The post in the country's oldest university had fallen vacant with the termination of the tenure of Vice Chancellor Dharmakant Baskota on November 4, 2023.

Prime Minister and TU Chancellor Pushpa Kamal Dahal on November 10, 2023 formed the Recommendation Committee under the chairmanship of Minister for Education Ashok Kumar Rai for recommending the names for appointment to the post of Vice Chancellor.

Ministry secretary Suresh Adhikari and Dr Chandrakala Ghimire, the Chief of TU Central Department of Buddhist Studies, are the members of the committee.

Orange production has gone up in Solukhumbu, the mountainous district in Koshi Province. It has increased by more than 400 metric tonnes this season, the Agriculture Knowledge Center Solukhumbu said.

The district produced 469 metric tonnes more oranges in the current fiscal year 2023/24 compared to the previous fiscal year, 2022/23. Information Officer at the Center, Kul Bahadur Rai, said orange production in the district last fiscal year was 1,690 metric tonnes and it reached 2,159 metric tonnes in the current fiscal.

Orange is grown in 295 hectares of land in the district, but this year production could be reaped only from 257 hectares. Rai, the Centre's information officer, said the production increased this year with the increase in the number of high-yielding orange trees.

Oranges can be grown in seven out of the eight local levels in the district. Cultivation is not possible in Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality because of extreme cold, said Durga Bahadur Tiruwa, Chief of the Center.

Sixty percent of all orange production in the district comes from Thulung Dudhkoshi Rural Municipality, it is stated. The Deusa area of this rural municipality is the pocket area for oranges in the entire district.

Although the orange production has been going up in the district over the years, there is a problem of taking them to the market, farmers complained.

Sangam Rai, a farmer from Deusa who is into commercial orange farming, said that a sizable portion of the oranges produced in Deusa go to waste due to lack of market and transportation facilities.

The market for the oranges produced in the district is confined within the district itself. This means that the orange farmers have only a limited market for their orange. Ambar Rai, another farmer of Deusa, rued those oranges taken to Salleri, the district headquarters, for sale, which does not even sell at Rs 50 per kilo.

According to him, the orange growers have not been able to make profit due to the lack of market and there are no facilities to take their produce to bigger markets in other districts.

One percent of the children have congenital heart disease, said Dr Urmila Shakya, senior pediatric cardiologist at the Sahid Gangalal National Heart Center. She gave out this information while addressing a news conference the Centre organized Thursday in connection with the Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week.

According to Dr Shakya, eight to 10 children out of 1,000 children born alive are found suffering from congenital heart conditions. She shared that this condition develops when the child is still in the womb due to some problem with the artery outside the heart or abnormalities in the interior parts of the heart.

Dr Shakya said that the mortality rate is high due to cardiac-related issues among the children who have complicated congenital heart conditions. To reduce such risk, Dr Shakya advised, pregnant women should pay attention to proper food intake and nutrition and totally abstain from smoking.

It is said symptoms about congenital heart condition can be seen in nearly two-thirds of the children within a month of their birth, and one-third of children showing such symptoms died within some days of their birth if timely medical treatment is not provided.

Dr Shakya also said that the causes can be identified only in 10 percent of cardiac diseases. It is said children with congenital heart conditions do not gain weight as per their age, are weak, the left part of their chest is raised and suffer from chest pain, fall unconscious, and have body swelling, among other problems.

Finance Minister and Coordinator of Investment Summit Steering Committee, Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat, has said inquiries of the international investors to invest in Nepal have been received.

The third meeting of the Third Investment Summit Steering Committee was held under the convenorship of Committee Coordinator and Finance Minister Dr Mahat today. The meeting discussed policies, laws and structural reforms-related reports, and on the projects prepared in view of the investment summit. 

Addressing the meeting, Finance Minister Dr Mahat issued instructions to prepare the projects with due seriousness, as the international investors have shown interest in investing in Nepal. "The Summit is an opportunity for us to attract investment. The government is always prepared for legal and policy level reforms to attract foreign and Nepali investors as well as the non-resident Nepalis, to invest in Nepal," he said, adding that the main goal of the Summit is to disseminate to the wider world the message that Nepal is the best destination for investment.  This message, he said, would be best served by making simplified provisions for investment facilitation, project implementation and operation, and for repatriation of profit.

According to the Finance Minister, the World Bank is ready to organize the conference of its IEG in Nepal in coming June. "The formal letter related to this is expected to arrive in some days. The biggest ever international conference will be held in Nepal. Representatives of more than 92 countries, including the World Bank President, will attend the conference," he said.

