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The Bhotojatra festival will be observed on Sunday. 

The cultural festival includes the ritual of displaying the legendary gem-studded Bhoto or vest believed to belong to the Rato Matsyandranath, the deity of good harvest.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has, through a notice today, declared a public holiday in the three districts of the Kathmandu Valley – Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur - for Sunday on the occasion of the Bhotojatra.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 700 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 188, 500 per tola today. It was traded at Rs 187, 800 per tola on Thursday.

The price of silver, however, has dropped by Rs 25 and is being traded at Rs 1, 980 per tola today. 

The government has allocated Rs 28.82 billion for the procurement of chemical fertilizer in the upcoming fiscal year 2025/26 and the volume of the chemical fertilizer would be increased to 600,000 metric tons.

Unveiling the annual budget for FY 2025/26 in the joint meeting of the Federal Parliament on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel made the announcement to allocate Rs 28.82 billion in grant for the import of chemical fertilizer.   

Likewise, necessary preparations would be advanced from the Investment Board of Nepal for establishing the chemical fertilizer factory.

Minister Paudel stated that Rs 400 million has been allocated for the Organic Agriculture Promotion Program to ensure higher agricultural productivity by maintaining the quality of soil.

As announced by the finance minister, promotion of agricultural production would be done along the Mid-Hill Highway and Madan Bhandari Highway.

Similarly, a budget has been allocated for expansion of cash crops, animal husbandry, high-end fruits, forest products, agriculture forest system and others, according to the finance minister.

The Embassy of Nepal in Abu Dhabi marked the Republic Day by organising a special event on Thursday.

On the occasion, Nepal's Ambassador to UAE Tej Bahadur Chhetri, newly-appointed Consul General in Consulate General of Nepal in Dubai Hari Prasad Odari, representatives of different social organizations based in UAE and others were present in the program..

During the event, Ambassador Chhetri said that it was the responsibility of all to maintain peace, prosperity and good-governance for sustainable development while institutionalising the republic. 

Likewise, Odari said that may this day inspire all to internalise the norms and values of the republican system.  

Representatives of different political parties, National Coordination Committee of Non-Resident Nepalis Association (NRNA), UAE and other social organisations extended best wishes on the occasion of the Republic Day and called for making contributions for the nation's prosperity.

The recent spate of intense pre-monsoon rains has come as an alarm for a polity that has not been quite effective when it comes to protecting lives and properties during disasters, natural or otherwise. 

The rains that have been lashing different parts of the country of late may be an indication that monsoon rains might be more intense this year than in the past, resulting in increased loss of lives and properties than in previous years if the level of our disaster preparedness is not notches in comparison to the past.
Keeping a worst-case scenario in mind, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority has prepared a draft Monsoon Preparedness and Response National Action Plan that estimates that monsoon disasters this year are likely to affect as many as 2m people—in a country with a population of barely 30m—from 4.5 lakh households.The action plan is reportedly based on analysis of relevant data from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology and also includes suggestions coming from stakeholders. As these disasters are likely to affect all seven provinces, NDRRMA has assigned sectoral tasks to relevant sub-national authorities.     
Preparing a disaster preparedness plan is indeed a good start, it is the way to go when it comes to minimizing injuries as well as the loss of lives and properties. Obviously, its effective execution can make a difference between life and death. A plan that remains on paper is not worth the paper it is written on.  
In Nepal, the weather phenomenon generally sets in around mid-June and withdraws with the start of October.
By the way, even if the monsoon were to stick strictly to its usual dates of onset and withdrawal, that too in this day and age of erratic weather patterns, has this action plan not been a bit late in coming? If yes, what caused the delays? Should not a democratic state tasked with protecting lives and limbs not answer this question? Should not it make sure that such delays do not happen again?
Will our authorities not be running against time while making necessary arrangements for protecting lives and properties from monsoon-induced disasters like landslides, floods, inundation, etc, given chances of an early onset of monsoon? One more thing: Our action plans look great, but their poor implementation leaves much to be desired. ‘Action’ has been the missing part in most of our grandiose plans. Let’s hope that this does not happen with a plan that aims to reduce the risk of monsoon disasters and manage them better. 

US Ambassador to Nepal Dean R. Thompson launched Nepal's first-ever Academy for Women Entrepreneurs (AWE) program in Kathmandu on Thursday.

