Submit your Article

Inaugurating the High Definition (HD) version of four channels of the Nepal television on the occasion of 34th anniversary of the Nepal television here today, Prime Minister said that agriculture, industry, tourism, infrastructure development, energy, education and health sectors of Nepal would be modernized. 
He further said that super computer has already been made jointly by scientists of Nepal and Switzerland. 
The Prime Minister said, “Nepal has been moving one-step ahead with modernization every day in every sector. We have been moving forward with the national goal—economic prosperity, good governance and prosperous Nepal on the basis of gained achievements. We all can move ahead in the race of modern Nepal.” 
Recalling that he was in Pokhara jail in course of the anti-Panchayat movement at a time when Nepal Television was established, Prime Minister Oli said that an era of change and awareness has begun in Nepal. 
Similarly, Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Gokul Prasad Banskota, said that Nepal television has different responsibility as compared to other television channels. He said the Nepal television is not a government organisation, it’s the television of the people. 
The Communications Minister said, “There is no any government interference on Nepal Television”, adding that the government has always been providing support to the Nepal television. 
The Communication and Information Technology Minister stressed the need of providing resources to the NTV and making it well-equipped to enhance its competitiveness with other television channels, calling on the NTV staffers to be more professional and hone their expertise, rather than looking up to this or that party or the government minister. 
He also suggested that the NTV should go for the public service broadcasting (PSB) model in the six months from now. Legal framework for combining the NTV and Radio Nepal into PSB is still awaited. 
Chairman of NTV Dr Mahendra Bista said guidelines have been issued for making the television newsroom independent and professional as well as for addressing the national aspirations by being people-centric. 
He added that although the media should be critical, there is no longer any need now for it to be more pessimistic. 
NTV General Manager Govinda Rokka said a year of transformation has commenced for NTV in its content and presentation along with the new technology. 
All four channel in HD from today 
All the four channels run by NTV – Nepal Television, NTV Plus, NTV News and NTV Kohalpur- have been simultaneously converted to the HD mode from today. 
Nepal Television with its signature theme, ‘Communications for Development’, is the first television channel in the television history of Nepal. It was instituted in 2041 BS. Its reach covers 52 per cent of the territory and 72 per cent of the population at present through geo-terrestrial medium. 
Advertisers honoured 
On the occasion, Minister Baskota presented letter of honour to the representatives of the Media Hub Pvt Ltd, Key Advertising Service Pvt Ltd and Expo Media Pvt Ltd, the advertising agencies making the highest transactions. 
Similarly, comedy artists Marich Man Shrestha, Raju Poudel, Daman Rupakheti, among others were also honoured. 
Also honoured on the occasion were Deepak Kumar Joshi who designed the Nepal Television’s logo and Gopal Thapa, the host of the Bimba Pratibimba programme- the longest running programme on NTV. 
Likewise, prizes were awarded to nine local reporters and 28 staffers completing 28 years of service. 

At present, there are 31 one-way roads in Kathmandu, such as the ones from Mahendra Salik to Jamal in Durbarmarg, Chabahil to Ganeshthan in Gaushala, Kumari­mode to Kumari Hall in Singha Durbar, and Thamel chowk to Nars­ingh chowk in Thamel. When a road is made one-way, the Metropolitan Traffic Police Division (MTPD) gets lots of complaints from the public about having to waste time and pet­rol in taking a longer route. So why are one-way roads necessary and how does the MTPD decide which roads to convert into them? Basant Kumar Pant, a senior superintendent of traffic police, says the main goal is to make traffic more manageable and reduce acci­dents. “On two-way roads, vehicles are more likely to disturb the flow of traffic. And more traffic police need to be deployed at junctions. In developed countries, making U-turns and right turns is not always permitted. It’s only allowed at cer­tain junctions,” he informs.

Earlier, the street from Krishna Pauroti to Gyaneshwor chowk was one-way. “But after the road was expanded, it was made two-way. Now, we are thinking of making it one-way again. There is not much traffic on the Gyaneshwor-Krish­na Pauroti route and vehicles have other options to reach their destina­tion,” says Pant.

Before making any traffic-re­lated decisions, the MTPD holds discussions with the main stake­holders, namely the Department of Roads (DoR), the Department of Transport Management (DoTM) and the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Office (KMCO). The DoR is responsi­ble for marking roads, maintaining dividers, etc.

The DoTM is authorized to issue vehicle- and route- permits, register public vehicles, make traffic rules and conduct fitness test of vehicles. And the city office is responsible for managing parking, clearing side­walks and maintaining street lights. “All these things have to be consid­ered before making a road one-way. Also, the impact of making a road one-way and the problems it may create have to be well thought-out in advance,” says Pant.

