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The Yomari Punhi or Yomari Poornima, and Udhauli festivals are being observed across the country today.

The Yomari Poornima is a festival observed especially by the Newar community of the Valley and is believed to have started 400 years ago. 

A special delicacy made of rice flour and molasses called Yomari is the major attraction of this festival.

The day is also observed as Jyapu Day.

Meanwhile, people from the Kirant community are observing Udhauli festival today. 

This festival is observed wishing for a good harvest by worshipping the soil and nature. 

People from the Rai, Limbu, Sunuwar and Yakhya ethnicities observe this festival. 

The federal government has also announced a public holiday in the country today.

Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal Director General Pradeep Adhikari has been arrested on Wednesday.

A team of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority arrested Adhikari this afternoon.

The anti-corruption watchdog is preparing to file a case against him in the special court today itself. 

Twenty-seven-year-old Roshni Jha was found dead in her home in Janakpurdham-4 on Thursday, with a bruise on her neck. Her family has alleged murder, stating that the condition of her body differed from what they had been told. They also claim she had been repeatedly harassed for dowry. Police have begun an investigation.

A well-known journalist from Janakpur faced severe harassment on social media after publishing news about a dispute between two religious communities. Members of one community targeted her online, beginning with negative comments that escalated to verbal abuse and threats of physical assault. The harassment became so intense that her family urged her to quit journalism. She appealed to police and relatives for help. She says the incident has left her mentally vulnerable.

Police arrested a 67-year-old man from Dhanusha for allegedly raping a seven-year-old girl. The assault occurred when the child was alone; locals apprehended the perpetrator and handed him to police. The girl underwent a medical examination at the Provincial Hospital in Janakpur. The accused is in custody as investigations proceed.

Police recently arrested several women from a Janakpur hotel on charges of engaging in illegal sexual activities. Social media users photographed the women and circulated the images online. One woman from Mahottari’s Mathihani village was socially harassed after being misidentified as one of the arrested women because of a resemblance. The confusion led to her and her family being publicly accused of illegal activity, leaving her mentally distressed. She has appealed to police, saying she can no longer live safely in her community.

These cases represent only a fraction of the growing incidents of violence and discrimination against women and children. Reports of technology-enabled abuse, in particular, are rising. Victims say the nature of violence remains the same, but the means have expanded.

Police Inspector Sonu Sah of the Madhes Province Police Office noted that although complaints related to violence against women are high in the province, patriarchal family structures, male-dominated household decision-making, and tendencies to protect men’s “honor” often lead to cases being settled or suppressed before investigation, preventing them from reaching the judicial process.

According to data from the Madhes Province Police Office for the current fiscal year, 213 cases of sexual violence have been registered across the province’s eight districts. These include 99 rape cases, 36 rape attempts, 33 polygamy cases, eight child marriages, seven witchcraft-related abuse cases, seven human trafficking cases, six illegal abortions, two caste-based untouchability incidents, two cases of unnatural sex, 12 cases of child sexual abuse, and two domestic violence cases.

Province-level statistics from the past three years show 4,922 cases registered in fiscal year 2022/23, 5,596 in 2023/24, 6,944 in 2024/25, and 1,806 domestic violence cases recorded by November of the current fiscal year.

According to Worec Nepal, 1,279 cases of violence against women were recorded nationwide this year: 341 in Koshi, 260 in Madhes, 76 in Sudurpaschim, 411 in Karnali (the highest), 88 in Bagmati, 91 in Lumbini, and just two in Gandaki. Age-wise, 9.9 percent of victims were under 18, 31.1 percent were aged 18–25, 30 percent were 26–35, 18 percent were 36–45, and 9.9 percent were above 46.

Technology has altered the forms of gender-based violence. Technology-enabled abuse has surged, creating a disturbing environment for women and girls. Despite its rising prevalence, very few victims seek legal recourse, police data shows.

In fiscal year 2024/25, 1,156 electronic crime cases were registered in Madhes Province, most involving Facebook. Police say actual cases far exceed reported ones. Inspector Sah notes that technology-assisted abuse—harassment, intimidation, insults, or threats via digital platforms—causes deep psychological harm despite lacking visible physical signs.

Women’s rights activist Renu Adhikari explains that even when physical harm is absent, online harassment can inflict severe mental damage. Persistent negative and discouraging comments create emotional violence, destabilizing victims and affecting physical well-being. She emphasizes the need for self-care and emotional management.

Advocate and women’s rights activist Rekha Jha says many victims remain unaware of available support systems. Even those who know often avoid filing complaints due to social pressures. She stresses the need for empowerment, wider dissemination of legal provisions, victim-friendly laws, strengthened safety and privacy mechanisms, and greater public awareness at the local level.

Nepal’s Constitution and legal system contain more than two dozen national and international commitments to promote gender equality and criminalize all forms of violence, discrimination, exploitation, and harmful practices against women. However, women’s rights activist Bina Singh says violence remains normalized in Nepali society. Perpetrators are shielded through political influence, support mechanisms are not victim-friendly, and victims face pressure to produce evidence.

