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Newly appointed Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) Ashok Raj Sigdel was conferred insignia on Monday.

President Ram Chandra Paudel conferred the insignia on Sigdel amidst a program organized in Sheetal Niwas this morning.

President Paudel also administered the oath of office and secrecy to newly appointed Nepal Army Chief Sigdel.

There is a constitutional provision that the President is the supreme commander of the Nepal Army.

President Paudel on August 28 appointed Sigdel to the post, effective September 9.

Vice President Ramsahaya Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Chief Justice Bishowambhar Prasad Shrestha, Speaker Devraj Ghimire and National Assembly Chairperson Narayan Dahal among others were present on the occasion.

The 111th birth anniversary of BP Koirala, the first elected Prime Minister of Nepal, is being celebrated by organizing a variety of events across the country today.

Koirala was born on Bhadra 24, 1971 BS. He led the establishment of Nepali National Congress in 2003 BS during his exile in India to end the then autocratic Rana regime. This played an important role in the establishment of democracy in 2007 BS.

While in exile in India, BP participated in India's freedom struggle and was active in it with a vision that after the independence of India it would be easy to establish democracy in Nepal.

After the success of the 2007 revolution, BP became the Home Minister in the Rana-Congress government led by Mohan Shumsher. Koirala then became the first elected Prime Minister after the Congress won a two-thirds majority in the 2015 general elections. During his premiership, he abolished the land tenure system and introduced progressive land reforms with the notion that the land should belong to the tiller.

However, on Poush 1, 2017 BS, the popularly elected government was overthrown by the then King, putting Koirala and other leaders in jail.

Koirala was released from prison for medical treatment in 2025 and then lived in exile in India for eight years. He returned to Nepal with the policy of national unity and reconciliation on 16 Poush 2033 BS. His policy led to a referendum on the choice between multi-party system or reformed Panchayat system three years later. However, the democrats lost amidst allegations of rampant fraud by the then ruling side. BP however accepted the referendum results. He passed away on Saun 6, 2039 BS due to throat cancer.

Apart from his contribution to the field of politics, BP Koirala is also a very popular figure in the field of Nepali literature. He has more than 18 creations to his credit, including novels like the very popular 'Tin Ghumti', 'Modi Ain', 'Hitler and Jew', and 'Sumnima'. Similarly, he has two collections of stories 'Shwet Bhairavi' and 'Doshi Chashma'.

The Sundarijal Prison, where the Prime Minister, Speaker of the Parliament and Ministers of the first elected government were imprisoned, is now serving as a BP museum. The museum has various collections depicting the life and contributions of the late leader.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of BP Jayanti, the Nepali Congress, its sister and well-wishing organizations and the BP Museum are scheduled to host a variety of programs to commemorate the life and contributions of late BP Koirala.

It has been nearly two months since CPN-UML Chairperson KP Sharma Oli assumed office as prime minister for the fourth time. His first foreign visit will be to New York to attend the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). While the UNGA is a routine gathering of world leaders, it provides opportunities for Prime Minister Oli to hold significant bilateral meetings on the sidelines, provided the Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes a proactive approach.

Traditionally, Nepal’s prime ministers have commenced their foreign visits with a trip to India, but there are precedents of attending multilateral meetings first. This time, however, Prime Minister Oli has not yet received an invitation from India to visit New Delhi, which deviates from past practices where Nepali prime ministers were invited soon after, or even before, assuming office. Instead, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba has repeatedly stated that preparations for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Nepal are underway. Minister Deuba has already handed over the formal invitation from Prime Minister Oli to Modi.

Unlike his previous tenures, Prime Minister Oli has been relatively quiet about his foreign policy priorities, especially concerning India. Over the last decade, he has been vocal about various unresolved issues with India, and his relations with New Delhi have been strained, particularly after the 2015 blockade. As a result, foreign policy observers are keenly watching how Prime Minister Oli will engage with India this time. There were speculations that New Delhi was not eager to see Oli return as prime minister. However, a noticeable change is that Oli has been less confrontational on contentious issues with India, addressing them more subtly than in the past.

One such issue is the report prepared by the Eminent Persons’ Group (EPG), which Prime Minister Oli has been raising in a more measured tone. The submission of the EPG report appears to be a priority for him in discussions with India. During his official visit to India last year, former prime minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal chose not to raise the EPG issue, citing concerns that it could disrupt the improving bilateral relationship. Likewise, when Foreign Minister Deuba visited New Delhi recently and met with Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Prime Minister Modi, the EPG report was not discussed. The EPG was formed in 2016 and completed its work in 2018, with an understanding that the report would be submitted to both prime ministers. However, India has reportedly conveyed through various channels that the EPG matter is closed.

Despite this, Prime Minister Oli continues to publicly highlight the issue. Recently, while unveiling a book by former minister Kamal Thapa, he reiterated that India should accept the EPG report. Similarly, at the launch of another book by Surya Nath Upadhyay, Oli repeated his stance, saying, “We have not had the opportunity to receive and submit the EPG report. There was no delay on Nepal’s side. Perhaps India will find an appropriate time to receive the report.” His repeated statements suggest that the EPG report is a major focus for him in his dealings with India.

The EPG was established by the Oli-led government in 2016, following a four-month-long Indian blockade, with four members from each country. The expert panel was tasked with offering insights on bilateral issues, including revising the 1950 Peace and Friendship Treaty. While other major parties like the Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Center), and Madhes-based parties have distanced themselves from the EPG issue, the UML continues to push it. Senior UML leader Rajan Bhattarai has also spoken publicly on the matter. In official discussions, representatives from the NC and Maoists tend not to raise the issue, while Madhes-based parties have rejected the report, arguing that it was drafted without their representation. It remains unclear how India will respond if Oli brings up the EPG report in official talks.

On the issue of the border dispute concerning Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura, Oli has been less vocal this time, although he mentioned it in Parliament. In 2020, under Oli’s leadership, Nepal issued a new political map that included these territories. In recent years, both countries have agreed to resolve the matter through diplomatic channels without politicizing it.

Oli has suggested that the issue could be settled through open and candid discussions at the highest political levels, emphasizing the importance of direct dialogue between the two countries. In recent years, top-level talks between Nepal and India have increasingly focused on economic development and partnership. The growing cooperation in power trade is often highlighted as a significant achievement in the bilateral relationship.

CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman and former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that the party is not against the Constitution amendment.

Talking to the media at Biratnagar airport today, the leader said, "However any attempts to shrink the rights of the citizens and dismiss the achievements in the name of the Constitution amendment shall not be tolerable for the CPN (Maoist Center)."

He announced that it would not be accepted by the party if any efforts were made to withdraw the provision of proportional representation and inclusion aiming to uplift the suppressed, marginalized and disadvantaged communities. 

The Maoist 'people's war' led to the establishment of the rights of Madhesi, Dalits, Muslims, indigenous and nationalities, he added.

The erstwhile Prime Minister claimed that the party had to exit from power as it initiated a process to take action against corruption and middle persons. "Now, the party has an opportunity to expand its organization, strengthen and rebuild itself."

As the leader of the major opposition, he warned the government not to perform against the interests of the nation and the citizens.