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Lal Bahadur Airi was appointed the general manager at Gorkhapatra in 2022, for a four-year term, making him the youngest ever to hold the position. A vacancy opened by the ministry, followed by a shortlisting of candidates, and a submission to the cabinet for final approval led to Airi being selected for the prestigious position.

Before that, Airi worked as a reporter at the National News Agency and was on the board of directors at Radio Sudoor Awaz. At one point, he also held the position of district bureau coordinator at Kantipur Television.

Currently, he is also a PhD scholar. His research project focuses on how the media performs inside the federal government. Beyond academia, he has a strong interest in social work. His early exposure to social work and leadership sparked his interest in journalism as a social service platform. He began his career with practical journalism experience, which was later supplemented by an academic pursuit of the field.

“I find myself drawn to the social aspects of journalism. I’m intrigued by journalist’s backgrounds and motivations, as well as how regional influences and personal perspectives affect their work,” says Airi. “I hope to improve my knowledge of journalism’s role in constructing societal narratives by investigating these sociological processes.”

Airi hails from Amargadhi Municipality-7, Dadeldhura. He completed his SLC in 2003 and since then has been continuously involved in journalism.

“My academic background, which includes a sociology thesis produced during my MPhil, reinforces my devotion to social work. Aspiring to be a journalist entails learning the sociological aspects that impact the industry and how to properly handle a variety of social topics,” he says.

At Gorkhapatra, Airi says all operations are overseen by the management and administration in collaboration with the executive chairman. The organization manages six publications—Gorkhapatra (a vernacular daily), The Rising Nepal (an English-language national daily), Madhuparka (a literary monthly magazine), Muna (a children’s monthly magazine), Yuba Manch (a youth monthly magazine) and Gorkhapatra Online (the digital edition).

“My position comes with formulating and implementing company plans, supervising business operations, and resolving circulation difficulties, with a primary focus on administrative administration and leadership,” says Airi.

As a state media body, Gorkhapatra is responsible for a variety of state and public-related issues. With a rich history of 124 years and numerous publications, the institution has created a distinct personality. Managing a team of around 500 people is a huge undertaking. The organization must maintain people’s faith. It must also balance and manage connections between the government, public, and its own employees.

Some say that in free and democratic nations, state media is unneeded since market outlets can effectively serve public interest. They feel that commercial media can better enlighten the public, rendering government-owned outlets obsolete.

Others think that state media plays an important role in articulating the government’s position and establishing a national perspective. They feel it promotes national unity and identity by presenting the state’s perspective in a distinct manner.

State media, as shown by historic periodicals such as Gorkhapatra, played an important role in informing and educating the populace during times of scarcity. The form of state media, whether government-controlled or independent with state support, differs among countries, with the goal of balancing independence and accountability. While the need for state media to bridge government-public relations persists, the current problem is to ensure its relevance in an era of ubiquitous information availability.

“In today’s age of misinformation and deep fakes, trustworthy sources are critical for giving accurate, unbiased information,” says Airi. “They bridge the gap by facilitating open communication between the government and the public, establishing trust and clarity in the information landscape.”

Social media poses a challenge to traditional mainstream media, resulting in difficulties such as lower revenue and audience engagement. However, it has democratized information access, allowing a variety of viewpoints to be heard. Platforms like Gorkhapatra use social media to improve public access to news, shape public perception, and battle disinformation.

“Gorkhapatra has undergone a significant shift from being a government mouthpiece to a platform that presents public opinion. It highlights public concerns and includes public opinions in its material, positioning itself as the people’s voice,” says Airi, adding that despite encountering business issues, its reach has grown via digital platforms.

The challenges of declining productivity and advertising revenue have prompted a reevaluation of content quality, leading to a greater emphasis on public voices and critical reporting. This shift has not only strengthened Gorkhapatra’s role as a public voice but also contributed to societal establishment by facilitating open dialogue and addressing economic and administrative issues.

“Gorkhapatra and other media outlets are embracing digital transformation in order to adapt to the modern era. They’re modernizing internet platforms, expanding their social media presence, and integrating technology into newsrooms. Initiatives such as GIOMS, which fall under the Digital Nepal framework, exhibit a commitment to innovation and automation, with the goal of improving distribution, payment procedures, and storytelling for better relevance and efficiency in the developing media landscape,” says Airi.

Gorkhapatra, which is rooted in tradition, struggles to adapt to change due to governmental roadblocks and outdated rules and regulations. Despite efforts, it’s frequently viewed as representing only government viewpoints, highlighting bigger issues in journalism’s progress.

Another significant aspect that media personnel should understand is the gap in media literacy among individuals, especially regarding digital media. This lack of understanding poses a challenge not only for Gorkhapatra but for the entire field of journalism and societal transformation. For instance, when discussing issues on Facebook, YouTube, or Twitter, it can be challenging to differentiate between journalism and the common utilization of social media platforms. Overall, the media faces challenges stemming from unhealthy professional practices, making responsible journalism and media houses crucial.