Dalit rights activist Binod Mahara argues that legal mechanisms alone cannot reduce gender-based violence. He says collective responsibility is necessary: society must stop ignoring violence, stop blaming victims, and avoid creating divisions when addressing gender-based abuse. He calls for unified social engagement to build a society free from gender-based violence.

Chaap village of Shitaganga Municipality–11 in Arghakhanchi, once home to around 45 families, now lies completely deserted. Dumsi village, which previously had nearly 50 households, has also emptied out, leaving behind abandoned homes and uncultivated fields. Similar patterns are visible across the district. According to social worker Madhav Prasad Poudel of Siddhara, Gauchaur village in Sandhikharka–9 has also lost all its families, and many settlements—including Ghartikhor, Deep, Odharpani, Badhachaur, and Kundapani—now have more empty houses than occupied ones.

Teacher Chhabilal Chundali of Argha Rajasthal Secondary School said migration has sharply reduced student numbers. The school had 550 students five years ago; now it has only 225. Despite improvements in infrastructure, the outmigration continues. Social worker Chhabilal Bhusal of Argha Badhachaur said that even though the villages now have motorable roads, drinking water, electricity, internet, and telephone services, homes continue to empty and farmland is being abandoned.

Arghakhanchi, a hilly district in Lumbini Province, is experiencing intense migration from all six of its municipalities. Although development has reached even the remote areas, people continue to move to the Tarai and urban centers in search of better education, healthcare, employment, and security. In many villages, only elderly residents remain, as younger people have largely left. As a result, large tracts of farmland now lie uncultivated.

According to Tikaram Neupane, an officer at the Agricultural Knowledge Center, 28,609 hectares of cultivable land were in use in 2013. By 2024, only 21,247 hectares were cultivated—leaving 7,362 hectares, or more than 25 percent, fallow. Locals noted that in the past, all types of land—including Tari, Bagar, plains, and hillside terraces—were farmed, but now only small plots near homes are cultivated. Pom Narayan Poudel of Gauchaur said that fear of wild animals and the absence of neighbors had forced entire communities to shift temporarily to Butwal. Shitaganga Municipality has seen the highest number of abandoned fields, though the situation is similar across the district.

Compared to the past, the villages have seen significant development. Two decades ago, there were no motorable roads, people carried goods from Butwal on their backs, water came from springs, and letters arrived only once a month. Today, roads reach every ward, drinking water flows from taps, electricity is available in almost all homes, mobile phones are widespread, and schools and health posts function in every ward. Yet despite these improvements, migration continues. Many houses now stand empty, and even in those still occupied, residents aged 16 to 50 are rare. Some families have migrated officially with documentation, while many others have left informally.

According to the Ministry of Home Affairs’ personal incident registration data, 5,082 households migrated from Arghakhanchi between 2020 and July 2025. With an average family size of five, nearly 25,000 people left the district in just five years. The district’s population, recorded at 197,632 in the 2011 census, had dropped to 177,086 by the 2021 census—a decrease of more than 20,500 people. The Survey Department lists 26,301 hectares as cultivable land, but only 21,247 hectares are currently under cultivation, leaving around 5,100 hectares fallow. A decade ago, around 28,000 hectares were being farmed.

Despite the reduction in cultivated land, food production has not fallen significantly due to the use of hybrid seeds, chemical fertilizers, and improved farming techniques. In the fiscal year 2023/24, the district produced 86,438 metric tons of grains, while annual consumption needs stood at 65,541 metric tons. Based on the estimated 2022 population of 179,477, the district produced an average of 365 kg of grain per person—well above the annual requirement of 201 kg—resulting in a surplus of 29,466 metric tons. Rice production shows a similar trend: although the cultivated area decreased from 7,425 hectares in 2018/19 to 6,354 hectares now, production increased from 24,131 metric tons to 25,887 metric tons.

Local youths say political parties repeatedly promise to curb migration and create employment opportunities but rarely deliver. Former Deputy Speaker Pushpa Bhusal said that despite improvements in physical infrastructure, people migrated because they did not feel real economic benefits. She warned that unless self-employment and local jobs are created in the villages, migration will continue. Experts stress that sustainable solutions—such as developing agriculture, animal husbandry, tourism, and skill-based industries—are essential to retain youth and ensure the district’s long-term development.

Local governments have begun initiatives to support farmers. Sandhikharka Municipality and Panini Rural Municipality have partnered with Janata Agro and Forestry Limited to guarantee fair prices, provide quality seeds and fertilizers, and promote commercial agriculture. According to Sandhikharka Mayor Krishna Prasad Shrestha, various tools, seeds, and fertilizers have been distributed based on farmers’ needs, and efforts are underway to organize local groups for production and economic growth. However, leaders and residents agree that unless these programs generate substantial employment and income, the ongoing depopulation of Arghakhanchi’s hills will be difficult to halt.