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Prime Minister Balendra Shah has said that service delivery of the government should be made more effective by strengthening institutions like National Planning Commission and Policy Research Institute rather than scrapping them. 

During a discussion with office-bearers and employees of the NPC held at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shah mentioned that it would be easier to the government in service delivery only if formulation of plans and policy research are carried out in an organized manner. "Hence, improvement of such bodies will greatly support in the government's functioning," he argued.  

In the context of the Policy Research Institute, the Prime Minister underlined that we need experts who can do extensive study and present long-term vision. The government will fully own the academic works of the experts.

He directed the both agencies to work for results without any hesitation, adding, "A concrete plan and implementation is necessary while performing any task. The role of subject-matter experts in development is incomparable."  

Prime Minister Shah also warned that budget and legal complexities should not be used as an excuse for non-performance. "Results are possible only from effective study and research. The country cannot be prosperous until some revision are made in old policies and acts," he opined. 

Similarly, Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle underscored that the present time should be taken as golden opportunity for reforms. He also instructed to transform the expertise of experts into government policies, programs and budget. 

Minister Wagle laid emphasis on proposals with clear goals, adequate budget, defined responsibilities and measurable output through concerned ministries. 

The government has a strategy of launching innovative program as pilot project and expand them at the national level if successful. 

Likewise, office bearers of the Commission briefed the Prime Minister about the status of work progress, challenges and budget.  

Sharing that study and research conducted so far by the Institute are very important for government functioning system, they demanded additional resources including human resource. 

The government has decided to appoint Dilliraj Acharya as the Chair of the Problematic Cooperatives Management Committee. 

Nawaraj Simkhada and Roshan Bahadur Shakya have been appointed as members. 

A Cabinet meeting today also formed a three-member recommendation committee for the appointment of the chair of the Securities Board of Nepal, according to Minister for Communications and Information Technology Dr Bikram Timilsina.

The three-member recommendation committee has been formed under the coordination of National Planning Commission Vice-Chair Dr Gunakar Bhatta. 

The committee includes Secretary of the Ministry of Finance Dr Ghanashyam Upadhyay and Bhuwan Kumar Dahal as members.

The meeting has approved the submission of a bill to amend the Nepal Special Services Act, 2042, to the federal parliament. 

A decision was also taken to approve the submission of the bill to amend the House of Representatives Member Election Act, 2073 BS and Voters' List Act, 2073 BS to the Parliament.

Visiting US Assistant Secretary of State, Samir Paul Kapur, paid a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal today.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed various issues including strengthening Nepal-US bilateral relations. 

According to the Foreign Ministry, the meeting also highlighted efforts to enhance cooperation in trade and investment between the two countries.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah has directed University Vice-chancellors to immediately implement the government's decision to remove the structures of political party-aligned student and employees' associations in universities and academic institutions in the health sector. 

During an interaction with the VCs at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers today, Prime Minister Shah, who also serves as the Chancellors of various public universities, said that no law would be an obstacle to removing the structures of student and employee organizations affiliated with political parties.

The Prime Minister was of the view that politics should not be allowed in institutions like hospitals, campuses and schools. If anyone really wants to indulge in politics they should separate themselves from their professional responsibilities and fully engage in politics.

During the discussion, the Vice-Chancellors said that students' political activities have slowed down after the GenZ movement and the March 5 elections, and initiatives are being taken to root out such organizations. 

Nepal Sanskrit University Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Dhaneshwor Nepal, however, complained of having to endure threats when efforts were made to remove party-aligned students' organizations as per the instructions of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

In response, Prime Minister Shah instructed that if any security or other problems arise while dissolving any political student and employee organization, they should immediately inform the concerned ministry or his secretariat. 

During the discussion, Minister for Education, Science and Technology Sasmit Pokharel made it clear that what we are trying to abolish immediately is student organizations affiliated with political parties, not organizations like the independent student union that voice for the students.

During the discussion, Tribhuvan University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Deepak Aryal said that student and employee organizations have become inactive after the GenZ movement and the elections. 

Madhyampaschim University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Dhruv Kumar Gautam also said that the political activities of students and employees have been on the decline in his university recently.

Purbanchal University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Biju Kumar Thapaliya said that student groups are engaging in politics in its constituent campuses. 

Vice Chancellors of other universities and institutes, however, stated that students and employees in their institutions are away from political activities. They expressed the view that if universities and institutes present themselves strictly there will be no politics under any pretext.

The government's 100 point agenda on governance reform mentions the removal of party-affiliated student organization structures from schools and universities to address the problem of party interference in the education sector, failure to hear the real voice of students, and decline in educational quality.