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Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has expressed the commitment to probe and bring the micro-finance financial institutions that are carrying out works in contravention to the prevailing laws and directives issued by the Nepal Rastra Bank under the purview of action. 

Responding to the queries by lawmakers in the meeting of the House of Representatives today, he said the extra fees stipulated by the micro-finances are being returned to the account holders concerned.

"The directive to return the service charge more than the stipulated amount and deposit that in the account of the borrower is being implemented. A separate desk has been set up at the Micro-finance Institutions Supervision Department to hear and address the complaints," PM Dahal reiterated.

He added that an agreement has been reached by holding talks between the government, industrialists- businessmen and farmers organizations concerned to pay within April 3 the dairy farmers their remaining dues as of January 14, 2024, and to continue the remaining regular payments. 

The PM informed that the Lumbini Development Trust (LDT) Executive Committee has already implemented the directive related to the leasing of land at Ramgram of Kapilvastu, which was issued by the House of Representatives, Public Account Committee.

He also stated that the draft of the law for forming a second order regulatory body for the regulation of financial cooperative institutions is in final stages of making.

No-objection Certificate mandatory for traveling to Russia

Meanwhile, the PM said the Russian government has already been informed that recruitment of Nepali citizens in the Russian Army is illegal, and that 'No-objection Certificate' has been made mandatory for those traveling to Russia.

Responding to the lawmakers' questions in the HoR, he made it clear that diplomatic efforts have been stepped up asking Russia not to recruit the Nepali citizens in the Russian Army and to send those already recruited to Nepal.

The Prime Minister also informed the House that talks are on with the officials of the countries concerned in connection with repatriation of the bodies of Nepali citizens recruited in the Russian Army and killed in the conflict, providing compensation to the families of those killed and the injured ones, and bringing home the Nepali citizens held hostage by the Ukrainian Army.

"Lately the Russian government has agreed to provide, through the Consular Service Department, the compensation and insurance amount to the victims' families, depositing the amount in the bank account of the Nepali Embassy. The No-objection Certificate has been made mandatory to those Nepali citizens if they have to travel to Russia. However, it does not apply in the case of those studying in higher education on scholarship and those doing business and professions there," the PM explained.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal expanded his Cabinet on Wednesday.

The newly appointed ministers take the oath of office and secrecy amidst a function at Sheetal Niwas as per Article 80 of the Constitution, the President’s Office said.

President Ram Chandra Paudel, Vice-President Ram Sahaya Yadav, Prime Minister Dahal and Speaker Devraj Ghimire among others were present in the swearing in ceremony.

The CPN-UML got eight ministries in the Dahal-led government.

Raghubir Mahaseth has been appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Padam Giri as Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Hari Upreti as Minister for Defense, Bhagwati Chaudhary as Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens, Rajendra Rai as Minister for Drinking Water, Damodar Bhandari as Minister for Commerce and Supplies, Jwala Kumari Sah as Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development and Balram Adhikari as Minister for Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation.

Similarly, the CPN (Maoist Center) got six ministries including the Prime Minister.

Narayan Kaji Shrestha has been appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs, Barsha Man Pun as Minister for Finance, Rekha Sharma as Minister Communications and Information Technology, Shakti Bahadur Basnet as Minister for Energy, Water Resource and Irrigation and Hit Bahadur Tamang as Minister for Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.

Likewise, the Rastriya Swatantra Party got the responsibility of four ministries including Home.

President Rabi Lamichhane has been appointed as Minister for Home, Vice-President DP Aryal as Minister for Labor, Employment and Social Security, Sumana Shrestha as Minister for Education, Science and Technology and Biraj Bhakta Shrestha as Minister for Youth and Sports.

Bhanu Bhakta Joshi has been appointed as Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration and Dhan Bahadur Buda as Minister for Urban Development from the CPN (Unified Socialist).

The new power equation formed on Monday includes UML, Maoist Center, Rastriya Swatantra Party and Janata Samajbadi Party.

