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The laws confined to paper hold little more than cosmetic value. However, when they are faithfully implemented in letter and spirit, they become the bedrock upon which democracy stands.

Enactment and enforcement are the two vital components of law. Enactment is the birth of law, the moment when it is conceived. It is the intention, the vision of order and justice. And enforcement is its living pulse. It follows enactment and translates the words into action. So, are we serious about the enforcement of laws?  

As we celebrate Human Rights Day, a day designated by the United Nations (UN) to draw the attention of international community towards the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) which was adopted by the UN General Assembly on 10 Dec 1948 by a vote of 48 to nil with eight abstentions, it’s high time for us to reevaluate our efforts in effectuating those rights and obligations.  

The deliberation of UDHR is considered as one of the five core human rights treaties of the UN that functions to advance the fundamental freedoms and to protect the basic human rights for all individuals.  The declaration is neither addressed to nations nor to the member states but to every individual. This UN deliberation is in keeping with the words, “We the people of the United Nations” with which the preamble of the UN Charter begins.

In the words of Palmer and Perkins, the acclaimed commentators of Human Rights, ‘UDHR is a beacon of light for all mankind.’ There we can come across 30 fundamental rights, including that of right to life and liberty, and freedom of speech, guaranteed to every human being by virtue of being human.

Observe the laws 

Ever since its inception, UDHR has acted as a morally binding guideline to protect humanity and uphold human dignity. Still, this occasion of Human Rights Day always affords a mixed reaction. Yet, its gross and systematic violation continues in our part of the world. To tell you a fact, our rights are merely limited on papers.   

A day does not pass without news stories of severe human rights violations in countries across all regions of the globe.  Are our children being treated humanely? Are our labor rights protected humanely enough? Are our women safe on the streets? Are our women, children, differently-abled persons or senior citizens living a dignified life? Are we getting a breath of fresh air?

The rights incorporated under the UDHR are also embodied under the Constitution of Nepal. Take an example of Article 16, which envisages that every person shall have the right to live with dignity. 

So, what does dignity mean? Is it an integral part of human rights? Dignity means a state or quality of being worthy of honor and respect. A dignified life has a freedom to exercise his rights and even fight for it. It symbolizes equality as an intrinsic right and confirms that every human is equal in this world and that everyone has equal rights and duties.

Enhance economy 

The concept of equality is also one of the notions of UDHR as well as ours’ Constitution. The digital divide, stereotype and division of society in line with economical and political status demonstrate a vivid reality that things are not equal in our country and equality remains a legal matter limited to black letters of law.  The same is the case with the right to the environment. Our cities are so polluted that the constitutional guarantee of the right to live in a pollution-free environment gets violated in broad daylight.

The right to employment also seems to be limited on paper as our majority of youths are toiling in gulf and developed countries for a better future.

The continuous violation of our rights or state’s incompetence in enforcing those rights gives a message that we cannot upkeep the constitutional guarantees unless we are economically sound. Dr BR Ambedkar, the chief architect of Indian constitution, was of the view that civil and political democracy cannot be implemented in true sense unless we have a robust economic democracy. Simply put, our rights cannot be implemented in letter and spirit, unless the state is economically sound enough for that.  

It’s high time to declare a universal declaration for maintaining the economy of the states so as to make the states qualified to implement those laws and obligations.

So, will it be just to conclude that the only thing universal about human rights is its universal violation?

Way out

Our education system should encompass values such as peace, non-discrimination, equality, pollution-free environment, fair and impartial justice, dignity, tolerance, and respect for human dignity. Our legal education system is good at imparting knowledge about human rights but bad at educating students about equity, violence redressal and preventive mechanisms.  

The concerns of human rights can no longer remain an affair of a particular state in the present world. The only thing universal about universal human rights ought to be its universal acceptance. 

