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Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that Nepal is now closer to logically concluding its unique, nationally owned, and home-grown peace process. 

In his address to the General Debate of the 78th Session of United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 21, the PM said that completing the remaining task of transitional justice is top on his political agenda. "As the Prime Minister and a co-signatory of the Comprehensive Peace Accord, I have been making serious efforts to bridge the gaps and build consensus among the key stakeholders," the PM said in his address under the theme “Rebuilding Trust and Reigniting Global Solidarity: Accelerating Action on the 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals towards Peace, Prosperity, Progress, and Sustainability for All”.

He added that an Amendment Bill related to the transitional justice has been tabled at the Federal Parliament to address the concerns of the victims, strike a right balance between peace, justice and reparation, and to make the transitional justice process broadly owned by our society. "The proposed Bill, evolved through a wider consultative process, takes a victim-centric approach and recognizes reparation as victim’s right," according to the PM.

PM Dahal also stated that there will be no blanket amnesty for the serious violation of human rights adding that the ultimate objective is to establish an enduring peace in the country and foster harmony in society through peace, justice, and reconciliation.

The PM also appealed to the international community for their goodwill and support to the conclusion of the final leg of Nepal's peace process and to duly recognize this rare example of successful conflict transformation.

PM Dahal also shared Nepal's political journey of the past fifteen years saying "we have come a long way. We successfully transitioned through a nationally led peace process. We promulgated a democratic Constitution in 2015 by an elected constituent assembly, which has consolidated the universally recognized values of human rights, participatory democracy, periodic elections, inclusive proportional representation, full press freedom, independent judiciary, and the rule of law".

Likewise, the PM said that the successive two cycles of federal, provincial, and local elections have resulted in increased participation of women, Dalits, youths and under-represented communities at all levels of governance in Nepal. "We have been able to ensure 41 per cent representation of women in local assemblies. A minimum of 33 per cent representation of women is constitutionally guaranteed in the provincial assemblies and federal parliament. We have firmly established that the sovereignty lies in Nepali people, and they are the real source of state power."

An indefinite curfew order has been issued in the district headquarters of Sarlahi, Malangawa.

The curfew order was issued from 10 pm last night until further notice after two communities clashed while immersing the idol of Lord Ganesh, Chief District Officer of Sarlahi Indra Dev Yadav said.

The curfew order has been issued up to Jhim river in the east to Musaili canal in the west and Nepal-India border area in the south to the police post near Baba Petrol Pump in the north, the administration said.

The locals have been asked not to travel, gather and carry out any outdoor activities during the time of curfew order.

Likewise, Chief of District Police Office, Sarlahi, Naresh Raj Subedi said that the situation in the district headquarters is normal at present after the curfew order.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal emphasized on the importance of collective action in tackling global challenges through peaceful means and diplomatic dialogue.

Addressing the UN General Assembly on Thursday, he highlighted Nepal’s unique position as regards climate change, saying that even with low emissions, vast forested areas that help preserve biodiversity, Nepal “suffers unfairly from climate crisis.”

“This kind of mismatch must be addressed,” the Prime Minister said, urging a mechanism to compensate countries making a positive difference in greening the planet.

“On our part, Nepal remains fully committed to the Paris Agreement and achieving its goals, having set an ambitious target of reaching a net-zero scenario by 2045,” he added.

Reshaping global governance and reforming multilateral institutions was overdue, Prime Minister Dahal said, urging meaningful engagement and representation of least developed, landlocked developing, and small island developing nations in the process.

“Only a more inclusive, fair and representative international financial architecture can be an antidote to the deep-rooted inequities and gaps,” he added.

The Prime Minister also advocated for the reform of the UN Security Council, emphasizing the need for representation, transparency, and accountability. He urged revitalizing the General Assembly and the Economic and Social Council, granting them greater roles.

Prime Minister Dahal said that currently as the Prime Minister and a co-signatory of the 2006 Comprehensive Peace Accord, which ended the armed conflict, he has been making “serious efforts” to build consensus and complete the task of transitional justice and conclude Nepal’s home-grown peace process.

In the transitional justice process, “there will be no blanket amnesty for serious violations of human rights,” he affirmed, adding: “The ultimate objective is to establish an enduring peace in the country and foster harmony in society through peace, justice, and reconciliation.”

He went on to note that Nepal is focused on sustaining socio-economic growth and development, and that it will be graduating from the status of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) by 2026.