They were also trying to rope in other parties as well.

Padam Giri from UML, Hitman Tamang from Maoist Center and DP Aryal from Rastriya Swatantra Party had taken the oath of office and secrecy as ministers without portfolio on Monday.

Meanwhile, though Janata Samajbadi Party leader Mohammad Istiyak Rai supported the new ruling alliance, he said that it has not been decided whether to join the government or not.

Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba was fully confident that Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal would hand over the power to him in 2025. So he was treading cautiously to keep the current coalition intact, extra careful not to upset Dahal. 

In Deuba’s own words, he refused to meet the opposition leader, KP Sharma Oli of the CPN-UML, despite the latter’s repeated requests. He even turned down Oli’s premiership offer, because he didn’t want to betray Dahal’s CPN (Maoist Center). But little did Deuba know that Oli’s UML had also been making overtures to Prime Minister Dahal to break the Maoist-NC coalition and form a left alliance. 

While it is true that the relationship between Dahal and Deuba was fraught with disagreements and misunderstandings, Deuba never thought they were serious enough to break the alliance.
According to NC leaders, the current situation resonates with the incident of 2017 when the Maoist party while being in the NC-led government forged an electoral alliance with the UML. Consequently, the NC faced a historic drubbing in the general elections, while the Maoists and UML went on to unify to become the largest communist party that the country had ever seen. The unified communist party, however, split to their old forms following a power tussle between Dahal and Oli.  

Now the two communist parties are together again and the Nepali Congress, which emerged as the largest political party through the 2022 parliamentary elections, has been relegated to the opposition’s role. Deuba’s party has also been stripped of power in the provinces. The NC has been in this same situation before. Soon after the 2022 general elections, the NC had taken a firm stance of forming a government under its leadership. This led the Maoists to switch sides and make an alliance with the UML to form a government. But once again, there was a power tussle between Dahal and Oli, and the Maoist-UML coalition fell through. 

The NC returned to power after agreeing to Dahal’s condition that he should be allowed to lead the government for two years. As per the agreement, Deuba would lead the coalition government for the final two years of the five-year term, and Madhav Kumar Nepal of the CPN (Unified Socialist) would helm the government for one year after the end of Dahal’s term.  

With everything that had occurred between the Maoists and UML, with all the bad blood between Dahal and Oli, there was no reason for Deuba to suspect that something was amiss. How wrong was he! 

In Monday’s office-bearers meeting, Deuba called Dahal a betrayer for secretly aligning with the UML without any solid reason. While Deuba and his supporters have taken it as a major loss to the NC, leaders like Shekhar Koirala and Gagan Thapa are of the view that it will be beneficial to the party in the long-run. 

Koirala said break-up and formation of alliances is a normal affair in politics, even though Prime Minister Dahal abandoned the NC in an abrupt and abnormal manner. 

He added that the NC should be careful about forging such an alliance in the future.

For a long time, Koirala was against the NC-Maoist alliance. The party’s general secretary duo Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma also held contradictory views regarding the alliance with the Maoist party. Even though the Nepali Congress leader Ram Chandra Poudel was elected the President with the support of the Maoists, Thapa, Sharma, Koirala and other NC leaders were concerned that the alliance with the Maoist party was compromising the party’s ideology and eroding the support base. 

In the recently concluded Mahasamiti meeting of the NC, Thapa and his team took a firm position that the party should make an official stance that it will not forge any electoral alliance in the next general elections. So the party endorsed the proposal to not form a pre-poll alliance while also committing to give continuity to the NC-Maoist coalition until the next elections. 

It was a reason enough for Prime Minister Dahal to sever ties with the NC. Dahal was also unhappy with the performance of the NC ministers. Some leaders say the prime minister was also being pressured by the NC not to investigate high-profile corruption scandals involving politicians and businesspersons.

