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The Ministry of Health and Population has urged all parents to take their children to the nearest health facility for vaccination against rubella and measles. Children at nine months should be administered vaccines against rubella and measles while the second dose should be given in the 15th month. The Ministry appealed to the parents for the vaccine in the wake of the outbreak of rubella and measles cases reported among children in Nepalgunj. Experts say that if the double dose of vaccine is administered, its effectiveness remains at 97 per cent. A total of 90 cases of measles were reported among children in Nepalgunj Sub-Metropolitan City recently while an infant is reported dead due to the infection, the Ministry said. The Ministry has launched vaccination drives in the areas where measles cases were reported. So far, the measles vaccine has been administered in 3,000 children in the affected areas, the Ministry said.  

The Rastriya Prajatantra Party has decided to organise a tea reception on Poush 27 (Wednesday) on the occasion of the Prithvi Jayanti. It is the birthday of Prithvi Narayan Shah, the unifier of modern Nepal. The 301st birth anniversary and National Unity Day will be observed with tea reception. The event will be held at Bhrikutimandap from 1:00 pm to 4:00pm, according to party Spokesperson and Chief of publicity department, Mohan Shrestha. He informed that the Prime Minister, ministers, chiefs of various political parties and leaders, and government dignitaries, among others, were invited to the tea party. Prithvi Narayan Shah, known as the founder of modern Nepal, was born in Gorkha on Poush 27, 1997BS. The RPP Nepal had been demanding the government to announce a public holiday on Prithvi Jayanti. Finally, the Nepal government addressed it yesterday. Spokesperson Shrestha thanked the government for addressing the aspiration and demand of the party and the entire Nepalis. The Day will be observed in a grand manner tomorrow, he added.

Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya has said the election to the House of Representatives and Province Assembly have contributed to institutionalize democracy. Inaugurating the Bagmati Province level election review program at Dolakha today, he said the review program will provide guidance as to making the elections more systematic in the coming days. The Chief Election Commissioner stressed that election is won on the basis of principles, integrity and ideology. "Suggestions were collected through consultations at the rural municipality level for making the voter list unblemished. We believe that the voter roll was flawless," he said, adding that if there are any errors in the voter list, you yourself are responsible for that. “I do not believe in the conjectures that the names of dead people were included in the voter list and votes were cast in their names in Dolakha. If that is the case, please explain how it happened and express the reality here”, CEC Thapaliya said on the occasion. Election Commission Under Secretary Kamal Gyawali had made a presentation on the election-related data, good practices, problems and challenges during the November 20 election. The Chief Election Officer, the Chief District Officer, chiefs of the district-based security bodies and the stakeholders were present in the review program. Group discussions will be held on voter lists, the voting process, human resources, election materials management, monitoring, election laws, monitoring of social sites, voter education, election observation, information technology use, gender inclusion, among other topics.

The Narayangadh-Muglin road section that is closed every day for four hours for construction-related work will remain open throughout for two days, targeting the Maghe Sankranti fair at Devghatdham. The road section will open for traffic in the afternoon of January 14 and 15. The Maghe Sankranti, one of the festivals of the Hindus, falls on January 15 this year. Chief District Officer Asman Tamang said the work being done by blocking the road for four hours in the afternoon on those two days will be postponed. The road is going to be kept open considering the high number of pilgrims travelling to Devghatdham. At present, traffic is being stopped from 11 am to 3 pm on that section of the road and work is being done to clear the side-hill for the construction of bridges on the road section. Devotees from all over the country, including from neighbouring countries, come to take a holy bath in Devghat. According to Chairperson of Devghat Area Development Committee, Badri Adhikari, more than five hundred thousand devotees are expected to arrive in Devghat this year. There is a popular belief among the Hindus that bathing in Devghat during the Makar Mela or fair will bring good future and well-being.

The Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security is to issue the institutional and individual labour permit from the seven provinces from January 8. Before this, the Ministry had been providing the labour permits only from Kathmandu. In this connection, the labor permits would be issued from the Employment Office at Biratnagar and Janakpur also from coming Sunday, the Ministry stated. The Employment Office at Biratnagar and Janakpur had been only renewing the labour permit. Secretary at the Ministry Ek Narayan Aryal said that from January 8, the Employment Office at Janakpur and Biratnagar will also be issuing the institutional and individual labour permits. According to him, the Foreign Employment Office at Pokhara and Butwal have been providing all three types of services, including issuing institutional and individual labour permits and their renewal. Renewal of labour permit and issuance of individual labour permit has been started from the Labor and Employment Office at Surkhet and Kailali also. Arrangements have been made for providing all types of labour permits from the Labour and Employment Office based at Biratnagar and Janakpur from next Sunday, Joint Secretary and Ministry Spokesperson Dundu Raj Ghimire said. With this, provision has been made for issuing all types of labor permits from the Labor and Employment Office in all the seven provinces. The Ministry stated through a press release that arrangements have been made for accessing all types of labour permits online without the service-seeker having to be present in person at the Labour Office and the problem of having to face various hassles has been removed.  

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed grief over the Palpa bus accident. PM Dahal paid tribute to the passengers who lost their lives in the accident. In a tweet today, PM Dahal extended his condolences to the relatives of those killed in the accident. At least six persons lost their lives in the bus accident that occurred in Rainadevichhahara Rural Municipality-8, Tandi last night. As many as 18 passengers were injured in the mishap. PM Dahal wished for the speedy recovery of those injured in the accident. He appealed to all sides concerned to play a role to make public transport safe and dignified.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has instructed the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) to take steps for reducing the prices of petroleum products. According to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat, the head of the government directed the oil monopoly to adjust the prices of petroleum products commensurate with the international market price. At present, the prices of petroleum products have fallen in the global market. During his meeting today with Toyam Raya, Secretary at the Ministry of Commerce and Supplies, at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister gave this instruction. The Commerce Secretary is the Chairperson of NOC, the State’s monopoly of oil supplies. According to the NOC latest details, the NOC is likely to secure a profit of Rs 990 million in 15 days. Despite a fall in the petro prices in the international market, the NOC is reluctant to adjust the prices citing a burden of previous losses though it has already switched to an automatic fuel pricing system. As it says, their debt obligation is worth Rs 18 billion. The PM’s direction follows the NOC stand not to reduce the prices in spite of a wider pressure for the same.

The air quality has degraded across the country including the Kathmandu Valley lately. According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division, Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the lack of winter rainfall has led to the high level of air pollution in Kathmandu, Bhaktapur, Tulsipur in Dang, in Dhankuta and in the southern plains. The issue of fog and haze has become more intense in the Tarai due to the lack of precipitation. The Air Quality Index (AQI) at 7:45 am today shows the increasing level of air pollution in Bhaktapur, Kathmandu, Tulsipur and Dang. Kathmandu’s AQI has reached 153 followed by 154 in Bhaktapur. It was measured at 108 in Tulsipur and 106 in Dhankuta. AQI above 100 is considered harmful for public health. Children, aged people and people with breathing complications are more vulnerable to air pollution as they may face adversity and further complications if it is in the 100-150 scale. It is harmful for all if it exceeds 150. Generally, AQI 0-50 is considered okay for human health. The Higher the AQI goes, the more it is hazardous for public health. Experts have urged one and all to take precautions against increasing air pollution in the country.