Finance Minister Dr Mahat said the Investment Summit will take place on April 28 and 29 before the WB conference. "If this Summit can be made result-oriented, then there is the possibility also of increased private investment in Nepal, not only of the multi-national companies' investment," he added.

Coordinator of the Policy, Law and Structural Reform Taskforce and Secretary at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Ek Narayan Aryal presented a report on the legal and policy-level improvements.

The report has been prepared with the participation of the private sector as well and it incorporates the feedback received in the meeting of the Investment Summit Implementation Committee under the Chief Secretary's coordination.

 Based on this report, the 'Bill Designed to Amend Some Nepal Acts for Facilitation of Investment, 2024' will be prepared through the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies and will enter the parliamentary process for its endorsement following the approval of the Council of Ministers.

The taskforce has proposed amendments to various provisions of the Industrial Enterprise Act 2076, the Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Act, 2075, the Special Economic Zone Act 2073, the Forests Act 2076, the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act 2029, Land Act 2021, the Land Acquisition Act 2034, the Environment Conservation Act 2076, the Electronic Transaction Act 2063, the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Act 2053, the Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Regulations, 2077 and the Forests Regulations, 2079.

The amendment proposal has been proposed to these acts and regulations with the objective of removing the legal and policy-level obstacles seen in the industries, enterprises and investment as well as doing away with the difficulties and delays experienced in the implementation of construction projects.

Similarly, Coordinator of the Technical Committee and Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Mukunda Niraula, made a presentation related to the preparation of projects to be showcased in the Third Investment Summit.

The technical committee has pursued further home work by preparing the preliminary list of projects after classifying the projects at different stages of study.

Ministers at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation; the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies; the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development; the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation; the Ministry of Urban Development, and the Ministry of Forests and Environment were present in the meeting.

Also attending the meeting were the National Planning Commission (NPC) Vice Chair, the Chief Secretary, Advisor at the Finance Ministry, the Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, the Secretaries of various ministries, and the presidents of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Confederation of Nepalese Industries and the Nepal Chamber of Commerce, among others.

In the wake of escalating climate change impacts and extreme weather events, particularly in the developing countries like Nepal, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) have stressed nature-based solutions to address the climate crisis for protecting nature.

The IFRC and WWF in Nepal informed that they were launching a strategic partnership with the theme “Working with Nature to Protect People.” This joint initiative aims to recognize the critical role of nature-based solutions in both mitigating and adapting to climate change while fostering resilience among communities on the front lines of the crisis.

Nature-based solutions, such as forest restoration, water source management, wetland rehabilitation, and river-bank plantations, have proven effective in Nepal, offering benefits beyond disaster risk reduction, they reminded, adding, “We reiterate that tackling climate crises requires protecting wildlife and biodiversity at an ecosystem scale, which is vital to create a future in which people and nature thrive together."

"The collaboration between IFRC and WWF Nepal is an opportunity to make a difference at scale, and we call on partners to support our joint efforts,” remarked Country Representative of WWF Nepal in Nepal, Dr Ghana Shyam Gurung.

The partnership between IFRC and WWF will be leveraging their combined expertise and extensive networks to address the ongoing climate crisis, emerging risks, and societal challenges. Through local action and collaboration with government, partners, development agencies, donors, and private sectors, IFRC and WWF aim to integrate nature into climate adaptation strategies.

This also includes engagement with authorities at all levels to provide policy advice and coordinate the initiatives as part of wider humanitarian and development efforts.

Moreover, Head of Delegation at IFRC, Azmat Ulla, observed, "Tackling climate crises requires protecting diversity and wildlife, and this is vital towards sustaining future generations. The IFRC and WWF collaboration is a great opportunity to make a difference and we call on partners to support.” 

A meeting of the National Assembly (NA) held on Wednesday unanimously endorsed the report of the Draft Committee on the Amendment of National Assembly Regulations-2075 BS.

Committee's President Suresh Kumar Ale Magar presented the proposal seeking consideration of the Amendment Report on National Assembly Regulations-2075 BS in the beginning of the meeting.

In the theoretical discussion held on the proposal, President Ale Magar responded to all the queries raised by the lawmakers.

NA Chairperson Ganesh Prasad Timilsina apprised the Committee members that those seeking an amendment on the report could register their amendment within 72 hours.

Similarly, the meeting unanimously endorsed Fiscal Procedures and Financial Accountability (First Amendment) Ordinance-2080 BS.