“We are in the process of finalizing the smooth graduation strategy,” he said, highlighting that Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) form the center of Nepal’s development vision and priorities.

PM Dahal urged greater international support through development and technical assistance, as well as foreign direct investment to overcome shocks induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change and geo-political tensions.

The Nepali leader called for the shift in the current trajectory of global affairs, away from geopolitical competition, power polarization, and economic nationalism. Instead, he urged the international community to refocus on shared objectives of peace, prosperity, and progress.

“It is time to build trust, promote partnership and collaboration, and work in solidarity when the world is facing the challenges of unprecedented scale and nature,” he said.

Source: UN

That teachers of government schools are not happy with the Education Bill presented in the Parliament for discussions has become common knowledge in this day and age of information and communications technology.

Even sections of the public unaware of the Nepal Teachers’ Federation’s boycott of the meeting called by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology to discuss the former’s concerns are now aware, most probably, of the Kathmandu-centric protest.

With around 15,000 teachers from across the country descending on the roads of Kathmandu as part of their protest to press for the fulfillment of their demands, teaching-learning activities have come to a halt in schools, affecting a large number of children.

The impact is not limited to the classroom, though. The daily demonstrations from teachers have caused inconveniences galore to the hapless masses. Traffic congestions in the already clogged arteries of Kathmandu have become the norm rather than the exception, causing immense difficulties to hundreds of thousands of road users, including motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and bikers. Traffic police personnel never had it easy; the protest has made their job more difficult.

What has ‘made’ the teachers slam the classroom door on the student and hit the streets, thereby causing traffic jams in the federal capital? Per the federation, the bill has failed to address issues like job security of temporary teachers, creation of non-teaching staff positions, concerns of pre-school teachers, promotion of teachers, appointment of the principal, transfer of teachers as well as performance appraisal. The bill’s provision on empowering local governments to evaluate and transfer teachers has also not gone well with the federation.

This does not mean that the teachers have no right to exercise a horde of rights, including collective bargaining, a fundamental right, an internationally-accepted practice and an important means through which employers and their organizations and trade unions can ensure fair wages and working conditions. Collective bargaining covers issues like wages, working time, training, occupational health and safety and equal treatment. The objective of negotiations is to arrive at a collective agreement that regulates terms and conditions of employment. 

But then democracy is not a one-way road. While exercising their right, one should not trample on others’ rights and this applies to the teachers too. Our society has high regards for teachers, it takes the teacher (Guru) as the remover of darkness (ignorance), it takes them as the guiding light. The teachers should have also respected the rights of other sections of the society, including the children’s right to education, while exercising their rights. 

Without causing further inconveniences to the public, the government and the federation should hold talks and reach a negotiated settlement. The onus is on both sides to soften their respective stances for the greater good of Nepal’s education sector, which also includes children, who symbolize a bright future of this country.

Teachers from across the country took part in the Kathmandu-centric protest called by the Nepal Teachers’ Federation on Thursday.

Expressing 17-point dissatisfaction over the school education bill, teachers from various districts came to Kathmandu to take part in the protest that started from Wednesday.

Teachers from across the country have started an indefinite protest, expressing dissatisfaction over some of the provisions of the school education bill registered in the Parliament.

Though a meeting was held between the representatives of the agitating Nepal Teachers’ Federation and Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayankaji Shrestha and Education Minister Ashok Rai among others, it ended without making a concrete decision.

After no agreement was reached in the talks, teachers took out a rally from Maitighar to New Baneshwor and chanted slogans.

Earlier on Wednesday, around 15,000 teachers of government schools took to the streets by disrupting teaching-learning activities as well as road traffic in Kathmandu in their bid to ‘teach’ some lesson to the government and the Parliament about the possible consequences of ignoring their demands.   

ALSO READ: Teachers’ protest: Public taught hard lessons

As per the federation, the bill has failed to address issues like job security of temporary teachers, creation of non-teaching staff positions, concerns of pre-school teachers, promotion of teachers, appointment of the principal, transfer of teachers as well as performance appraisal.

The bill’s provision on empowering local units to evaluate and transfer teachers has also not gone well with the federation, which earlier boycotted a meeting that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology had called.

The protesting teachers said that they would continue the protest until their demands are met.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 44.34 points to close at 2,029.78 points on Thursday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 7.55 points to close at 388. 72 points.

