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The government has urged people not to panic about the new variant of the coronavirus identified in India. Health authorities in Nepal say they are closely monitoring the development in India.

India has been seeing a rise in the number of Covid-19 sub-variant JN.1. As per media reports, 614 new Covid cases have been detected in India as of Wednesday. Meanwhile, three people infected with the new variant have died in Kerala, per the reports.

Nepal however hasn’t seen a rise in the number of coronavirus cases as per the Ministry of Health and Population.

The World Health Organisation has designated the new variant as a “variant of interest” separate from its ancestor BA.2.86 that is commonly referred to as Pirola.

WHO maintained that there was no evidence to suggest that the new variant poses additional public health risks.

JN.1 is a closely-related descendant of BA.2.86, a highly mutated strain that first worried scientists over the summer. BA.2.86 was deemed a “variant of interest” by the WHO back in August.

The WHO defines variants of interest as strains that are worrying enough to trigger stepped up investigations of the variant by countries, like laboratory studies and field investigations of its outbreaks.

“Many people in Nepal have had the infection and people have received at least two doses of the vaccine. Therefore, the probability of severe disease is low,” said Dr Prakash Budhathoki, spokesperson at the Ministry of Health and Population.

Problems related to the respiratory system are currently increasing in India and China.

“Intensive care units, oxygen plants, and other physical infrastructure constructed during the Covid-19 pandemic can be utilized if needed,” Dr Budhathoki added.  

Health desks established at checkpoints and international airports have been placed on standby, and a request has been made to place patients with respiratory problems under special supervision.

“As the infection is seen in Kerala, we are relatively at lower risks. If the infection was seen in the southern areas of India that borders Nepal it would have been quite risky as there are high chances for the variant to enter the country in a shorter time span,” Dr Budhathoki said.  

The spokesperson also informed that patients with long-standing respiratory problems have been recommended for gene sequencing.

The ministry has requested health centers to keep a check on the people visiting the hospitals with the symptoms of coronavirus and has asked them to submit a report to the ministry.

Shyalpa Tenzin Rinpoche is a spiritual Guru, the author of the book titled Living Fully: Finding Joy in Every Breath and the president of the Universal Peace Sanctuary. 

When the globe-trotting Guru was recently in Lumbini to lay the foundation stone of a universal peace sanctuary, Devendra Gautam caught up with him to discuss his journey, world peace, international tensions and ways to find inner peace—even in crowded settings that he frequently finds himself in, with friends and aides always in their toes to remind him of some or other important engagement. Excerpts from the interview:   

What brings you to Lumbini?

From the foothills of the Himalayas to the United States, it has been a long journey. While spreading the message of peace, love and compassion based on Gautam Buddha’s teachings,  I have traversed the length and breath of the US, a rarity even for most Americans. 

While journeying around the world, many of my friends suggested: How about establishing monuments for world peace and spreading Gautam Buddha’s messages through them?

The suggestion sounded wonderful. A search for locations for establishing such a shrine brought me to Lumbini in Nepal, the birthplace of the Buddha. 

While talking about the contributions of Shakyamuni Buddha, we tend to forget the sacrifices of Mayadevi, Buddha’s mother and the wife of Shuddodhan, the king of Kapilvastu. 

She chose to give birth to Prince Siddhartha Gautam, who later transformed into Gautam Buddha, undeterred by a prophecy that she would die soon after childbirth. The prophecy came true. 

The world would not have gotten its Buddha if Mayadevi had decided to choose her own life over her child’s. Like Mayadevi, mothers make great sacrifices, giving and nurturing life. Without them, life would not be possible. 

The Universal Peace Sanctuary to be built in Lumbini is dedicated to Mayadevi; it is dedicated to mothers around the world; it is dedicated to world peace; it is dedicated to humanity as a whole and not just to one sect or the other.      

Your dream project—Universal Peace Sanctuary—suffered delays during the coronavirus pandemic. Now, project work has resumed with the laying of the foundation stone for the sanctuary. How long will it take for this project to materialize?

It’s teamwork, you see. We need support from all quarters, including the media and donors, among others. Our aim is to build a superstructure with a very long lifespan, a structure that can withstand mega-quakes, so our team of engineers has designed it accordingly. 

Talking about its features, the hall of the sanctuary will have room for 1500 people. 

Also, we are building a monument for the whole of humanity and not just for some cast or creed. 

Think about the impact such a monument built on the sacred land of Lumbini will have on Nepal’s economy as a whole, not just on the tourism sector. Ideally, the government should support such a project, shouldn’t it? 