However, the biggest thing is credibility, says Airi. And it’s what drives Gorkhapatra in its pursuit of news.

Professor K. K. Aggarwal is the President of South Asian University, New Delhi, India. Before joining SAU, he was chairman of the National Board of Accreditation and founder vice-chancellor of Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi. South Asian University started in 2010 and is the flagship project of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Prof Aggarwal was on a day trip to Nepal on 26 May, and Kamal Dev Bhattarai of ApEx interviewed him regarding SAU, his future plans, challenges, and opportunities associated with the university.

What was the basic concept behind the establishment of South Asian University?

I think the basic concept was that in the South Asian region, where all the countries are developing countries with limited resources, we should develop a platform for a niche area of academic and research, so that all the bright students of SAARC countries can train and use their knowledge for the development of their respective countries. The concept was also to create a platform to bring together distinguished professors from SAARC countries, regardless of where they are based. That was the reason why the university was prepared to pay anything to get distinguished professors. The concept was great, but somehow, the implementation was lacking and the idea was also diluted.

What are the reasons for the dilution of this great concept? 

I think the primary reason was that setting up the campus took time. The university shifted to a permanent building only last year; before that, the university was running from Akbar Bhawan, Chanakyapuri. The governing board's practice of meeting once a year is another challenge. The last board meeting happened after a six-year hiatus. When running a university, many things have to be decided quickly. I believe the given structure should have been changed for quick decisions. We need a dynamic structure of decision-making for rapidly changing scenarios.

Lately, there have been reports that South Asian University is facing a financial crisis. Is it so?

Yes, the university is indeed facing a financial crisis. There are two parts of expenditure on the university. As far as the building part is concerned, India will take care of it by agreement. As for the operational expenditure part, there is an agreement which stipulates every country pays its decided portion. Now, for whatever reason or financial difficulties, many countries have not been able to pay their decided portion for some time. Some countries have not contributed in years. This means there are irregularities in the payment of each country's respective share of the university's operational expenses. This is why the university is currently facing a financial crunch.

What is your immediate plan to address the current financial crisis of SAU??

My immediate plan is to request every country. Everyone I met promised to ensure regular payment. I hope they keep their word, and soon enough, we will get their respective share, and difficulties will be resolved. I am also requesting the secretary general of SAARC if they can find an effective mechanism. Because they are the common body for all SAARC countries, I believe they can facilitate the process more smoothly. Also, if the government of India could somehow find a mechanism to temporarily or provisionally take over financial responsibilities from those countries who cannot pay timely and outline how it can be done, it would be beneficial. As the president of the university, my duty is to not let the university suffer for lack of funds. 

What is your plan in terms of the overall development of South Asian University, including introducing new courses that meet the challenges of the rapidly changing scenarios of the region?

My plan for the university is to stretch my imagination and find out what the common needs of the South Asian region are, and work on that. If even you cannot find the common needs for all the countries, the common need for three or four countries should be prioritized. There are several areas of common interest, such as Hill studies, coastline studies, disaster management, and emerging technology like Artificial Intelligence. These are things that we will explore in the coming days.

Amid changing politico-electoral dynamics in India, its relations with immediate neighbors are likely to be transfigured. Nepal-India relations, however, have been mostly centered on “belief”, ‘over-belief”, or ‘crises of belief”, largely swayed by elite rulers.

Beyond government-to-government relations, Nepal can strengthen its relations with the formidable opposition in the Indian parliament through party-to-party ties, or shadow government relations, given the steadfast support Nepal has garnered over the years from the Indian opposition on political, diplomatic, economic, trade, environmental, demographic and geographic issues.

Nepal should use tact and tone rather than counteract emotions to advance its national interests through a variety of avenues, including institutional, diplomatic, public and personal.

Nevertheless, both the neighbors need to broaden their perspectives and lessen the antiquated stereotype of one neighbor over the other by laying emphasis on truth, trust, tone and respect as cornerstones of their relationships for tracing a conscious and concrete relationship roadmap.

Wrapping up his official visit to India, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has returned home this evening.

Upon arrival at the VVIP lounge of Tribhuvan International Airport, the Prime Minister was welcomed by Speaker Devraj Ghimire, National Assembly Chair Narayan Dahal, Deputy Prime Ministers, Ministers, MPs, Heads of Security Agencies and high-ranking officials of the Government of Nepal.

A contingent of the Nepal Army also offered a guard of honor to Prime Minister Dahal.

The Prime Minister had left for New Delhi on Sunday afternoon leading the Nepali delegation to attend the swearing-in ceremony of his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.

After the swearing-in ceremony, Prime Minister Dahal also held a brief meeting with his counterpart Modi and paid a courtesy call on the President of India Droupadi Murmu today.

During the meetings, various aspects of Nepal-India relations were discussed, according to the Prime Minister's Secretariat.

Prime Minister Dahal was accompanied by his daughter Ganga Dahal, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Padam Giri, Foreign Secretary Sewa Lamsal and other high-ranking government officials.