The NC was allegedly putting pressure on Prime Minister Dahal to remove Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, claiming that Shrestha was targeting NC leaders by opening investigations into past corruption cases. 
The NC is currently discussing their future course of action. So far it is not clear whether the party will remain in opposition and prepare for the 2027 general elections, or start making efforts to dismantle the Maoist-UML coalition all over again. 

Youth leaders of the party are of the view that the party should remain in the opposition and focus on party building, but the decision rests upon Deuba, who holds a major sway in the party. Koirala said the NC should learn a lesson from this episode, but it is really Deuba who should.  

In a dramatic turn of events, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has ditched his key coalition partner, Nepali Congress, to form a new alliance with the main opposition, CPN-UML. According to Maoist leaders, though the breakdown in the alliance seems sudden, there was a series of misunderstandings with the NC that led to the decision.

One of the primary reasons, they say, is the recently held Mahasamiti meeting of the NC where the party’s general secretary, Gagan Kumar Thapa, and scores of other leaders passed a proposal stating that the NC will not forge any pre-poll alliance. It was a clear reference to the potential partnership with the Maoist party, whose political ideology is diametrically opposite with that of the NC. Similarly, a political document presented by NC Vice-president Purna Bahadur Khadka at the Mahasamiti meeting had portrayed the Maoist insurgency in a negative light which miffed PM Dahal. 

One senior Maoist leader said considering the constant friction encountered with the Nepali Congress, Prime Minister Dahal reached the conclusion that the alliance cannot sustain for long and started working to revive the alliance with the UML. Besides the UML, Rastriya Swatantra Party and Janata Samajbadi Party have also agreed to enter the new alliance.     

The senior Maoist leader said that Prime Minister Dahal was in favor of continuing the Maoist-NC coalition as long as the NC was willing to forge an electoral alliance in the next general elections. While NC President Sher Bahadur Deuba seemed somewhat lenient regarding the Maoist’s condition, the NC second-rung leaders were averse to joining forces with the Maoist party ahead of the next elections.

Inside the Maoists too, many leaders were raising their voice for reviving the left alliance. 

NC leader and Foreign Minister Narayan Prakash Saud said while there were some disagreements with the Maoists, including the decision taken by the Mahasamiti meeting and the issue of Cabinet reshuffle, the NC had not anticipated that Prime Minister Dahal would go on to dissolve the coalition.

Another bone of contention between the Maoist party and NC was picking the National Assembly (NA) chairperson candidate. When the elections for 19 NA seats were held in January, the two parties had agreed to field NC’s Krishna Prasad Sitaula as one of their common candidates from Koshi province. The plan was to make Sitaula an NA member and then field him again as the NA chairperson candidate to replace the incumbent Ganesh Prasad Timilsina of the UML, whose term ends this month.    

Sitaula was elected to the NA with the Maoists backing, but the candidates from the Maoist party did not win the election. Dahal’s party later concluded that the NC did not vote for the Maoist candidates. Shortly after the NA election results, Maoist leaders including Barsha Man Pun publicly announced that the party would review its alliance with the NC. The Mahasamiti meeting of the NC further reinforced the Maoist suspicion that the alliance was unfruitful.

In the government, meanwhile, there was a continuous tussle between Prime Minister Dahal and the ministers from the Congress party, particularly Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat. For a long time, Dahal had been complaining that Mahat was bypassing him while taking key decisions. The prime minister was unhappy with Mahat as he failed to make any progress to recover the faltering economy of the country. Prime Minister Dahal wanted to replace Mahat, but Deuba was against it. Dahal was also not pleased with the way the NC was pressing him not to investigate the corruption cases where senior Congress leaders and businessmen were reportedly involved. 

While taking the decision to change the current coalition, Prime Minister Dahal has his own personal reasons. As the government was becoming unpopular for its failure to improve service delivery, tame corruption and bring the failing economy back on track, Dahal wanted to divert people’s attention by shifting the blame on an incompatible alliance. Also, with a new coalition in place, he buys himself some time and the reason to renew his vows of delivering good governance and progress.  

