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The British Embassy in Kathmandu organized a pre-departure event on Tuesday at the residence of UK Ambassador Rob Fenn for this year’s cohort of Chevening Scholars. Thirteen Nepali students will be heading to the UK to pursue one-year master’s degrees under the prestigious Chevening Scholarship program.

Speaking at the event, Ambassador Fenn expressed his admiration for the scholars, stating, “Chevening Scholars represent some of Nepal’s finest, and the UK is proud to support them in building important links, acting as ambassadors between our countries. It is also a delight to see so many of our alumni, who all return to Nepal, driving change here with the skills, knowledge, and friendships built from their time at British Universities.”

The scholars will be pursuing a wide range of subjects, including International Human Rights Law, Aviation Digital Technology, Global Health Policy, and Children, Youth & International Development.

First introduced in Nepal in 1983, the Chevening program has since supported 262 Nepali scholars, including this year’s batch. Notable alumni from the program have made significant contributions in fields such as politics, academia, diplomacy, and business. This year’s group will continue this legacy, adding to the global network of over 50,000 Chevening alumni.

The Chevening Scholarship, named after the British Foreign Secretary’s official residence, enables students from around the world to study for one year in the UK before returning to contribute to their home countries.

A rally and sanitary drive for climate justice took place on Thursday in Manohara, Kathmandu, as part of the global climate action month. The event aimed to highlight the urgent need for climate finance, gender justice, and the protection of public commons. Organized by ActionAid International Nepal in collaboration with Nepal Mahila Ekata Samaj and Youth Advocacy Nepal, the rally called for accountability from the Global North and big investors for their role in the climate crisis.

Throughout the rally, chants of “Pay Up for Climate Finance!” “Fund our Future!”, “End fossil fuels!”, and “Public Commons, Our Responsibility!” echoed through the streets, drawing attention to the need for wealthy governments and corporations in the Global North to provide the necessary resources for a sustainable and just transition. Participants called for an end to fossil fuel dependency and a shift towards regenerative economies that prioritize the protection of both people and the planet.

The rally’s demands centered on predictable public climate finance, halting fossil fuel investments, holding polluters accountable, and ensuring that funds reach the most vulnerable communities. The protection of public commons, such as land, water, and forests, was highlighted as crucial for building resilience in areas disproportionately impacted by climate change.

Following the rally, a sanitary drive demonstrated community solidarity, as volunteers cleaned public spaces in the Manohara area. This initiative underscored the importance of maintaining healthy, resilient environments as an essential part of the broader climate justice movement. The event, which started at 7 am from the Dail Office in Manohara, included discussions on how communities can advocate for equitable climate solutions.

A group of journalists in Pokhara staged a protest today in front of the Gandaki Province Chief Minister’s Office, expressing dissatisfaction over the appointment of Bimala Bhandari as the new Press Registrar. The demonstrators claimed that the appointment was unjust to working journalists, citing Bhandari's controversial background.

Bhandari, who is also the Chairperson of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Kaski chapter, was sworn in as the Press Registrar, a position created under the Mass Communication Bill passed by the Gandaki Province Assembly last year. The role involves overseeing the press and media in the region.

While Chief Minister Surendra Pandey administered the oath to Bhandari, journalists outside the office held placards and chanted slogans. They demanded that unresolved issues of working journalists be addressed before appointing anyone to such a critical monitoring role. "How can someone who has ignored our concerns now monitor the press?" questioned Anup Poudel, a journalist with Samadhan National Daily.

Protesters accused the FNJ Kaski leadership of political bias and neglecting the concerns of active journalists, particularly regarding membership issues. "Despite repeated requests, she has turned a deaf ear to us," another journalist added.

Approximately two dozen journalists participated in the protest, questioning the government's decision to appoint someone they consider politically partial to such a sensitive position.

A national conference on ‘Contextualization of Socio-Economic Sensitivity’ was held on Friday in Pokhara, organized by Pokhara University in collaboration with the Pokhara University Research Center (PURC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

With Nepal set to graduate from the Least Developed Countries (LDC) list by 2026, the conference aimed to address the critical importance of understanding socio-economic sensitivity in policy-making. Experts, policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders gathered to exchange scientific knowledge and experiences and identify effective solutions through open dialogue.

The event featured sessions on four key topics: economic inequality, social stratification, climate change, and food security. Each session included keynote presentations followed by panel discussions aimed at finding practical solutions to the challenges posed by these issues.

In the first session, focused on economic inequality, Assistant Professor Naveen Adhikari from Tribhuvan University presented insights on income, education, and resource access. Panelists included Pokhara University Registrar Dr Deepak Bahadur Bhandari, Senior Deputy Governor Dr Neelam Dhungana Timalsina from Nepal Rastra Bank, and Gandaki Province Policy and Planning Commission member Maya Timalsina.

The second session addressed social stratification, with Associate Professor Dr. Rishikesh Pandey from Pokhara University presenting on ethnicity, gender inequality, and social division. Panelists included independent researcher Dr. Meena Paudel, and experts from Tribhuvan University and GEDSI.

The third session focused on climate change, with Dr. Uttam Babu Shrestha from the Global Institute for Interdisciplinary Studies (GIIS) presenting the impacts of climate change on society. Panelists from ICIMOD, Tribhuvan University, and Pokhara University contributed to the discussion on the societal effects of natural disasters.

The final session examined food security, nutrition, and health, with public health expert Dr. Aruna Upreti leading the discussion. Panelists from Tribhuvan University’s School of Public Health, the Ministry of Agriculture, and the Agriculture and Forestry University addressed issues of child nutrition, sanitation, and agricultural policy.