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A series of dialogue held between the government and the agitating teachers concluded in a nine-point agreement on Wednesday, thereby ending the 28-day-long Kathmandu centric agitation of the public school teachers. 

With this, the Nepal Teachers' Federation urged all agitating teachers to go back to the respective schools and begin academic session from Thursday.

Following the agreement between the government and the Teachers' Federation, Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Raghuji Pant, informed that all teachers and school employees would be provided discount during treatment at Civil Hospital, Kathmandu.

The teachers working in temporary category- relief quota, learning grant, technical stream, special education, among others- will be allowed sick leave reserves, which (remuneration) would be provided in lump sum upon retirement. 

The remuneration to the early child development facilitator and school employees will be provided as per government scheme, the grade system to the permanent teachers will be aligned with civil service's grade system.

Both permanent and temporary teachers of various categories will be provided remote allowance, and the teachers and employees at community schools will be linked to the Social Security Fund. The teachers will be included in the list of official hierarchical portfolio. Agreement was also made on managing grades of first class lower secondary and second class secondary school teachers. 

Moreover, the teachers, security persons, employees and journalists injured during the protest would be provided treatment for free of cost.

The agreement was endorsed by the meeting of the Council of Ministers held on Wednesday itself. 

Minister Pant thanked teachers for the agreement that they would call off protest and return schools from Thursday.  He also thanked all others cooperating to this end.

Following the agreement, Chairman of the Teachers' Federation, Laxmi Kishor Subedi, also urged all agitating teachers to return respective schools and begin teaching learning and conduct exams. He thanked government, political parties, media persons and others for extending support to the teacher's demands.

He reiterated on timely enforcement of the agreement. 

The new education bill will be passed by the federal Parliament before mid June as per agreement. The agreement relating to the new bill was also signed by the chief whips of the major political parties and the Parliament committee on education, health and IT.

Earlier, the teachers gathered in thousands from across the country consistently demonstrated in the New Baneshwor to Babarmahal section of the Kathmandu Valley, posing various demands including the introduction of a new National School Education Act.

The teachers who even adopted various artistic ways of posing demands and criticizing sheer delay in government's proper response to them clashed with security forces, causing injuries in the ultimate days.

The talks between the government and the agitating teachers ended on a positive note on Monday night.

The meeting was held at the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Singh Durbar.

Minister for Education Raghuji Pant led the government side while Laxmi Kishor Subedi led the agitating teachers during the conversation. 

Minister Pant remarked that the talks were positive. However, some issues are yet to be sorted out, he said.

The government is for holding the Grade 12 exam in the slated time, so it was serious to conclude the dialogue, he added, claiming that the teachers were also positive to this end.

Subedi said that they dwelt on various issues during the talks. Their agitation would be over only after the conclusion of dialogue, he stressed.

Meanwhile, government spokesperson and Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Prithvi Subba Gurung, informed that teachers' demands would be addressed in a day or two.

The teachers gathered from across the country have been staging protests in Kathmandu for over three weeks with various demands, including promulgation of school School Education Bill. 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has invited agitating teachers, who have been staging protests in Kathmandu for the past 20 days demanding endorsement of the School Education Bill, for talks.

He called on the teachers for a dialogue while inaugurating the 11th National Conference of the Progressive Professors' Organization, Nepal in Kirtipur today

Saying that the present government is democratic and not oppressive, the Prime Minister said that the legitimate demands of the teachers would be addressed.

"The School Education Bill is under consideration in a  parliamentary committee. So, the teachers do not have to hit the streets to get the Bill addressed,” PM Oli said, adding, “The school enrollment campaign has already begun. So, please go to the school and carry out a student enrollment campaign.  Check the answer sheets of SEE.” 

Stating that the students and parents have suffered a lot due to the teachers' movement and it was also not benefiting the teachers as well, he invited  the disgruntled teachers for talks. 

"This is also not the right time for you to agitate when regressive elements are on the rise,” PM Oli cautioned.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has urged the government to promptly address the demands of agitating teachers through dialogue. 

The human rights watchdog body has urged the government to resolve the problems seen in sensitive sectors like education through dialogue and enable the environment to resume classes. 

In a press release issued today, NHRC Spokesperson Dr Tikaram Pokharel said, "The Commission has urged the Government of Nepal to formulate the laws related to school education timely after holding adequate discussions and consultations with the concerned parties and to implement the agreements signed by the Government of Nepal in the past with the teachers". 