Since the first day in power, Prime Minister Dahal’s top priority was settling the transitional justice process. To this end, he has been continually seeking international support including the United Nations. Most importantly, he needed the support of the main opposition, UML, which was not forthcoming. It was obvious that the UML would support Dahal’s plan to conclude the transitional justice process only if he was willing to sever ties with the Congress.  With the UML’s support, Dahal wants to conclude the transitional justice process according to his own terms, although it is still not an easy task.

As the main opposition, the UML too was continuously working to break the Maoist-NC alliance. Although the UML leaders publicly said that the party was set on the mission of emerging as the majority party through the next general elections, the party had also set its sight on breaking the ruling alliance and coming back to power. Due to the NC-Maoist alliance, the UML was powerless both at the center and provinces.  Initially, the UML had even tried to forge an alliance with the NC and keep the Maoists and CPN (Unified Socialist) out of the equation, but the NC was not ready to entertain the idea. 

It is uncertain how long the latest coalition will last. But Dahal’s tenure is likely to be prolonged. According to leaders, Dahal and Oli will lead the government for an equal period. The two leaders have agreed to take this coalition until the next elections. But given Dahal’s track record, his propensity and history of flip-flopping between the UML and NC, one could argue that there could be more topsy-turvy political events before we reach the election season in 2027.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal formed a new Cabinet by inducting ministers from CPN-UML, CPN (Maoist Center) and Rastriya Swatantra Party.

Newly appointed ministers took the oath of office and secrecy on Monday.

President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to Padam Giri of UML, Hit Bahadur Tamang of Maoist Center and DP Aryal of the Rastriya Swatantra Party who were appointed as the ministers without portfolio.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that the initiative for a communist unity has been started.

In a meeting with the families of Sukhani Martyrs held on the last day of Martyrs' Week at the Prime Minister's residence this morning, he said, "we have high respect for the martyrs and starting today we have taken initiatives for a communist unity."

It may be noted that the then panchayat rulers had murdered Ramnath Dahal, Netra Ghimire, Biren Rajbanshi, Krishna Kuinkel and Narayan Shrestha in the Sukhani forest in Jhapa district on Falgun 21, 2029 BS.

Members of the Sukhani Martyrs' family Biseshwara Dahal, Jeevan Ghimire, Ravin Dahal, Buddha Ghimire and others participated in the meeting.

The CPN (Maoist Center) has been celebrating Martyrs' Week from Falgun 14 to 21 in the lunar calendar to link the communist movement and the people's war.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said good governance can be made meaningful only by delivering services through the 'paperless and faceless' system in the coming age.

Addressing the scientists' conference entitled 'AI for Prosperous Nepal, Employment for the Future', today he stressed on the need of giving priority to the use of technology for providing public services.

"The government will take the necessary initiatives that it needs to take from its side for the development of computer technology, robotic technology, data science, machine learning, internet of things and computational infrastructures," the PM said, adding that the government would move ahead coordinating the policy related to AI with the National Science and Technology and Innovation Policy, 2076 BS and the Digital Nepal Framework, 2019.

Stating that the government has pursued various studies and research works in the emerging technology sector, he said that the budget has been allocated for setting up the Science Technology Innovation Fund, attaching importance to the science and technology sector.

On the occasion, PM Dahal directed the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology for creating the opportunities of self-reliance in the technology sector. According to him, special importance would be given to science technology research and innovation in the policy and programmes, and the budget for the upcoming financial year. "This sector has been included with due importance in the proposed 16th Periodic Plan as well, " he added.

The Prime Minister expressed the belief that the government bodies will emphasise on developing projects increasing the role of AI from the next year alone for enhancing innovation and productivity, the PM's Private Secretariat stated.

He also made it clear that 'ChatBot' services and projects related to metadata analysis based on AI would be implemented with priority for the information of services provided by the government agencies.