Ironically, the mandates of UDHR don’t seem to have the muscle of measures, such as allocation of grants to the states with limited economies to enforce the rights in actual sense. It’s seen that the developing countries, like Nepal, are in a sorry state to enforce fundamental rights just because of poor economic conditions. The observance of UDHR is not a charity but a duty.  It’s high time to stand together against all forms of bigotries and human rights’ violation. Over and above all this, it’s high time for the UN member states to resort precisely towards actual enforcement than the mere enactment of the laws.

It will be an imprudent anticipation, if our society hopes to bring an exemplary change or to climb a  progressive ladder to unprecedented steps. How is the education of our nation in its truest form? The  impartial answer can itself prophecy the future of our society. Let’s not probe the stance of privileged  education received by very few students in Nepal, the high majority of children are still getting an  inadequate wisdom in the mere illusion of education- notably in the rural parts of our country.  

The grass roots of our nation are failing to avail itself with the profound opportunity of today.  Although, there is a slight progress in the way of learning among the students of these parts in the past  few years, it is still nowhere near that landmark point which could in turn supersede the face of today’s  Nepal to a better, prosperous, and sustainable Nepal of tomorrow. I had the privilege of beholding the  depths of our country’s education when I conducted small informative sessions in a few secondary level  schools of Kapilvastu district. The informative sessions were mostly based on spreading awareness about literature, novel reading, and poetry reading culture in the schools near my hometown. 

It is no wonder that I found a deficit in creativity and the lack of great aspiration among these countryside students. This result shall be alarming to society because the pedestal of tomorrow is not  highly robust as they shall be to lead the nation in a praiseworthy notion.  

It was also seen that the students were ingrained with the typical aspiration of the same stereotypical  lifestyle that has been prevalent in these towns and villages for a long time. For many students of rural  towns, thinking about the professional career outside the confines of the small towns and nearby  cities seems to be a very big challenge; students are consciously escaping the thoughts of striving for such professional paths. At one instance, I also observed some secondary level students struggling to  comprehensively understand a simple literary excerpt of a novel: it shows how fragile these student’s  reading comprehension skills are.  

When around 5m students (data taken from “Source: Flash I Report 2011-015”, Ministry of  Education, Nepal) of our country are enrolled in community schools for basic level education (class 1-8),  showing indifference to the educational quality of government schools will yield serious  consequences for the nation. The fundamental education till the high school shall be the same everywhere  in terms of the quality offered to the students not merely in academic syllabus, but also in terms of  exposure to broad non-academic activities and personal growth initiatives. When we observe the gap  in education level of two students of Nepal, one coming from a privileged private school and society of  urban areas and another hailing from a normal government(community) school of some rural Nepal,  most of the time the gap is so bigger that there seems to be a time difference of decades in the  education both have received. Though the difference in educational quality is also observed in the  socially and economically advanced countries, the gap that we see in Nepal is way bigger in comparison  to the academic field of high caliber nations. 

Today, the ubiquity of resources has made it easier to close such gaps and it only takes a small step from the governing authority’s side, a small step from the school’s side, and a small step from the student’s side. The right guidance to the students from their surrounding can be propitious on  fostering the student’s intelligence, and ultimately leads the community towards excellence. We can  unequivocally profess that the same students of the remotest areas can bring extraordinary visions to  the table if they are nurtured in a liberal, ethical, passionate, and resourceful environment. ‘What is  needed for the change?’ nothing more than giving assurance to the students “Your talent and ability  are an invaluable jewel that you can use to craft your dreams in the canvas of prosperity”. But here is  the problem, the assurance shall not merely be vocal, it should be presented in an exemplary notion  through the many lenses that print pictures in the subconscious mind of growing children. 

These lenses are many more, but most salient lenses among them seem to be family atmosphere and  community’s principles as they surround the children all the time, and play a greater role in the  direction a child takes on his/her journey of education. The lenses of the rural Nepali community are fabricated with fragile glasses, so they are unable to project bigger and clearer images for students  relying on these lenses to draw the sketch of their ambitions and visions. The piles of improvements  that are pending in the field of education in our country are not trivial, and simple mitigation measures  or plans will not be applicable to the distinctive areas grappling with diverse factors or challenges. Still,  we cannot hope for a great revolution- at least not a great leap forward, but a small leap forward could be  possible. This merely necessitates the concerned people of the educational sector being ingrained in their  duty to provide the best education possible without segregating the resources, opportunities,  knowledge circulation to the students based on the factors such as socio-economic status, ethnic  background, or geographical settings.  

