Submit your Article

The government has approved the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy, aiming to develop skilled human resources, boost innovation and use AI to transform crucial sectors within the next five years. As per the policy, which was approved by the cabinet on Monday, the government will open AI Centers of Excellence in all provinces with the objective of making AI literacy accessible—from school-level students to the general public. The government also aims to rank Nepal within the top 50 countries on the global AI Readiness Index.

To meet these targets, the government will build a strong AI ecosystem, supported by legal reforms, institutional frameworks and infrastructure. A major focus is on ensuring secure and ethical AI development. For this, the policy envisages formulating new data protection laws, updating existing legislation and creating regulatory sandboxes for testing AI systems safely. According to the policy, AI will be used to modernize agriculture by improving production forecasting, soil monitoring, pest and disease prediction and irrigation. The policy also encourages AI use in energy, with plans to implement smart grids, smart switching and smart meters.

In healthcare, AI will support diagnostic imaging, early disease detection and genomic analysis. Similarly, in the transportation sector, AI will help manage traffic flow, parking systems, and public transit to reduce costs and enhance road safety, the policy states. The government plans to establish a National AI Center to oversee implementation of the policy. As per the policy, AI incubation hubs will also be set up to support startups and innovation, while a “brain-gain” program will be implemented to attract knowledge and expertise from Nepali professionals living abroad.

To ensure AI applications are secure and reliable, the government will introduce benchmarking, certification and standards. Similarly, a National AI Index will track progress, while new guidelines will help prevent misuse of AI—such as spreading misinformation or violating intellectual property rights.

The policy also envisions building state-of-the-art infrastructure like data centers, cloud computing, high-speed internet, high-performance computing and reliable electricity supply. Green infrastructure will be prioritized for setting up data centers in Nepal’s mountainous regions. Likewise, it states that a feasibility study will be conducted to explore local production of AI-related hardware. By integrating AI into sectors like agriculture, health, energy, transportation, tourism and finance, the government hopes to boost productivity, improve service delivery and contribute an additional one percent to the national GDP from the ICT sector.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) plunged by 9. 22 points to close at 2, 757. 97 points on Thursday.

Similarly, the sensitive index dropped by 0. 69 points to close at 474. 26 points.

A total of 16,855,906-unit shares of 319 companies were traded for Rs 5. 02 billion.

Meanwhile,  Bikash Hydropower Company Limited (BHCL) was the top gainer today with its price surging by 9. 99 percent. 

At the end of the day, the total market capitalization stood at Rs 1. 56 trillion.

The Motihari-Amlekhgunj Petroleum Pipeline is to be handed to the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) soon, following the completion of its extension works.

The pipeline infrastructure is already operational, currently transporting petroleum products from Motihari, India, to Amlekhgunj in Bara.

Preparations for its official handover to the NOC are underway.

According to Prayankar Acharya, Chief of the NOC Madhesh Province Office in Amlekhgunj, the pipeline is presently undergoing test operations.

A technical team from the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has been deployed on-site to oversee the process.

Discussions are going on regarding the modality of the handover, which may include an inauguration by the Prime Ministers of both countries or an alternative format.

Meanwhile, the extension of the pipeline from Amlekhgunj to Lothar in Chitwan, spanning 69 kilometers, is also expected to commence soon.

The Nepal Overseas Export Import Association has demanded diplomatic initiatives and infrastructure arrangements to open other border points to facilitate land trade with China. The association has demanded the opening of other border points as the two northern border points, Suwagadhi and Tatopani, are closed every year during the rainy season due to floods and landslides.

The movement of people and goods through the Rasuwagadhi border point has come to a standstill after the flood on the night of June 10 washed away the Miteri Bridge connecting Nepal and China. The Tatopani border point in Sindhupalchowk has also been blocked for two weeks due to floods and landslides. Hundreds of containers and trucks carrying goods imported for Nepal have been stranded on the road due to the sudden closure of the border point due to natural disasters. Due to which businessmen have been forced to bear heavy expenses.

Since it is necessary to open other border crossings to facilitate import and export with China, the association has urged the government to make those border crossings operational through diplomatic initiatives and to arrange infrastructure at other alternative border crossings. The Development Committee of the Legislative Assembly had suggested that Korala and Olangchun Gola border crossings be made operational after studying the condition of the northern border crossings in 2015. High-ranking officials of the Nepal and Chinese governments had agreed to open seven northern border crossings during bilateral discussions a decade ago.

These border crossings included Tatopani, Korala in Mustang, Kimathanka in Sankhuwasabha, Lamabagar in Dolakha, Olangchun Gola in Taplejung, Amjapas in Mugu, Yari Hilsa in Humla, and Larke in Gorkha. However, so far, other border crossings except Rasuwagadhi and Tatopani have not been opened for commercial purposes.

Korala border crossing is in a condition to be operational for 12 months. Infrastructure is also ready at the Korala border crossing towards China. The road has also reached Korala on the Nepal side. Studies have shown that trade between the two countries can also be conducted through the Olangchun Gola border crossing in Taplejung. The association has drawn the attention of the government to open these border crossings for trade purposes as soon as possible and to create an environment for other border crossings that are suitable for trade.

China is Nepal’s second largest partner in import trade. Data shows that trade with China has been shifting towards the northern border crossings with the recent development of infrastructure.