A total of 11,264,309-unit shares of 278 companies were traded for Rs 3. 29 billion.

Meanwhile, National Hydro Power Company Limited, Dibyashwori Hydropower Ltd, Swabhimaan Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited and Himal Dolakha Hydropower Company Limited were the top gainers today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, NIBL Growth Fund was the top loser as its price fell by 4.07 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 3. 07 trillion.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has projected that Nepal’s economy is poised to achieve a growth rate of 4.3 percent in the fiscal year 2024. This marks a notable improvement compared to the previous fiscal year, FY 2023, when the country's economic expansion was constrained, registering only a 1.9 percent growth rate.

However, the Manila-based agency has revised its growth forecast for Nepal for 2024. According to the Asian Development Outlook-September 2023, it now anticipates Nepal’s economy to expand by 4.3 percent in 2024, which is a downward revision from its previous forecast. Initially, the Manila-based agency had anticipated a five percent growth rate for Nepal’s economy in 2024. 

In FY 2024, ADB predicts that growth will be subdued due to ongoing restrictive macroeconomic policies, reduced external demand, and delayed monsoon rains. However, ADB acknowledges that the Nepal Rastra Bank's decision to decrease the policy rate is expected to result in reduced commercial interest rates and a boost in economic activities.

“Along with moderation in inflation and comfortable foreign exchange reserves, the Nepal Rastra Bank has adjusted its monetary policy stance by lowering the policy rate by 50 basis points to 6.5 percent, which is expected to help lower commercial interest rates and stimulate economic activities,” reads the Asian Development Outlook-September 2023 report. 

The ADB has acknowledged a notable progress in restoring external balance has been made but warned that fiscal challenges still persist. “Despite some progress in restoring price and external sector stability, fiscal challenges persist. While the estimated fiscal deficit for 2024 is moderate at 2.4 percent of GDP, much lower than the deficit of 6.1 percent in 2023, the actual deficit could be substantially higher if the government does not meet its ambitious revenue target for FY 2024,” said Jan Hansen, ADB Principal Economist for Nepal.

According to ADB, economic activities in 2024 will be curtailed by low domestic and external demand, continued weakness in investor confidence, high-interest rates, and deficient rainfall in June that will likely suppress agricultural output. 

The service sector is expected to perform well with expansions coming from real estate, wholesale and retail trade, and accommodation and food services. Agriculture growth may however decelerate owing to deficient rainfall in June and erratic weather patterns, further aggravated by lumpy skin outbreaks. 

The central bank’s decision to lower the policy rate by 50 basis points to 6.5 percent and relax provisions on working capital loans to revive investor confidence will help stimulate economic activities. 

While the government has prioritized capital budget execution with the issuance of guidelines for its effective implementation, fixed investment will provide the main impetus to growth in 2024, reversing the drag it exerted in 2023. According to ADB, there is little risk to external balance given the comfortable foreign exchange reserves the country now has.

“External risks remain relatively well contained. Considering the recent trends and the central bank’s prudent monetary policy stance, the target of maintaining foreign exchange reserves sufficient to sustain at least seven months of imports seems achievable,” reads the report. “Amid stable remittances and higher imports, the current account deficit is expected to widen to 1.8 percent of GDP as growth revives in FY 2024.”

The ADB report projects annual average inflation to fall to 6.2 percent in 2024 from 7.7 percent in 2023 on subdued oil price increases and a decline in inflation in India, Nepal’s main source of import.

Downside risks to the economic outlook in 2024 may arise from more contractionary economic policy by the authorities to stem price rises given the uncertainties centered around geopolitical tensions. This may dampen consumption and domestic production and adversely affect growth.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba has nominated eight persons to the Central Committee.

Party General Secretary Gagan Thapa said that eight persons including Dr Chandra Bhandari were nominated to the Central on Thursday prior to the Central Committee meeting.

According to him, President Deuba nominated them to the Central Committee as per Article 21 (10) of the party statute.

Chandra Bhandari of Gulmi, Shiva Prasad Humagain of Kavre, Man Bahadur Bishwokarma of Arghakhanchi, Arjun Prasad Joshi of Parbat, Kiran Raj Sharma Paudel of Baglung, Bharat Kumar Sah of Rupandehi, Shardha Paudel of Kaski and Anil Kumar Rungata of Parsa were nominated to the Central Committee.