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The government has announced that the School Education Bill and the Civil Service Bill will be endorsed in this session.

Presenting the government’s policies and programs, President Ram Chandra Paudel said that the School Education Bill and Civil Service Bill will be passed in this session.

The teachers from across the country had staged Kathmandu-centric protests for the past one month demanding enactment of the School Education Act.

They suspended the protests after striking a nine-point agreement with the government.

Remittances have significantly transformed the life of families in rural areas of Arghakhanchi. With the money sent by family members working overseas, many households have been able to upgrade their homes, get internet access, and buy smartphones to stay in touch with their loved ones. 

Another notable change can be seen in the children’s education. Today, many families send their children to private schools.   

An estimated 55,000 youths from Arghakhanchi alone have gone abroad for employment. However, there is no data on those who leave without completing formal processes—such as those using tourist or student visas. In fiscal year 2022/23, a total of 9,526 people, including 633 women, went abroad for work from Arghakhanchi. Across Nepal, over 7.8m workers have received official work permits for foreign employment.

“Limited employment opportunities, poverty, and other socio-economic factors are driving people abroad,” said Khimananda Bhusal, chief administrative officer of Sandhikharka Municipality. By the end of the first half of the current fiscal year, 699,699 Nepalis had left the country for employment. Around 93 percent of them went to Malaysia and Gulf countries, while the remaining seven percent went to destinations such as Japan, Bahrain, South Korea, and Croatia.

According to the National Statistics Office, 72 percent of remittances are spent on household expenses, 15.8 percent on loan repayments, 4.6 percent on children’s education, and 1.9 percent on real estate. Only 1.9 percent of the total is being saved. Remittances reach 56 percent of households nationwide and 89.6 percent in Lumbini Province.

An informal survey conducted two years ago by Sathi Savings and Loan Cooperative and Arghakhanchi District Savings and Loan Cooperative revealed that 80 percent of remittances are spent on luxury and non-productive sectors. Despite limited local government efforts to promote business or self-employment, the flow of remittance money continues unabated.

Roughly Rs 7.5bn enters Arghakhanchi annually through remittances. Of this, about 60 percent—or Rs 4.5bn—is spent on daily needs, food, vehicles, fuel, clothing, phones, and communications. The remaining 40 percent, or Rs 3bn, goes into relatively productive areas like home construction and agriculture, according to Prakash Bhusal, President of both the Arghakhanchi District Savings and Loan Cooperative and Sathi Cooperative. Much of this is used to purchase property in places like Kapilvastu, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Dang, Chitwan, and Kathmandu.

However, only 20 percent of remittances are invested in genuinely productive ventures such as agricultural farms, grocery stores, hotels, and transportation services like taxis and buses. Even among those who venture into such businesses, many discontinue midway. 

“The earnings of youths working abroad are mostly spent on luxuries and daily needs. To redirect funds into productive use, regulations are necessary,” said Krishna Prasad Shrestha, Mayor of Sandhikharka Municipality.

To address this, the local government is providing technical support and grants to returnee migrants engaged in agriculture and animal husbandry. “We have distributed mini-tillers, grinding mills, and other equipment to help modernize traditional farming,” said Chhabilal Poudel, Mayor of Sitganga Municipality. The municipality is also providing seeds, fertilizers, and other agricultural inputs.

Pradeep Khanal, an official at the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Transport of the Lumbini Province Government, said that over 500,000 Nepalis go abroad for employment annually, with more than 2,000 people leaving each day with work permits.

As the number of migrant workers grows, remittances continue to rise. In the fiscal year 2023/24, remittance inflow increased by 16.5 percent, reaching Rs 1.445trn—equivalent to 25.3 percent of the national GDP. The primary destinations for Nepali workers include the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Malaysia, Kuwait, Croatia, Romania, Japan, South Korea, and Bahrain. Nepal has signed agreements allowing legal employment in 111 countries.

The Ministry of External Affairs has expressed its grief over the death of a female student at Odisha's Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT).

"We are deeply saddened by the tragic demise of a Nepali student of KIIT University, Bhubaneswar. We extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family during this difficult time," reads a statement issued by the MEA on Friday.

The MEA said that it is in constant touch with the Odisha state government.

“The State Government of Odisha has extended full support to the family of the deceased, and a thorough enquiry is currently being conducted by the Odisha Police."

It is the responsibility of the Indian government for the safety, security of the well-being of international students, the MEA further said.

"The Government of India takes the safety, security and well-being of all international students very seriously. We remain in close contact with the Nepali authorities and the Odisha State Government, as well as KIIT management, to ensure real-time communication and coordination in this matter.”

The season for collecting Yarsagumba, the prized Himalayan herb, has officially begun, with locals from Chhekampar heading towards the highlands. Former ward chairperson Pasang Funjo Lama informed that villagers have started moving toward the Chheke and Baju pastures since the beginning of the Nepali month of Baisakh. “This year’s Yarsagumba collection season has started, and about half of the village has already left for the highlands,” Lama said. “In the first phase, mostly young people go to clear the snow. Afterward, children and elderly villagers also join. In the third phase, the focus shifts mainly to searching for remaining Yarsagumba.”

He added that during the second phase, villagers take their domesticated animals along with them to the highlands.

Local resident Chhiring Funjo Lama shared that preparations are underway to leave the village entirely by next week. “We are planning to lock our homes and move to the highlands with our yak and cattle. For the next month, the village will remain almost empty,” he said. Only households with elderly or disabled members will leave someone behind to look after them and monitor the vacant homes.

During the Yarsagumba collection period, villagers set up temporary shelters using stone walls and tarpaulin roofs or tents in the highlands.

This year’s harvest looks promising. “Last year’s yield was good, and early reports suggest that those who have already gone this season have found a good amount,” Lama said. “The second phase usually offers the best yield, while the third phase tends to produce less.”

Yarsagumba is collected mainly from the pastures of Chhekampar and Samagaun in Gorkha district. In Samagaun, however, collection typically starts later, around the month of Jestha. Yarsagumba remains a major source of income for locals in the region. According to the Manaslu Conservation Area Project (MCAP), after Dolpa and Manang, Chhekampar and Samagaun produce some of the highest quality Yarsagumba.

Local committees collect fees for access during the collection season, while MCAP collects revenues during the sale of Yarsagumba.