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Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has wished cooperation and harmony on the occasion of the Bijaya Dashami today.

Giving a video message on the occasion of the Bijaya Dashami 2081, PM Oli extended best wishes to all Nepalis living in the country and abroad.

He requested all Nepalis to extend assistance from their respective places to return the normalcy as it was before the disaster. "Irrespective of the places we are living now, I urge all to extend support to the government for assuaging the agony of those who underwent huge suffering in the recent disaster," PM Oli said in the message.

He reminded that the tika ceremony of the Dashain festival could not be that joyful as it used to be. "I'm not feeling joyful as the happiness of Nepali sisters and brothers was seized by the disaster occurred some days back that caused a huge loss of lives including innocent children and senior ones, injured many others and destroyed property," PM Oli added.

The PM reminded that the government was working actively for the rescue, relief distribution and rehabilitation. "The disaster massively damaged crops. The farmers will be compensated and damaged housed reconstructed and handed over soon," PM Oli said, urging the disaster survivors to be assured of assistance and others to celebrate the festival. Moreover, the PM urged the disaster survivors for patience because the government was aware of its responsibility towards them. "As I'm leading the government, I've more responsibility to pay heed to those suffering after the recent disaster.

The families of the victims would be provided assistance, reconstruction forwarded on time and transportation resumed in the wake of the festival. I call for patience at this moment." 

President Ram Chandra Paudel has extended best wishes to all Nepalis living in the country and abroad on the occasion of the Bijaya Dashami festival today.

President Paudel wished peace, prosperity and happiness to all Nepalis on this occasion- the day of the victory of truth over demonic attitude.

On the day of the Bijaya Dashami, we receive tika, jamara (holy seeding) and blessing from the respected elders.

"On the auspicious occasion of the Bijaya Dashami, 2081 today, I pray Goddess Durga for the peace, prosperity and happiness of all Nepali sisters and brothers living in the country and abroad," the Head of the State wished in the message, "May Goddess Durga bring stability, good governance and prosperity in the country."

The central, province, and branch offices of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) shall remain open from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm during the Dashain holidays.

According to NHRC Spokesperson Dr Tikaram Pokharel, the NHRC services will be available during the Dashain holidays as in the past.

In this period, the NHRC will accept complaints regarding human rights violations and may conduct emergency monitoring of serious incidents as necessary.

The Government of the Republic of Korea has decides to provide US$500,000 in humanitarian aid to Nepal on Tuesday 8thOctober, 2024 to support the latter’s ongoing relief efforts in response to the recent heavy rains. 

The ROK government hopes that this assistance will support the recovery of the affected areas and help residents in those areas swiftly return to their daily lives. The Republic of Korea’s foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul conveyed the message of condolence to Nepal’s Foreign Minister Arzu Ran Deuba, over the severe floods and landslides in Nepal.

Expressing the similarities between the two countries, Embassy of the Republic of Korea stated that Nepal is a priority country for development cooperation and assured to further strengthen the cooperation and friendly ties between the two countries. 

Nepal and the Republic of Korea celebrating the 50th anniversary by organizing multiple events in Kathmandu.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 27. 39 points to close at 2, 663. 32 points on Tuesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 3. 55 points to close at 480. 23 points.

A total of 10,330,502-unit shares of 300 companies were traded for Rs 4. 84 billion.

Meanwhile, Mid Solu Hydropower Limited (MSHL) was the top gainer today with its price surging by 10. 00 percent.

Likewise, Eastern Hydropower Limited (EHPL) was the top loser as its price fell by 8. 50 percent.

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 1. 49 trillion

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has handed over a package of relief aid for the flood survivors.

Second Secretary duo of the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu Ashish Sinha and Narayan Singh handed over the relief materials to Chief District Officer of Banke Khagendra Prasad Rijal for the floods survivors.

Materials worth Rs 11.85 million were handed over to CDO Rijal at the ‘Humanitarian Assistance Site’ on the premises of the Nepalgunj Airport.

On the occasion, CDO Rijal thanked the Indian government for the humanitarian assistance. The materials include chlorine tablets, sleeping bags, water bottles and tarpaulin sheets.

CDO Rijal informed that additional aid from the Indian government once arrive will be sent to Kathmandu by air.

Nepal is set to receive Rs 1.6bn from carbon trade within a month. 