Prime Minister Dahal expressed the confidence that the conference with the theme of 'AI for prosperous Nepal – employment for the future', jointly organized by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology and various stakeholders, will support in materializing the dream of building a prosperous Nepal.

It is time saving and multiple useful for innovation and productivity growth while carrying out the regular works done by people or the works taking long time and those works people cannot do through the use of AI, the Prime Minister asserted.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that preparations are going on to receive the report of the Eminent Persons Group (EPG) on Nepal-India relations.

In a meeting of the National Concern and Coordination Committee under the National Assembly held today, the PM said internal preparations are initiated to receive the report from both countries at a time.

The lawmakers had expressed their concerns on the EPG report against the backdrop of India's reluctance to receive the report.

Responding to the lawmakers' concerns, the PM said a situation could surface to decide on the part of Nepal if there was no condition to receive the EPG report at a time from both sides.

The EPG was formed by the governments of the two countries to review past agreements signed between the two countries.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has assured that the government was seriously working towards addressing the problems of usury, microfinance and cooperatives victims.

In today's meeting of the National Assembly's National Concern and Coordination Committee, PM Dahal asserted that the government was serious towards the issues of the usury victims and was effortful to form a high-powered commission and frame acts and legislations to iron out the problems.

The court was yet to issue a verdict on some cases related to usury, according to the PM. Towards this, he urged the court also to facilitate those cases considering the sensitivity of the issues and cases.

The Head of the Government said, "The problems have emanated on the legal part not on the part of the government. To resolve it, the court process should be completed. As the laws could be in favor of the perpetrators for the transactions based on the old papers and legal evidence (Tamsuk), the government and the court will work in tandem to resolve it according to the nature of the transaction."

The victims of these sectors are staging phase-wise protests in recent months.

On the occasion, the PM said talks were held with the concerned agencies and stakeholders today as well.

Responding to the lawmakers' concerns, the PM said the government was working in a planned fashion to expedite the development of Kathmandu-Tarai Madhes Expressway, advance construction of Sunkoshi Marin Diversion, take initiatives to resolve the issues of British Gurkhas, rescue the Nepali youths recruited illegally in Russian military service and table the Civil Servant Bill.

Concerned agencies are directed to formulate upcoming 16th periodic plan, government's policy and programmes, and prepare budget by giving priority to the Committee's directives, according to the PM.

During the meeting, Committee Chairperson Dil Kumari Rawal (Parbati) reminded the PM about the Committee's directives on intergovernmental relations, national heritage, human rights, foreign affairs, national pride projects, national security, constitutional commissions and others.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said the contribution of veteran singer and composer Bhakta Raj Acharya to the field of music will inspire and guide the country's music industry for long.

Dahal, who visited the Nepal Academy of Music and Drama today to pay his tributes to the late singer, emphasized the significant contribution of Acharya to the music industry.

He extended heartfelt condolences to the grieving family.

The mortal remains of the renowned singer have been placed at the Academy since 11 am today for individuals to pay their last tributes.

His last rites will be performed at the Pashupati Aryaghat today itself, it is said.

Kushma Mahara, the Academy's member-secretary, said that people from various walks of life, particularly those from the music field, have assembled at the Academy to pay tributes to the renowned singer, who passed away on Monday at the age of 82.

Acharya's two sons: Satyaraj and Swaroop Raj are also in the music industry.

Born in Dhankuta in 1999 BS, the late Acharya has made significant contributions to over 400 songs.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has pledged to take initiative to address issues pestering microfinance and cooperatives.

During his meeting with representatives of victims of muddled microfinance and cooperatives at Singha Durbar today, the Prime Minister assured addressing the problems.

Acknowledging the contribution of cooperatives and microfinances in connecting the rural people and the people from the indigent community with financial services, the Prime Minister said lately, the sectors were gripped with significant problems. "Some complications were contextual, while some were the consequences of professional dishonesty of members on the board of directors. The problems will be addressed gradually," he added.

