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Doctors and health workers have continued their protest by closing all services except emergency care across the country today.

Nepal Medical Association had decided to shut all services except emergency from Monday onwards.

The private hospitals and clinics along with public hospitals have expressed their solidarity for the Association’s protest. 

The umbrella organization of doctors launched the protest pressing for amendment to the provision of Consumer Protection Act, 2075, reads a statement issued by the Association.

It decided to continue the protest after the government did not take concrete efforts to address their demands so far.

The doctors and health workers have expressed reservation on the Consumer Court's decision of action on the cases of medical practices.

The Consumer Court has recently issued a verdict against some hospitals directing them to provide compensation, citing negligence of the hospitals and doctors in the treatment of patients.

NMA General Secretary Dr Sanjeev Tiwari said the medical profession is a highly sensitive and science-based service, which should not be evaluated like other professions.

He demanded such matters be handled by the Nepal Medical Council.

Similarly, the NMA urged doctors and health workers within Kathmandu Valley to participate in the sit-in staged at Maitighar Mandala and doctors and health workers out of the Valley at the places as determined and informed.

After the floods wreaked havoc in Rasuwa, an emergency meeting of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority Executive Committee is to be held at the Home Ministry at 1 pm today.

The Home Ministry has said that an emergency meeting of the Central Security Committee and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority Executive Committee has been called to discuss the damage caused by the floods in Rasuwa.

Police have said that 16 people have gone missing and nine have been rescued after floods hit Bhotekoshi in Rasuwa on Tuesday morning.

The floods also washed away the Miteri Bridge that links the Nepal-China border.

At least 16 people have gone missing after being swept away by the floods.

According to Assistant Chief District Office Dhruva Prasad Adhikari, the missing include three Nepali policemen, three drivers, six Nepali workers, a driver and four Chinese workers.

He said that nine people trapped in the yard of the Rasuwagadhi Customs Office have been rescued.

The floods have also damaged infrastructure including charging stations along the border, the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project, and also swept away cargo containers and electric vehicles at the customs yard.

With the floods sweeping away the Miteri Bridge at Rasuwagadhi, an international trade border with China, the road connecting Nepal with the northern neighbour has been disrupted.

The floods triggered by torrential rainfall washed away the bridge that came into operation in 2019 last night.

When the floods in 2020 damaged the bridge, it was repaired and brought back into operation.

The bridge, which was further damaged by the 2015 earthquake, was built by Tibet Engineering Company Limited's Tan Sun Road and Bridge with Chinese investment.

The bridge was constructed five meters northeast of where it was before after the trade increased.

The business, which was previously affected by landslides, has become even more uncertain after the flood washed away the bridge.

Arjun Poudel, Chief District Officer of Rasuwa, said that talks are also being held with the Consulate General in China and Chinese officials at the border on this issue.

“Right now, we are busy rescuing the people trapped in the floods. Nine people have been rescued so far. Search is also going on for the missing persons,” he said.

Meanwhile, three policemen, including an assistant sub inspector, who were deployed to rescue those trapped in the floods, have gone missing.

Those missing have been identified as Assistant Sub Inspector Lal Bahadur Shrestha, Police Constable Munna Thakur and Lokendra Bohora, according to the District Police Office, Rasuwa.

They were deployed from the Area Police Office, Timure to rescue the people trapped in the floods.

Police said that 18 people including six Chinese nationals have gone missing in the floods.

Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force personnel have been deployed to search for the missing persons.

According to the list available from the Armed Police Force, the missing Chinese nationals have been identified as Yu Yue, Li Huaqing, Yang Chuan, Yu Hai Hang, You Xiao Qiu and Jou Yong.

Police identified the other missing persons as  Zipan Chaudhary, Santosh Dayat, Buddhiram Tharu, Laxmi Narayan Tharu, Suresh Tharu, Narendra BK of Baglung, container driver Phurba Lama, mixer driver Govinda Moktan, and Hilux driver Lokman Tamang.

Similarly, the floods also damaged the dry port being built near the Rasuwagadhi border crossing. The workers working there are also out of contact.

Assistant Chief District Office Dhruva Prasad Adhikari said that 18 have been reported missing.

The floods have also caused damage to the charging stations and the Rasuwagadhi Hydropower Project on the border.

