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Laxmi Puja and Kukur Tihar are being observed today by worshiping, garlanding and feeding cows and dogs.

Laxmi, the Goddess of wealth, is being worshiped in every household today to mark the second day of the five-day Tihar festival –also known as the festival of lights – by lighting butter lamps and candles inside and outside of the households to light up the path of Goddess Laxmi in order to welcome her.

Nepali Hindus worship Goddess Laxmi in the evening today wishing for prosperity.

All the nooks and corners of the house are illuminated with colorful and decorative lights this evening in the belief that Goddess Laxmi does not visit places that are not properly illuminated, and so to please Goddess Laxmi, people light lamps and spend the whole night in vigil.

The night of Laxmi Puja is also a start of the cultural programs like ‘Deusi’ and ‘Bhailo’, where people, said to be sent by the king Bali, visit different homes singing and dancing for prosperity. In Kukur Tihar, dogs are worshiped as protectors of the house.

A dog is the most loyal friend to human beings, and according to Hindu myth, dogs are regarded as the guards of Yama, the god of death.

Kathmandu University School of Law (KUSOL) is all set to host the “International Conference on Federalism, Devolution of Power, and Inclusive Democracy in Nepal and Asia.”

The conference, scheduled for November 22-23, 2023, will take place at the Malla Hotel in Lainchaur, Kathmandu.

Since the promulgation of Nepal’s new constitution in 2015, federalism has been a central constitutional political issue in the country. Its practical application began with the first general elections held in 2017.

According to Professor Bipin Adhikari, the convener of the Conference, the decision to organize this conference stems from the pressing need to address the challenges arising from the implementation of federalism over the past seven years.

Distinguished national and international experts and practitioners will actively participate in the conference, focusing on three pivotal themes: intergovernmental coordination and cooperation in federal systems, equitable distribution of fiscal and state resources, and inclusion in decentralized governance.

The School of Law, established in 2013, has been committed to providing high-quality interdisciplinary legal education in Nepal. As the conference convenes, it aims to critically examine Nepal’s federal arrangements outlined in the 2015 Constitution, identify implementation challenges, and propose viable solutions.

The government has introduced a Social Media Management Guidelines 2080. The Council of Ministers passed the set of rules on Thursday, citing misleading contents posted on social networks like Facebook, X (previously Twitter), Tik Tok, YouTube and Instagram.

The 19-point directive has made it mandatory for registration of social media networks operating in Nepal and also outlined what social media users should not do.

Social media users should not create an anonymous or pseudonymous identity (fake ID); they should not generate and share content through anonymous or fake ID or share content of others or comment on the materials, the directive states.

The users should not spread hatred targeting any community, caste, gender, religion, age, caste, class, occupation, sect, marital status, family status, physical and mental condition, origin, sexual minority, language and other groups or categories protected by the law. Apart from trolling, the directive has also banned the publication/broadcast and sharing of texts, audiovisuals and images that upset social harmony.

The ban covers the use of offensive words, audiovisuals, images, hateful expressions, swearing and hate speech, including sounds, words, pictures and videos.

Posting, sharing or commenting on a topic that can spread violence at individual, group or community level affecting social harmony goes against the guidelines. 

It also covers activities that promote child labor, human trafficking, polygamy and child marriage, apart from the publication of a person’s distorted image, publication/broadcast of photos and videos of private affairs as well as broadcast/publication of obscene words, pictures, videos and audio animations along with comments on such materials.

Promotion of content harmful to children goes against the ban that covers activities such as child sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, prostitution, publication or transmission of false, misleading information and falsification of information and cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullying should be understood as actions such as discouraging, threatening, harassing, insulting or spreading false information through the use of technology, per the directive. It has also banned drug use and sales, gambling as well as publication or broadcast of contents related to terrorism through social media.

The banned activities also include hacking someone's ID and information, using social media for phishing/faking, posting or sharing obscene photos/videos without context, advertisement and sale of goods prohibited by prevailing laws and copying and sharing of activities deemed illegal.

Two persons were injured in a leopard attack in Bhaktapur on Friday.

The injured have been identified as Amrita Kandel (65) and Sangita Ale Magar (33) of Bhaktapur Municipality-3, DSP Basanta Pathak, Information Officer at the District Police Range, Bhaktapur, said.

They have been taken to the Madhyapur Hospital for treatment.

Pathak said that the duo were injured while trying to take the wild cat under control.