He also insisted on collective efforts to sort out the situation.

During the discussions, the representatives thanked the government for its initiation so far to alleviate the situation.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that Nepal’s participation in UN peace operations has always remained an important component of its foreign policy, aimed at achieving and strengthening global peace and stability which has been well praised by the global society. "I feel extremely proud as I assert the fact that Nepal presently contributes the highest number of troops and police personnel in the United Nations Peacekeeping missions and has further pledged to deploy up to 10, 000 well-trained and equipped personnel for UN Peace operations on request of the United Nations", he said.

In his statement at the opening ceremony of exercise "Shanti Prayas IV" at a function held at Army Officer's Club in Bhadrakali this morning, he said Nepal contributes the highest number of women troops among all the UN member countries in its Peacekeeping missions. The government of Nepal will continue to give highest priority to the United Nations Peace Operations and continue to support the United Nations in its every endeavors, he assured.

Stating Nepal has and will always vehemently advocate for peace and equality in international forums, he said Nepal’s commitments are rooted in its desire for peace and harmony in the world and are expressed through her participation in international treaties and agreements that promote disarmament and peaceful resolution of conflicts. "This is further manifested through our participation in the UN peace operations, where our peacekeepers have distinctly demonstrated bravery, compassion, and selflessness in their noble mission to protect and restore hope in regions torn apart by conflict."

In the contemporary global landscape, peacekeepers face heightened and multiple threats due to the complex and multi-layered nature of conflicts, driven by various factors from ethnic tensions to terrorism among others, he said and noted that adapting to this changing scenario is a must as peacekeeping operations have evolved into complex politico-military-humanitarian efforts demanding a greater understanding and preparation on the part of peacekeepers. "It has thus become crucial to reassess how we deliver peace amid new complex challenges to maintain trust and legitimacy of the UN Peacekeeping."

The Prime Minister noted that the significance of peacekeeping cannot be overstated, as it requires a deep sense of humanity, a profound commitment, and a readiness to intervene to protect the vulnerable. Peacekeepers have been embodying these principles, and their efforts have made a profound impact, often in the face of great peril.

He said that the multinational exercise emphasizes and reminds us of the necessity to continually train, refine strategies, and build strong partnerships among nations for the successful conduct of peacekeeping operations.

Extending a warm welcome to all esteemed delegates and friends from friendly foreign countries gathered in Kathmandu, the Prime Minister also extended honor and paid tributes to the brave peacekeepers who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the pursuit of peace worldwide.

He also took the opportunity to admire the steadfast commitment and dedication of all peacekeepers, who despite facing formidable challenges, continue to serve with valor and compassion. "Their contributions and sacrifices have not only brought honor to their nations but have also played a crucial role in the pursuit of global peace and stability."

Prime Minister Dahal expressed gratitude to the Ministry of Defence, the Nepali Army for hosting the event, while also appreciating the support of the US Indo-Pacific Command - Global Peace Operations Initiative for co-sponsoring this significant event.

The onus of preparing credible peacekeepers lies on the contributing countries, thus apart from regular peacekeeping training; Nepal has been participating in and hosting similar kinds of multinational peacekeeping exercises in the past, the Prime Minister noted.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that the School Education Bill under consideration in the Federal Parliament will be endorsed with necessary amendments.

Speaking at a workshop on 'Nepal's Educational Movement and School Education Bill' organized by the Samajbadi Educational Forum here today, the Prime Minister said that the Bill will be further enriched with amendments.

Stating that the Bill was discussed with the ruling coalition partners and the opposition parties, Prime Minister Dahal said that the bill will be amended based on the amendment proposals registered in the Parliament. "Necessary amendments to the Bill will be made by including the feedback of teachers, trade unions, academicians, students' organizations, stakeholders and the parents," he said.

He also said the government is committed to implementing the agreements made by the state in the past with teachers' associations and other stakeholders.