Cargo containers and electric vehicles were also swept away by the floods.

Beyond the Himalayas, a quiet but powerful revolution is taking shape. Nepal, a nation long defined by agriculture and tourism, is on the brink of a technological disruption that is poised to redefine its economic future.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced tech are no longer distant concepts but immediate, powerful tools set to overhaul the country’s core industries. The opportunities are not merely incremental; they represent a potential leapfrog moment with the capacity to unlock billions in new revenue streams— from IT outsourcing to revolutionizing the farm sector and reimagining the tourism industry.

The most immediate and quantifiable disruption is happening in Nepal’s burgeoning IT outsourcing sector. While the global IT outsourcing market is projected to surge from $651.54bn in 2024 to an astounding $850.73bn by 2029, Nepal is rapidly carving out its own niche. The country’s IT service exports were officially valued at $515m in 2022, marking a staggering 64.2 percent growth from the previous year. However, this figure only hints at the true scale of the boom. In the first seven months of the 2024/25 fiscal year, official records show IT exports at Rs 12.41bn (about $92m), yet industry entrepreneurs insist the real annual figure is closer to a whopping $1bn. This massive discrepancy highlights a thriving, partially untracked digital economy fueled by a young, English-speaking talent pool and significantly lower operational costs, with developer salaries averaging around $10,000 annually.

AI is the catalyst transforming this sector from a traditional Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) hub into a center for high-value, specialized services. By automating repetitive tasks like data entry and basic customer care, AI is freeing up Nepal’s tech workforce to focus on complex, in-demand fields like data analytics, machine learning engineering, and cybersecurity. This shift allows Nepali firms to move up the value chain, enhancing their global competitiveness and positioning them as ideal partners for international collaboration. The opportunity is immense. Nepal can formalize these untracked earnings and build a multi-billion-dollar industry that rivals traditional exports.

Simultaneously, AI is poised to bring a much-needed revolution to agriculture, the backbone of Nepal’s economy, which employs over 60 percent of the population but has long been hampered by traditional methods and low productivity. The disruption here is foundational. AI-powered precision farming, using drones and sensors for real-time crop monitoring, pest detection, and soil analysis, can optimize the use of water and fertilizer, drastically improving efficiency. Predictive analytics, fueled by AI, can analyze weather patterns and market trends, empowering farmers with the foresight to select the right crops and planting times, mitigating risks from climate unpredictability. 

Start-ups like GeoKrishi are already building integrated, data-driven platforms to bring these tools to smallholder farmers. Furthermore, technology like blockchain is creating transparent supply chains through initiatives like AgriClear, building consumer trust and ensuring farmers receive fair prices by connecting them directly to markets. This is not just about marginal improvements; it’s about transforming a sector that accounts for a quarter of the nation’s GDP, boosting food security, and creating a new generation of tech-savvy agricultural jobs.  

Tourism, the third pillar of Nepal’s economy, is also ripe for an AI-driven reinvention. The opportunity lies in moving beyond conventional tourism to offer hyper-personalized, safer, and more efficient travel experiences.

AI-powered platforms can act as personal travel planners, crafting bespoke itineraries tailored to each visitor’s unique preferences. This technology can also revolutionize safety and sustainability—critical concerns in a country known for adventure tourism. AI models can provide early warnings for natural disasters like floods and earthquakes. Innovative start-ups like Airlift Technology are already deploying drones to clean up waste from Sagarmatha, tackling a major environmental challenge. 

This creates a powerful new narrative for Nepal as a “smart” and responsible destination. The disruption extends to creating entirely new markets, such as AI-enabled health tourism, which would merge world-class medical care with Nepal’s unique wellness traditions. By enhancing every facet of the visitor journey, AI presents an opportunity to significantly increase tourism revenue and solidify Nepal’s standing on the world stage.  

Nepal stands at a pivotal moment. The convergence of AI and technology offers more than just modernization; it presents a strategic opportunity to disrupt legacy systems and build a resilient, diversified, and globally competitive economy. The potential is measured not only in the billions of dollars waiting to be unlocked in IT, agriculture, and tourism, but in the creation of new industries and high-skilled jobs that could define the nation's prosperity for generations to come.