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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday chaired the last meeting of the outgoing Union cabinet which recommended dissolution of the 17th Lok Sabha, setting in motion the process of formation of the next government after the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) won a narrow majority in the Lok Sabha.

PM Modi drove down to Rashtrapati Bhavan to call on President Droupadi Murmu soon after.

“The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, met the President today and tendered his resignation along with the Council of Ministers. The President has accepted the resignation and requested Shri Narendra Modi and the Council of Ministers to continue till the new Government assumes office,” a Rashtrapati Bhavan communique said.

People familiar with the matter said the cabinet meeting to recommend dissolution of the Lok Sabha was held at the prime minister’s residence at about 11:30am.

The term of the current 17th Lok Sabha ends on June 16.

At 293 seats, the NDA is comfortably above the majority mark of 272 in the 543-member Lok Sabha. The BJP, which secured 240 seats, had fallen short of the halfway mark for the first time since 2014, and is dependent on its allies for government formation.

Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) or JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar, Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde and N Chandrababu Naidu, the head of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), have already reached New Delhi to attend the meeting of the NDA later in the day.

The three are key to the BJP’s numbers to form the government. The TDP won 16 Lok Sabha seats (its partner the Jana Sena won two; so it should be counted as 18); the JD(U), 12; and the Shiv Sena, 7. The 37 seats, added to the BJP’s 240, will take the party safely beyond the majority mark of 272.

The NDA meeting will coincide with that of the Opposition’s INDIA’s bloc, which won 233 seats despite being written off in the exit polls.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, Rabi Lamichhane said that the government has been trying to solve the difficulties seen in obtaining citizenship.

Inaugurating a program ' Discussion on citizenship and citizenship related issues' organized by the Home Ministry today, Deputy Prime Minister Lamichhane shared that the government was effortful to ensure citizen's constitutional rights of acquiring citizenship certificates.

"Citizens should not be deprived of constitutional rights of obtaining citizenship. Efforts are underway to remove complexities related to acquiring citizenship by formulating procedures. It is the duty and responsibility of the government to prepare laws related to citizenship addressing the complexities related to obtaining citizenship", he underlined.

Stating that the ministry has started discussions with stakeholders regarding the various issues of citizenship acquiring keeping its duty and responsibility towards the citizens in mind, the Home Minister expressed the belief that problems related to citizenship could be resolved if conclusions of the discussions with stakeholders could be included in the procedure.

The Home Ministry has been facilitating the protection of the rights of citizens, who can get citizenship by the Constitution, existing laws and rules  apart from those prohibited by laws, explained DPM Lamichhane.

He recalled that he, not only from the position of Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, had been raising voices about the problems facing the citizens to acquire citizenship when he was working as a media person.

Saying suggestions received from discussions with experts and stakeholders would be crucial for the government, the Home Minister expected that improvements to be made in the implementation system would be a guideline for the government.

"Laws and procedures related to citizenship should be revised by including suggestions received from discussions", he explained, adding discussion related to citizenship would be held in four sessions in the program.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has appealed to the global community to secure the future of the upcoming generation by mitigating negative impacts of climate change.

At a program organized at the President's Office on the occasion of the World Environment Day today, President Paudel said rapid changes in glaciers and glacial lakes due to growing impacts of global warming has added challenges to the lives and livelihoods with flash floods and landslides in the downstream areas.

"Nepal and other countries of the world are struggling with the crisis caused by climate change, pollution and loss of biodiversity. These crises cannot be solved by someone's efforts, everyone should be united", the President said.

He noted that our common challenges and opportunities have been incorporated in the theme of the World Environment Day ' Our Land, Our Future: Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resistance'.

Recalling the views expressed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to reduce Nepal's mountain crisis, high risk of climate change and climate-related problems in Nepal and other mountainous countries, President Paudel expressed concern over the negligible contribution to greenhouse gas emissions in Nepal.

He stressed the need for the world community to come together to solve the problems arising out of climate change and reduce its impact.

Stating that Nepal has been carrying out various works at the national level to mitigate the impacts of climate change and this issue has also been addressed in the policies and programs of the government, President Paudel expressed the belief that the President Climate Change Management Programme would help increase adaptive capacity by reducing the negative impacts of climate change.

President Paudel had opened the plantation by planting a sapling of 'palas' on the President building premises.

Vice President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav, Chief Justice Bishwombhar Prasad Shrestha, Speaker Devraj Ghimire and National Assembly Chair Narayan Dahal also planted saplings.

Chief Secretary Baikuntha Aryal, Chief of Army Staff Prabhuram Sharma, chiefs of security agencies, ambassadors of different countries and heads of donor agencies were present on the occasion.

The CPN (Unified Socialist) quit the Madhes Province government on Tuesday.

The CPN (US) withdrew the support extended to Chief Minister Saroj Kumar Yadav by recalling its ministers.

Parliamentary Party leader Govinda Neupane, who was appointed as the minister from the CPN (US) and the state minister submitted their resignations to Chief Minister Yadav today.

CPN (US) Chairman Madhav Nepal was in a dilemma whether to stay in the government or not.

Chief Minister Yadav is scheduled to seek a vote of confidence tomorrow.