The Prime Minister called for developing a positive narrative that it is possible to do something in the country, and thereby to prevent the brain drain, for which he emphasized on producing competitive and quality human resources.

Noting that the basis to achieve qualitative progress in the development of quality, competitive, innovation-oriented education should be developed, the Prime Minister said that emphasis has been placed on reward and punishment, along with meritocracy in order to bring about qualitative improvement in the educational sector. "Appointments will be made on the basis of meritocracy in academic institutions, including universities, and that reward and punishment will be enforced in the education sector.”

On the occasion, CPN (Unified Socialist) Vice President Rajendra Pandey said that the forum should focus its debate on socialism-oriented education.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that the immense potential brought about by the federal democratic system of governance should be realized into opportunities.

Speaking at the official ceremony held this morning to mark the National Democracy Day at Sainik Manch Tundikhel in Kathmandu, he emphasized the need to build a strong foundation for socialism while strengthening the federal democratic republic.

Nepal has to be upgraded from a least developed nation to a developing nation by 2030 and for this qualitative development in the gross domestic production is the responsibility of the state. "The traditional model of development will be reviewed to focus on manufacturing and job creation", the Prime Minister said, "Creating employment opportunities will prevent brain drain."

Stating that democracy is a system that builds the foundation for political, economic, social and cultural advancement along with people's participation, Prime Minister Dahal expressed his belief that the democratic system in which the people elect their own representatives will create a basis for progress and development of the nation.

'As the only alternative to democracy is progressive democracy, the solution to the limitations and weaknesses seen will be possible only within the system', Prime Minister Dahal said, "With the strengthening of the democratic republic, effective implementation of federalism and the active participation of citizens in the state management process, people's rights and livelihood can be strengthened along with a foundation of socialism."

The Prime Minister noted that continuous development and sustainability of democracy is possible only with people's sensitization and ownership. Public interest and welfare-based society can be built through rule of law, recognition and realization of human rights, gender equality, proportional inclusion, participation and social justice.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said the 'economic outflow' from Nepal-like countries of South Asia for higher education should be stopped.

Addressing the inauguration programme of the Association of Indian Universities (AIU) - North Zone Vice Chancellors' Meet 2024 & Bharat-Nepal Higher Education Summit today, he underscored on making efforts for retaining within the country itself a majority of the youths and the resources they have. 

"There is a huge outflow of money from countries like Nepal on higher education and this trend should now be reversed. We should create an environment conducive for those youths seeking opportunities globally," PM Dahal said, pointing out the need of re-evaluating the internationalization of higher education.

Stating the education sector is struggling against the challenges brought by global forces, the Prime Minister said the latest trend of students and intellectuals getting drawn to the universities of the North is seen as they have invested much resources in skill and education development.

"The balance of higher education is seen tilted towards the North.  Although the education system of the North has attracted international students due to the expensive budget, this situation cannot last long," PM Dahal further added.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said the rich intellectual heritage founded on native and indigenous knowledge systems of the South can help provide answers to the global problems today, be it the question of medicine, lifestyle or peace.

In his address to the Association of Indian Universities AIU-North Zone Vice-Chancellors’ Meet and the Bharat-Nepal Higher Education Summit, in Dhulikhel today, the Prime Minister made this remark.

In the meet themed "Globalization and internalization of higher education" and hosted by the Kathmandu University, he said, "We must do away with the south versus north divide purely based on economic parameters. Rather, we must think of ways to connect the south and north by finding common grounds."

 According to the Prime Minister and the University Chancellor, the gathering, therefore, has great significance to devise a higher education manifesto for the global south.

"I believe that this meet will be a starting point for harnessing our own resources to contribute to the global order, which is changing anyway. 

Kathmandu University is leading the way from Nepal in writing such a manifesto. In its 32-year history, Kathmandu University has served as a beacon in this endeavor, with its commendable efforts in internationalization and the expansion of academic programs, he added.