According to REDD (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Implementation Center under the Ministry of Forest and Environment, Nepal is receiving the amount for reducing carbon dioxide through forests in 13 Tarai districts between 2018 and 2024. The country is receiving this amount for sequestering 2.4m tons of carbon over six years in the 13 districts from the Bagmati river to the Mahakali river under the Tarai Arc Landscape Program. According to the unit, the ministry will receive the amount within October. Nepal is receiving $5 for every ton of carbon sequestered.

Badri Raj Dhungana, spokesperson for the Forest Ministry, said the initial agreement with the World Bank stipulated that the funds would come through the Forest Development Fund. However, the Finance Ministry insisted that such funds should come through the Consolidated Fund as per the country’s legal provisions and then be transferred to the Forest Development Fund. As per the agreement with the World Bank, 80 percent of the funds received from carbon trading must be spent on local  indigenous communities. “The government has already prepared and approved a plan for this,” said Dhungana.

The government brought National REDD+ Strategy and National Forest Reference Level in 2018 for carbon trading. Subsequently, a benefit-sharing plan for carbon trading was prepared for the 13 Tarai districts under the Emission Reduction Program from 2019 to 2024. 

Chief of the center, Navaraj Pudasaini, said the program has been implemented in 1.7m hectares across 13 districts. On an average, 167 tons of carbon is sequestered per hectare in Nepal’s forest areas. “The goal is to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by about 34.2m tons by 2028 through the Emission Reduction Program in 13 Tarai districts,” he added.

According to some conservative estimates, forests in Nepal reduced carbon emissions by 2.3m tons in 2023.

Another LEAF deal

A market-oriented and results-based public partnership mechanism of 25 major corporations and 26 forest governments, the LEAF Coalition has received funding commitments from four governments.

Ghana, Brazil and Costa Rica have already signed agreements under the LEAF Coalition and determined carbon prices. The Forest Ministry has announced that Nepal is preparing to sign such an agreement during the 29th International Conference on Climate Change to be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, from Nov 11 to 22. Pudasaini said preparations were underway for carbon sale from forests in Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces.

According to this agreement, which lasts until 2028, Nepal will sequester 7m tons of carbon in 3.2m hectares of forestland in these three provinces and will receive $100m for this in return. The rate for carbon sequestration is $25 per ton for corporations and $10 per ton for sovereign nations.

Carbon trading expert and former joint-secretary at the Forest Ministry, Purushottam Ghimire, said that the success of carbon trading can only be achieved if the forest ministry moves forward with the private sector. “Carbon trading is not possible without involving the private sector. After allowing the private sector, they should be regulated within the legal framework. Main thing is, they need to be given freedom in the rest of the work. The ministry should not interfere in every aspect,” he added. 

Kathmandu University (KU) and Southasia Institute for History and Philosophy (SIHP) today signed an agreement to launch Master’s in History and Philosophy program offered in the three streams of Society, Technology and Environment.

The agreement was inked by the Acting Dean of the KU School of Arts, Associate Professor Ekku Maya Pun and Kanak Mani Dixit, Chair of SIHP.

At the signing ceremony, KU Vice Chancellor Professor Bhola Thapa emphasised the importance of quality social science instruction to fill a gap in Nepal’s higher education. He was confident that the Institute’s programme of instruction would be quickly institutionalised, with the support of national and international partners, and that the course offerings would attract students from other parts of Southasia as well.

Registrar at KU, Professor Achyut Wagle said it was important for higher education not only to produce well-trained professionals but also to graduate “committed citizens”, which is what the present collaboration sought to achieve. He was confident that this cooperation would help generate an intellectualism that would benefit both Nepal and the Subcontinent as a whole.

Acting Dean, Pun expressed enthusiasm that the collaboration sought to enhance humanities learning, which would help enrich the academic community as a whole. She said the collaboration would provide students with curricula tailored to Himalayan and Southasian socio-ecological realities and aspirations, to produce competent and socially committed graduates.

SIHP Chair, Dixit expressed gratitude to Kathmandu University for understanding the need to fill a significant gap in higher education, relating to the arts, social sciences and humanities. He was confident that KU-SIHP’s Master's graduates would enrich a variety of fields from academia to state administration, law and justice, media and a variety of professions. Under the able guidance of noted historian Yogesh Raj, Director of SIHP’s academic programme, he said the instruction would be specifically tied to Nepal, the Himalayan region, and Southasia as a whole.

Today’s agreement follows on an MOU signed between KU and SIHP on 24 June 2024. The Master’s programme is planned to launch in February 2025. Details on the curriculum and admission process will soon be available on the websites of the KU School of Arts and SIHP.