Likewise, Legislative Management Committee President Jayanti Devi Rai presented the report of the Committee on Sahid Dasaratha Chand Health Science University-Bill-2080 BS.

Meanwhile, the NA meeting passed the condolence motion on the demise of former minister and constituent assembly member Keshav Kumar Budhathoki.

The condolence motion was presented by the NA Chairperson which the meeting endorsed unanimously. Parliamentarians observed a minute of silence and prayed for the eternal peace of departed Budhathoki.

Budhathoki passed away on February 5 while undergoing treatment. He was 80.

NA is convening again at 1: 01 pm on February 11.

A meeting of the Parliament held on Wednesday unanimously approved the bill on Anti-Money Laundering.

Earlier in the meeting, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Dhanraj Gurung, had presented the proposal seeking the endorsement of the bill to amend Acts and laws relating to the prevention of money laundering and promotion of business environment.

The endorsement has opened the way for amendment in a host of laws such as Export-Import (Control) Act-2013 BS, Ship Registration Act-2027 BS, Revenue Act-2034 BS, Tourism Act-2035 BS, Building Act-2055 BS, Insolvency Act-2063 BS, Securities Act-2063 BS, Nepal Rastra Bank Act-2058 BS, Human Trafficking and Transportation (Control) Act-2064 BS.

Criminal Assets and Instruments (Seizure, Control and Confiscation) Act-2070 BS, Money Laundering Prevention Act-2064 BS, Organized Crime Prevention Act-2070 BS, Insurance Act-2079 BS, Cooperatives Act-2074 BS, Foreign Investment and Technology Handover Act-2075 BS, Electricity Regulation Commission Act-2074 BS, Mutual Legal Assistance Act-2070 BS will also undergo amendment with today's endorsement.

The National Civil (Code) Act-2074 BS and the National Criminal Procedure (Code) Act-2074 BS have been amended through the bill.

The Parliament meeting will be held again at 11 am on February 18 .

Speaker Devraj Ghimire said that lawmakers could hold a live question and answer session with Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on that day.

A task force formed by the government has recommended amendments to a dozen laws and regulations before the 3rd Nepal Investment Summit in 2024.

Among the recommendations made by the task force are allowing Nepali ICT/IT industries to open branch offices and units in foreign countries, enabling industries and projects to seek bank loans by pledging their land as collateral, and increasing the landholding ceiling for industries.

The government is organizing the 3rd Nepal Investment Summit in Kathmandu on April 28-19.

If the recommendations of the task force are implemented, domestic and foreign investors will not face problems related to forests and landholding ceilings, and also don’t have to prepare supplementary environmental impact assessments (EIA), among others.

The government formed the task force to identify issues that need improvement in the existing political, legal, structural, and procedural arrangements to make the investment environment more favorable. The task force, led by Eknarayan Aryal - the Secretary (Economy & Infrastructure Development) of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, identified the need for improvements in existing laws and submitted a legal reform plan. The recommendations were submitted to Chief Secretary Baikuntha Aryal a few days ago.

The task force has recommended amending the Foreign Investment and Technology Transfer Regulations to allow industries and projects to take bank loans by pledging their land as collateral. Currently, industries and projects cannot secure bank loans by pledging their land as collateral.

To attract more industries to Special Economic Zones, the task force has suggested easing limits on export and local distribution for industries based in SEZs. Currently, these industries can distribute a maximum of 25 percent of their production in the local market, while the remainder has to be exported.

Likewise, the task force has recommended allowing only national pride/priority projects to utilize forest areas. Realizing that it is becoming difficult for projects to buy and provide equivalent land for forest areas to the government, the taskforce has suggested allowing projects to deposit money equivalent to the land value into the Forest Development Fund.

Similarly, the task force has recommended empowering the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal by providing more rights related to ground handling and international flight operations. It has also suggested that companies and projects with more than Rs 6bn in capital can register with the Department of Industry if the promoter wishes. Currently, it is mandatory for industries or projects with capital above Rs 6bn to register with the Office of the Investment Board Nepal.

Regarding the existing provision that requires projects to conduct a supplementary EIA if more trees need to be felled than previously estimated, the task force has recommended scrapping the provision of supplementary EIA for projects to fell an additional 10 percent of trees.

The task force has also recommended amending the Land Acquisition Act to allow concerned ministries to appoint Officers for Preliminary Action for land acquisition. Currently, such officers are appointed by the cabinet.