Two male rhinos translocated in Chitwan

Two male rhinos of Chitwan National Park have been translocated internally.

The rhinos were transferred from the west to the eastern region of the park.

A male Rhino was brought from near Divyapuri post of Nawalparasi (Bardghat-Sustapurt to the interior of the Kuchkuche area in the eastern region of the park on Saturday. 

The 17-year-old male rhino was captured from the Divya Buffer Community Forest and released in the interior area across the Rapti River, said information officer of the park, Ganesh Prasad Tiwari.

Earlier on Friday, a rhinoceros was brought from the Kawasoti area of Nawalpur to the east. The male rhino of around 28 years old was released in the east from Kasara. This rhino used to come to the human settlement and cause trouble.

As the number of rhinos has increased in the western part of the park, some of them are going to be internally transferred to the eastern part of the park.

A total of 60 human resources including elephants, elephant mahouts, technical personnel, staff, Nepali army personnel were deployed for the rhino relocation. The park is now preparing to transfer six rhinos internally. Rhinos over eight years old will be transferred, added Tiwari.

According to the latest count, Nepal is home to 752 rhinos.

Of them, 694 rhinos are in Chitwan National Park. Likewise, 38 rhinos are in Bardiya national park and 17 in Shuklaphanta national park.

There are three rhinos in Parsa National Park.

 

Indian Embassy in Kathmandu celebrates Golden Jubilee Scholarship Day

The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu celebrated the 22nd Golden Jubilee Scholarship Day on Friday, with about 200 students taking part in the celebrations.

India’s Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, awarded the Ambassador’s Golden Jubilee Scholarship Roll of Honour to the first batch of nine meritorious Golden Jubilee Scholarship scholars, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu informed through a press release.

In his address, Srivastava congratulated the awardees of the 22nd batch of the Golden Jubilee Scholarship Scheme and the meritorious students of the first edition of the Ambassador’s Roll of Honour while exhorting them to shine in their respective fields.

Highlighting the ‘special ties’ between India and Nepal, Ambassador Srivastava stated that it is guided by the PM’s Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas,’ the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu stated in its official release.

The envoy also underlined the opportunities that are to be created for the youth by engaging and collaborating in the startup ecosystem and incubation centres in India, while also encouraging students to seek sectors to collaborate with. He also underscored the growing collaboration between New Delhi and Kathmandu in the sphere of education, adding that it was empowering the youth.

BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences Vice Chancellor Gyanendra Giri, Lumbini Buddhist University Vice Chancellor Subarna Lal Bajracharya, Kathmandu University Vice Chancellor Bhola Thapa, Agricultural and Forestry University Vice Chancellor Punya Prasad Regmi, Purbanchal University Vice Chancellor Sailesh Mani Pokhrel, Rajarshi Janak University Amar Prasad Yadav also attended the event.

Deans, registrars, principals of eminent schools and senior officials from the Nepal government also attended the programme. The Golden Jubilee Scholarship was established in 2002 to mark the completion of 50 years of India-Nepal economic cooperation, according to the press release. 

Taking to X, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu shared glimpses of the celebration of 22nd Golden Jubilee Scholarship Day.

A post on the official X handle of The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu read, “@IndiainNepal celebrated 22nd Golden Jubilee Scholarship Day today, attended by Vice Chancellors, Deans, Registrars of prominent Universities in #Nepal , senior officials & School Principals. Around students enthusiastically participated in the programme.”

“Bharatnatyam & Nepali folk dance performance by the students of @ICCR_Nepal enthralled the audience.enthralled the audience,” read another post from the same handle.

Over the years, the number of scholarship awardees has increased 4 times to 200. Under this scholarship scheme, an MBBS/BDS student receives Nepali Rupees (NRs) 4000 per month for five years, a BE student receives NRs 4000 per month for four years, and a student studying in other undergraduate courses like BA, BEd, B Pharmacy, BSc Agriculture, BBA, BBM and BBS receives NRs 3000 per month for three years, according to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu press release.

More than 3300 Nepali students from all the 77 districts of Nepal have benefitted from this scholarship scheme. The current batch of scholarship awardees are from 76 districts of Nepal, with 32 per cent being girls. Five specially-abled students have also been selected this year under the Golden Jubilee Scholarship Scheme, according to the press release. 

The Union government provides around 1600 scholarships in medicine, engineering, dental science, management, Ayurveda arts, commerce, science, nursing, Ayurveda, dance, theatre, performing arts and many other disciplines, both in the undergraduate and graduate streams, to study in universities in Nepal and in India.

Since 2001, 38,000 Nepalese students have been direct beneficiaries of the Indian government’s scholarships.

India and Nepal are close and friendly neighbours and have a long-standing partnership in the field of education and capacity building, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated earlier.

According to the press release, the scholarships and capacity building programmes form an integral part of India’s effort to partner in the human resource development of Nepal for its overall socio-economic benefit of the region. (ANI)

Government decides to implement probe commission's report on gold smuggling

The government has decided to immediately implement the probe commission's report on gold smuggling.

A meeting of the Council of Ministers held today made the decision to this effect.

The probe commission formed to investigate the gold smuggling had submitted its report to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Rabi Lamichhane on Thursday.

Government Spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Rekha Sharma informed the media persons that the Cabinet decided to immediately bring the report to implementation.

Former Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun’s son Dipesh Pun nabbed

Police on Friday arrested Dipesh Pun, son of former Vice-President Nanda Bahadur Pun, in connection to the gold smuggling.

Police apprehended Pun for being involved in the gold smuggling.

A high-level commission formed to probe the gold smuggling had recommended action against Pun, General Secretary of the All Nepal National Independent Students Union (Revolutionary), student wing of ruling CPN (Maoist Center).

Police have started further investigation into Pun.

Home Minister Rabi Lamichhane submitted the report prepared by the high-level commission to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal on Friday​​​​​​​.

A Cabinet meeting held today decided to implement the report of the commission.