Rather than seeking support from any government in a deeply-polarized world, we are reaching out to the people for help. A large number of people from various walks of life turned up from far and near for the foundation stone-laying ceremony and laid stones. A huge turnout has encouraged us further. 

Rome was not built in a day and I want this spirit of cooperation to continue as we move ahead with this project. 

 Developing a superstructure like this takes time, resources and cooperation from all sides. I have friends who are super-rich and willing to donate for this cause. But I have made it clear to them that I need unconditional support, whether it’s just a dollar or a huge sum. 

As for the project completion deadline, we are working with the aim of completing this monument within three years.

Is any particular country supporting your project? 

No. Nonetheless, we want selfless people from all walks of life to contribute to this project. 

Your future plans?

The plan is to build similar shrines for the entire humanity around the world. At present, we have centers of faith for different sects and not for humanity as a whole. We want to change that by building monuments for all humans. The idea is to build universal peace sanctuaries the world over. You see, peace costs far less than war. The idea is to make peace more fashionable than war.  

Please suggest ways to tame the monkey mind.

You don’t need to tame ‘the monkey mind’. The idea is to let it wander, to let it buzz with ideas. But you should keep a close watch over it.  

 Rather than taming the monkey mind, our focus should be on understanding it. 

By understanding it right, we can choose right from wrong. That way, we will not do something that will make us repent later.  

So, the challenge is to understand your mind. And meditation is the best way to understand it.

Chief of the Army Staff (CoAS) Prabhu Ram Sharma has indicated that the Kathmandu-Tarai Fast Track will fail to meet its latest deadline of April 2027. Addressing queries from lawmakers during the State Affairs Committee meeting of the House of Representatives on Wednesday, Sharma acknowledged that by the next deadline, the most achievable target will be to blacktop the road from Kathmandu to Nijgadh. “Even accomplishing that much would signify success,” he said, further noting, “It will require an additional 2/3 years to achieve 100 percent project completion.”

Sharma placed blame on the government and lawmakers for the national pride project’s delay, emphasizing the necessity of updating the existing laws to clear the hurdles blocking the project’s progress. He also cited an example where despite his nine-month-old request, the prime minister and defense minister are yet to give a go-ahead to remove four trees essential for the construction work. “I’m not pointing my finger at anyone; it’s just that these are the laws you’ve made,” he told the MPs.

Sharma also highlighted that stringent environmental protection laws established in the past are now impeding development. “Without amendments to these laws, completing any project in Nepal, not only the fast track, will be challenging.”

Members of the State Affairs Committee had expressed dissatisfaction with the limited progress of the fast track and sought an update from the army chief. Rajendra Pandey, a lawmaker from CPN (Unified Socialist), criticized the unsatisfactory progress of the expressway. He said that the project was entrusted to the army with the expectation of swift completion.

Latest progress

According to the Nepali Army, the physical progress of this project has reached 28.56 percent, while the financial progress stands at 29.44 percent. In the ongoing fiscal year, the physical progress has increased to 32.66 percent, while the financial progress remains at 10.8 percent.

The construction has been segmented into a total of 13 packages. Currently, work on seven packages is in progress, the procurement process for five packages is ongoing, and one package remains stalled in the disputed Khokana area where work has not started.

The total length of the track construction in progress stands at 44.627 km. Additionally, the length of the segments that are in the procurement process is 19.85 km. The Khokana land dispute area constitutes a stretch of 6.5 km.

The construction site of three tunnels—Mahadevtar, Dhedre, and Lendanda out of six tunnels are in progress. Work on three other tunnels has yet to start.

Currently, out of the total 6.415 km length of three tunnels, 3.592 km has been completed, marking a progress rate of 56 percent. This might be a hopeful sign. 

A total of 89 bridges covering a length of 12.885 km are slated for construction as part of the project, out of which five have already been completed. Among the remaining, 62 bridges are under construction, and procurement processes are underway for the 23 bridges while four bridges fall within the Khokana section with no progress.

Digital banking can be defined as the availability of banking services through online platforms, encompassing both transactional and non-transactional services. This eliminates the need for customers to physically visit brick-and-mortar banks. Technological empowerment is a key driver behind the seamless delivery of these services. Customers commonly interact with banks through various digital channels, including websites, mobile apps, social media, mobile banking, email, Viber/Messenger and call centers.

Customers can avail themselves of banking services through these digital channels or by directly visiting branches or using ATMs/POS. The array of options includes online shopping, mobile banking, third-party wallets/websites, Visa cards, payment options, POS machines and ATMs. The surge in access to finance through digital channels, such as internet and mobile banking, has been accompanied by the adoption of payment methods like debit cards, mobile wallets and QR codes.