Let us start a small journey sparkled with a beautiful dream where all the people of our nation unite to  make the quality education possible for everyone. Not even a single child shall deviate from the waves  of intelligence and nor shall he be pushed away to the deserted land; Nourish each plant in the garden  of knowledge and fill their hunger with the fruits of wisdom. Once we follow this principle, we can all sleep beneath the tranquil sky knowing that our dreams will be showcased up in the clouds of reality  when we wake up. 

Birat Neupane

Undergraduate student 

St Xavier’s College, Maitighar

I’m tired of playing price roulette every morning.

Last week, my Pathao ride from Jadibuti to college (Kumarimati)  cost Rs 175. The next day? 115. Same route, same time, sixty rupees difference. That’s two cups of Tea I could’ve had. As a graduate student in Kathmandu, where every rupee counts, these unpredictable fares aren't just numbers—they’re meals skipped, books not bought, or coffee dates postponed.

The ride-sharing companies—Pathao, InDrive, and others—talk about ‘surge pricing’ and ‘dynamic rates’ like they’re doing us a favor. But let’s be real: they’re taking advantage of our desperation. When public buses are packed like sardine cans and taxis charge whatever they want, we're stuck playing their game.

But the pricing chaos is just the beginning.

The other day, I booked a ride and noticed something odd—the bike that pulled up had a different number plate than what my app showed. The driver acted like it was no big deal. Maybe it wasn’t, but after hearing stories about scams and safety issues, I couldn’t help feeling uneasy the whole ride.

And don’t get me started on the peak hour hustle. Drivers have figured out they can make more money by going ‘offline’ during rush hour. They’ll cancel your booking, then offer to take you anyway—for double the price. What choice do you have when you’re running late for an exam?

Some drivers have turned avoiding commission fees into an art form. ‘Sister, cancel the ride’, they’ll say. ‘Pay me cash instead—it’s better for both of us’. Better for whom? Without an official ride record, who’s accountable if something goes wrong?

The government talks about regulations like they’re discussing quantum physics—lots of big words and zero action. Bagmati and Gandaki provinces keep promising new policies, but they’re moving slower than Kathmandu traffic during monsoon season. Meanwhile, transport unions push back, and we students keep paying the price.

Here’s what kills me: ride-sharing could be amazing for Nepal. It could create jobs, ease our traffic nightmare, and give people affordable ways to get around. Instead, we’ve got this mess—where prices change like Kathmandu’s weather, and safety feels optional.

I’m not asking for free rides. None of us are. We just want something basic: knowing how much our ride will cost before we book it. Knowing the person picking us up is actually registered with the company. Not feeling like we're being scammed every time we need to get to class.

To the policymakers reading this: we need rules with teeth. Set some standards for these companies. Make them stick to their prices. Check if drivers are actually who they say they are. And maybe use some of that tax money to give us better public transport options?

Until then, we’ll keep playing this daily game of transport roulette. But remember—behind every surge price and cancelled ride is a student trying to get an education, a worker trying to make a living, or someone just trying to get home safely.

We deserve better than this. And we’re waiting.

Bandana Dahal

Undergraduate student, United College

When I was a child, I would watch my maa flip roti on the hot pan with her bare hands

I would stand there, spatula in hand, stunned. ‘Doesn’t that burn your hands?’

She would always laugh. ‘It used to, but I don’t feel it anymore.’

Now I wonder how many hot pans

She has encountered in her life,

And how much she has endured.

When did she realize it no longer hurt? Or is that something one decides one day?

I question if I will ever be half the woman she is, or if I will always rely on the spatula. 

Was I meant to endure the heat of hot pans?

Reetika Yadav

Grade XII

Pentagon International College