“Since the number of vehicles in Kathmandu is fast increasing, with­out appropriate measures, there is a high chance of gridlock, a situation where a road become so blocked that vehicular movement becomes impossible,” says Pant. He cites an example of a junction in Koteshwor where the chances of vehicles not being able to move for half an hour are very high.

On January 11, the DoR and the MTPD commenced a study to iden­tify roads in Kathmandu that can be made one-way. “We want to main­tain one-way roads that are already there and introduce more of them in the city,” says Pant. The metropoli­tan traffic will coordinate with traffic engineers, traffic police and DoR officials for this study. “We aren’t sure when the study will conclude as we are going to inspect all the roads inside the Ring Road,” he says.

“Once we decide to make a road one-way, the traffic police post var­ious signs and signals to inform the public about the change. We also disseminate information through the media and our website, as well as by conducting a public hearing. For one week, people are made aware of the new rule. After that, whoever breaks the rule is fined,” informs Pant.

Whenever a one-way rule is intro­duced, Pant says that complaints always pour in as people only think about their own convenience. But there are collective benefits to mak­ing a road one-way. “You have to either waste time being trapped in a traffic jam or spend some time and petrol to take a longer route. We are still a long way from understanding these developments,” he says.

Until and unless the drivers understand the rules and their benefits, the traffic will not flow properly. “Traffic rules are not to be followed only in the presence of a traffic police but at all times,” says Pant.

Minister for Youth and Sports Jagat Bahadur Bishwakarma has said that two parallel associations of a sport cannot exist at a time. 
At a programme organized in the capital city on Wednesday to congratulate the newly formed office bearers of Nepal Gymnastics Association, Minister Bishwakarma said that the ministry has forwarded the concept of a single committee of a game in the country to avoid the conflict over the sportspersons' participation in the national and international tournaments. 
On the occasion, Chairman of Nepal Olympic Committee and province lawmaker Jibanram Shrestha said that unity among the sports association results in success and strength. 
Likewise, Vice Chairman of National Sports Council Pitambar Timsina, who heads the committee formed by the ministry to patch up the conflicting committees of different sports, vowed to manage other sports associations as well in the future. 
During the event, Chairman of newly formed Gymnastics Association Dhurba Bahadur Pradhan and co-chair Kishor Bahadur singh said that unity in the association was possible thanks to mutual understanding in both the sides and promised to move ahead jointly for the quality promotion of gymnastics. 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said Nepal is a country that believes in democracy and where everything is under the Constitution. “We have brought tremendous changes in the field of democracy by abolishing an autocratic system to establish a federal democratic republic,” he added. 
Speaking as a panelist in a session on “Shaping the Future of Democracy” under the 49th meeting of the World Economic Forum here today, Prime Minister Oli said Nepal follows the prime ministerial system with the executive powers resting on the cabinet and Prime Minister. However, there is no question of centralization of power as we have independent parliament, judiciary and press while the people are sovereign. 
Sharing that he fought for democracy for half a century spending many years in prison, Prime Minister Oli said, “I do not want to be a ruler but a servant of the people. I want to extend democracy from the political sphere to bring changes in the life of the people.” 
The government is focused to bring change with a focus on good governance and economic development guided by our motto of prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepalis, he added. 
In regards to relation with the press, Prime Minister Oli said he has normal relation with the press, as in democracy there is always need for normal relationship. “In autocracy, media is controlled to praise the rulers but in democracy they criticize, which is normal”, he added. 
The press is very instrumental to strengthen democracy, to bring prosperity in the lives of the people and to inform accurately and to educate the people. However, people want to see responsible press. 
The Prime Minister noted that yellow journalism however was not good, it disturb the things and misleads the people. “In the name of press freedom, if somebody gives false news and hurts others and damages other's family life, prestige and business then it is not good”, Prime Minister Oli said. 
He also cautioned about the likelihood of the younger generation being misled by some social media. 
Prime Minister Oli however said there was no intention and no action taken to control or bring restriction to the press. “Press is completely free in Nepal and there is no question of restriction.” 
Democracy is a system for all not only for people who are involved in press and hence it must care for the life, prestige and loss and benefit of other people also. 
Other speakers in the panel were President of Colombia Iván Duque Márquez, American journalist Arthur Gregg Sulzberger, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan and Founder and CEO of the Leadership Now Project Daniella Ballou-Aares. The session was moderated by British journalist Martin Harry Wolf.