In Nepal, where over 72 percent of the population owns mobile phones, these devices have become instrumental in promoting financial inclusion. E-wallets have emerged as convenient tools for making cashless payments. The utilization of digital channels and payment methods brings numerous benefits to individuals, facilitating easier savings, money transfers and access to financial services. Businesses stand to have improved efficiency, reduced costs and a broader customer reach. The Covid-19 pandemic played a significant role in accelerating the adoption of digital banking platforms in Nepal. Many banks responded to the challenges resulting from the pandemic by launching online account opening and e-KYC filling services during the Covid-19 lockdown. Nepal’s e-payment landscape has witnessed a remarkable surge over the past four years. 

From 2020 to 2023, Nepal's e-payment landscape experienced an impressive surge in transaction volume, witnessing a remarkable growth of over 300 percent. However, the transaction amount exhibited a more nuanced pattern, initially soaring and later experiencing a slight dip in the last year. Despite this recent decline in value, the sheer volume of transactions underscores the rapid transition toward digital payments in Nepal. As of mid-October 2023, when examining the volume of e-payment transactions, the top three channels utilized are mobile banking, e-Wallets and debit cards. Collectively, these three channels account for 66 percent of the total number of transactions conducted.

Mobile banking, debit cards and e-wallets have reshaped Nepal's financial landscape. The widespread adoption of smartphones and the expansion of mobile networks have propelled the popularity of mobile banking, providing users with features such as fund transfers and bill payments. Debit cards offer a widely accepted cashless transaction method, particularly in urban areas. Simultaneously, e-wallets have gained traction due to their simplicity and versatility.

The significant surge in the frequency of digital commerce reflects the recent expansion of Nepal's digital payment system. While there is still a considerable journey ahead, the ongoing transformation of the Nepali payment system is due to the collective efforts of relevant stakeholders, including Nepal Rastra Bank and other government agencies, the private sector, and the ultimate consumer—the people.

Nepal has embraced the digital age wholeheartedly. While this digital evolution brings convenience and efficiency, it also introduces new threats, making the safeguarding of digital assets an integral aspect of national security. One common attack in the banking sector is phishing, a technique involving the deception of individuals into divulging sensitive information, such as usernames, passwords or credit card details by posing as a trustworthy entity. Phishing attacks can target both bank customers and employees, potentially leading to unauthorized access to accounts or sensitive banking systems. Malicious software, or malware, presents another threat by infecting computer systems to gain unauthorized access, steal information, or disrupt operations. Malwares can target online banking systems, compromising customer credentials and facilitating fraudulent transactions.

Denial-of-Service (DoS) attacks overwhelm a system, network, or website with traffic, causing it to slow down or become temporarily unavailable. Disruption of online banking services due to excessive traffic can result in financial losses and undermine customer confidence.

In a Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attack, malicious actors intercept and potentially alter communication between two parties without their knowledge. This type of attack can lead to the capture of sensitive data during online transactions, including login credentials or financial details.

Criminals may also affix devices to Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) to capture card information and Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) from unsuspecting users, leading to unauthorized withdrawals and compromising customer accounts.

Ransomware poses yet another threat, encrypting a victim's data and demanding a ransom for its release.

Social engineering involves manipulating individuals to disclose confidential information through psychological tactics. These attacks can trick bank employees into providing access to credentials or sensitive information.

To mitigate such risks, banks should implement a comprehensive framework that identifies, assesses, prioritizes and monitors IT risks. This framework should align with regulatory requirements and industry best practices. Regular vulnerability assessments, coupled with a layered security approach involving firewalls, intrusion detection systems, access controls, encryption and data loss prevention solutions are essential components of a robust cybersecurity strategy.

Automation tools can play a crucial role in tasks such as patching, configuration management and incident response. Additionally, leveraging data analytics enables proactive detection and response to threats.

As Nepal continues its digital journey, the imperative for robust cybersecurity has become increasingly evident due to a growing reliance on digital services and communication, exposing the nation to various cybersecurity threats, ranging from ransomware to data breaches. Building a team of skilled cybersecurity professionals, keeping employees informed about recent threats in the international market, conducting periodic third-party IT security audits and ensuring compliance with industry-specific regulations like PCI-DSS and Basel III are crucial steps to mitigate IT risks. These regulations address data privacy, security and operational resilience, providing a comprehensive framework for enhancing cybersecurity in the financial sector.

The author is a member of Information Systems Audit and Control Association , USA