This US government-supported initiative aims to strengthens commercial ties between the United States and Nepal by empowering women to grow their businesses and drive local economic growth.

Addressing the program, Ambassador Thompson called AWE "a movement, not just a program," highlighting the belief that when women are empowered, economies grow, communities flourish, and lasting partnerships take root, reads a statement issued by the US Embassy in Kathmandu.

The three-day residential bootcamp, led by top Nepali business leaders and members of the American Chamber of Commerce in Nepal (AmCham), will provide 30 selected women entrepreneurs with world-class training, mentorship, and resources to scale their ventures.

Powered by the globally recognized "Najafi 100 Million Learners" course, AWE provides participants with practical tools to foster innovation and job creation in their communities., according to the statement.

This program supports American and Nepali businesses by creating new opportunities for trade, collaboration, and growth, strengthening both countries' economies. It creates meaningful economic opportunities for Nepalis to build thriving ventures at home, rather than seek opportunities abroad.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance Bishnu Prasad Paudel presented the Economic Survey for the current fiscal year in the Parliament meeting today.

The Survey projects that the economic growth rate for the current fiscal year will be 4.61 percent.

According to the Finance Minister, all provinces except Madhesh, Koshi, and Sudurpaschim are expected to secure economic growth rates higher than the national average.

The size of the national economy is expected to reach Rs 6,107 billion in the current fiscal year.  

The Minister apprised the session, it has been estimated that the service sector will have the highest 62.01 percent contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) followed by 25.16 percent from agriculture and 12.83 percent from the industrial sector. 

As per the data until the end of Falgun in the current fiscal year (mid-March, 2025), the per capita gross national income soared to USD 1,517, and the average consumer inflation rate was 4.72 percent, according to the Economic Survey. 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has asserted that there was no alternative to the federal democratic republic system in the country. 

Addressing a special ceremony organised at Tundikhel on the occasion of Republic Day 2082, Prime Minister  Oli shared that the republic does not belong to any one party and its true owner is the people as well as a  democratic republic system of governance 'of the people, by the people and for the people.'

According to this principle, citizens themselves choose their representatives from the ward level to the President and they can change their representatives, added PM Oli, stating that therefore, the responsibility for good or bad also lies in our hands.

He mentioned that the country has seen far greater progress in schools, communications and infrastructures in just 17 years of its establishment than in 250 years of the lavish monarchy, stressing the need that all should be united to build and strengthen the republic.

"The debate in our society is not about whether autocracy or the republic is better. There may still be many areas where those of us in formal and informal positions of power must improve our conduct and behavior. The challenges of poverty, unemployment and corruption facing the nation cannot be overcome by seeking an authoritarian ruler wearing a crown. Rather, in a democratic system, the solution lies in honestly electing strong political leaders who can face and address these issues. History bears witness; the monarchy ruled over the people; it did not serve them. The shift from rule to service began with the republic- it is not yet complete."

PM Oli argued, "Good governance, transparency and accountability are the backbone of a republican system. We are committed to strengthening them and dedicated to fulfilling our national aspiration of 'Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali.'

"Republic is not something we were given, it's something we achieved through the sacrifices and dedication of thousands of people. Today the people themselves cote inclusively, electing at least 36,057 representatives from various castes, ethnicities and communities--from ward members to the president of the country", he mentioned

Prime Minister Oli stated, "When rights are matched with responsibilities, only then the republic can steer our beautiful country towards development, prosperity and good governance."

He questioned, "Where were our development indicators before the republic and where are they now? Let us reflect: Where was our Human Development Index before the republic? Where is it now? How any schools and hospitals existed during the 250 years of monarchy and how many kilometers of roads existed then and how many now? How many people had access to clean drinking water and electricity and how many have it today? Where was the standard of living of the people then and where is it now?"

He shared that all these achievements were possible from democratic republic.

Prime Minister Oli further said, "Today is a special day for us. It marks the historic date--Jestha 15, 2065- when after years of struggle with the sacrifices of thousands of brothers and sisters, and our collective tireless efforts, Nepal became a democratic republic. In remembrance of that historic day, today we are celebrating Republic Day."

He mentioned that we all people dismantled the autocratic system ruled by the commands of the crown and established a system where the country is governed by the decisions made from the hearts of the people, adding this historic milestone achieved by our society is something we must never forget and we never will.