Darnal receives gold medal
The Purbanchal University (PU) has awarded the ‘Om Prakash Goel Gold Medal’ to journalist Sushil Darnal. He received the medal for securing the top position in the examinations for the ‘Masters of Arts in Mass Communications and Journalism (MAMCJ)’ in 2020.
Darnal, who studied at Polygon College in Kathmandu, achieved a GPA of 3.39 to earn this distinction. He has been practicing journalism at the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), the semi-government news agency of Nepal, for the past 13 years.
At a ceremony organized on the occasion of Purbanchal University’s 10th Convocation on Saturday, Minister for Education, Science, and Technology Devendra Poudel, along with the Founder and Executive Director of the Tilganga Eye Foundation, Prof Dr Sanduk Ruit, jointly presented the gold medal to Darnal.
Management of waste begins at home: Minister Joshi
Bhanubhakta Joshi, Minister of Federal Affairs and General Administration, has stated that the country is dealing with a serious waste management issue and that management should begin at home.
He said, “The source of waste is the home, and if we manage it properly at home, there will be no issues with waste management.”
Minister Joshi, while addressing the National Conference and Exhibition on Waste Management and Circular Economy on Monday, which is scheduled for two-day days on June 3-4 conference organized on the occasion of World Environment Day.
He expressed his belief that the two-day conference will provide the government with advice and pressure on what kind of waste management policies and rules are appropriate.
Similarly, Aanand Mishra, the founder and President of CREASION Nepal, stated, “The issue of waste management is of primary concern to the entire humanity, and we should avoid futile discussions and move toward concrete implementation of waste management plans and policies.”
“A consolidated approach is required for environmental protection and waste management. It will be simple to work against garbage management if all the stakeholders, from government sector to private sector and media, collaborate together to address it,” he added.
Parallel to the program, CREASION Nepal organized significant panel discussion sessions, which focused on “Investment from Bilateral and Multilateral agencies in waste management” and “Critical role of media in Addressing Waste Management Issues in Nepal.”
In the first session, representatives from the World Bank, including Abebaw Alemayehu, Senior Urban Specialist, Anu Joshi Shrestha, Enterprise and Value Chain Development Specialist, ICIMOD, Dharma Swarnakar, Economic Advisor, UNDP Nepal, Bhushan Tuladhar, Chief of Party, USAID Clean Air, Fhi 360, and Maya Tamang from (Samyukta Safai Jagaran) SASAJA, highlighted the investment in the waste management sector.
Similarly, during the second session, Gunaraj Luitel, Editor-in-Chief of Nagarik Daily, Bimal Gautam, Editor-in-Chief of Lokantar.com, and Sonia Awale, Executive Editor of Nepali Times, Roshani Adhikari, president of the Nepal Forum of Environmental Journalists (NEFEJ), shed light on how the media is raising the issue of waste management.
Thai Food Festival at Radisson Hotel
Radisson Hotel Kathmandu launched the Thai Food Festival in collaboration with the Royal Thai Embassy on the occasion of the Maha Songkran, a vibrant celebration of Thai New Year. This food festival aims to bring the best flavors from Thailand.
On this 9-day celebration of Thai culinary heritage from April 25 to May 3, Master Chef Yao from Thailand presents Thai delicacies at The Fun Café. The event was inaugurated by Suwapong Sirisorn, Thai Ambassador to Nepal along with the General Manager of Radisson Hotel Kathmandu Subrata Banerjee.
“We are thrilled to start the culinary calendar with our inaugural food festival of the year. Collaborating with the Royal Thai Embassy has been a privilege, and we are delighted to present an event that celebrates the rich heritage and flavors of Thailand. We look forward to further collaborations and creating more memorable experiences together in the future.” said Banerjee, General Manager of Radisson Hotel Kathmandu.
KUARC to host Prarambha’24
The Kathmandu University Architecture Club (KUARC), in collaboration with the Department of Civil Engineering at Kathmandu University (KU), is set to host Prarambha’24, an architectural event on April 25 and 26 at the KU premises in Dhulikhel. “Building upon the success of previous editions, Prarambha’24 promises to be even more enriching, aiming to bridge the gap between academia and industry while promoting architectural innovation and excellence,” say the organizers.
Prarambha is an annual architecture festival designed to connect architecture students and professionals from Kathmandu University with the wider community, fostering collaboration and promoting architectural awareness. The organizers anticipate that this year’s event will have an expanded scope and attendance, with over 5,000 students and professionals expected to participate.
Leading up to Prarambha’24, several pre-events were organized as part of the main exhibition. The ‘ROOTS’ exhibition held at Panauti and the Bhaktapur mini-exhibition at Bhaktapur Durbar Square aimed to educate the general public about Nepal’s rich architectural heritage. Additionally, a rammed earth workshop offered students practical experience in traditional construction techniques, encouraging them to explore alternative building methods.
“Recognizing that a festival should also include fun, we incorporated various sports events such as cricket and marathon, along with an online musical challenge, into the pre-events of Prarambha’24,” says Kartabya Regmi, Secretary of the KUARC. “Architecture can be a hectic subject for students, so we thought that by including some engaging and enjoyable activities alongside educational events, we could better capture the interest of students and the public.”
The two-day event includes a book launch for ‘KU Archive’, panel discussions on various aspects of architecture and related issues, stalls showcasing architectural designs, an exhibition, and the announcement and prize distribution for project competition winners. There will also be food stalls and other attractions. Additionally, on the evening of April 26, there will be a musical session with performances by over 25 local and emerging singers.