The Commission has said that the ongoing agitation by the Federation of Nepal Teachers in Kathmandu for the last 13 days demanding that the government immediately enact the School Education Act,  make the education policy productive and implement the agreement signed with the Government of Nepal in the past has affected the right of children to education. 

The Commission is carrying out on-site monitoring of the teachers' movement. "If the agitation continues, the results of SEE, Grade 12 examinations and the admission campaign of children will also be affected", the NHRC said.

Crowds of protesters have amassed in cities across the US to denounce President Trump, in the largest nationwide show of opposition since the president took office in January, BBC reported.

The "Hands Off" protest planners aimed to hold rallies in 1,200 locations, including in all 50 US states. Thousands of people turned out in Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and Washington DC, among other cities, on Saturday. 

Protesters cited grievances with Trump's agenda ranging from social to economic issues. 

Coming days after Trump's announcement that the US would impose import tariffs on most countries around the world, gatherings were also held outside the US, including in London, Paris and Berlin, according to BBC.

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City employees have staged a protest on Thursday.

They staged the protest demanding that KMC Chief Administrative Officer Saroj Guragain be allowed to enter the office.

A large number of city police has been deployed to stop Chief Administrative Guragain from entering the office.

Guragain is under suspension. The metropolis relieved Guragain of his duty after he was found proceeding with the process of approving the map of Kathmandu Tower in the Old Bus Park in an illegal way.

The metropolis has been demanding the federal government to appoint a new chief administrative officer after Guragain was removed from his position.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City Mayor Balen Shah has been writing statuses on social media demanding that a new chief administrative officer be appointed at the earliest.

The agitated employees have warned that the metropolis will not function just by the statuses of Mayor Shah.

Metropolis employee Nara Bahadur Saud accused Mayor Shah of writing on social media instead of taking initiatives to resolve the problems of employees.

The employees have claimed that the ward chairpersons, members and Deputy Mayor are on their side.

They said that the salaries will be released if the chief administrative officer is allowed to enter the office today itself.

The employees are of the opinion that they are compelled to stage the protest after not receiving the salaries for a long time.

The work at the metropolis has come to a standstill after the suspension of the chief administrative officer.

In the wake of violent protests organized by pro-monarchy forces in Kathmandu on March 28, politicians and security experts have raised serious concerns over the government’s handling of the demonstrations. Critical lapses in intelligence and security preparedness allowed chaos to spiral out of control.

Security officials revealed that agencies failed to detect or act on the plans of Durga Prasai, the protest’s designated leader. Prasai reportedly used incendiary language, framing the event as a “people’s revolt” rather than a peaceful rally. Experts argue that his rhetoric was deliberately provocative, even suggesting the Nepal Army might intervene—a claim that heightened tensions ahead of the protest.

Lawmaker Raj Kishor Yadav, chair of Parliament’s International Relations and Tourism Committee, criticized the glaring lack of preparations. “Despite knowing about the protests days in advance, key installations in the Tinkune area—including airports, petrol pumps, and media houses—were left unsecured,” Yadav noted.

The administration’s decision to permit two large-scale protests on the same day further strained security forces. Authorities were reportedly preoccupied with preventing potential clashes between republican and pro-monarchy supporters, diverting attention from preventing vandalism and property damage. Yadav argued that a single protest might have led to a less severe outcome.

Another point of contention was the police’s inaction when Prasai was seen recklessly driving from Tinkune to Baneshwor. Security experts criticized the decision not to immobilize his vehicle—such as by deflating its tires—instead of resorting to a risky attempt to snatch the keys from a moving car. Many believe this hesitation endangered both law enforcement and the public.

Former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, chairman of CPN (Unified Socialist), questioned whether police ignored directives after protesters vandalized the party office in Aalok Nagar. “Did police disobey your instructions?” he pressed Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak, highlighting concerns over accountability. Party leaders claim they had warned police of a potential attack on their party office that morning—yet no preventive measures were taken. Further scrutiny arose over Prasai’s delayed arrest. Despite remaining in the Kathmandu Valley late into the night, he was not apprehended, with police now claiming ignorance of his whereabouts.

Behind these operational failures lies a long-standing issue of resource shortages. Both Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force have repeatedly cited inadequate funding and outdated equipment. For over a decade, requests for modern weapons, vehicles, and logistical support have gone unaddressed by the Home Ministry, severely hampering their ability to manage large-scale unrest.

Last year, Nepal Police explicitly warned the Home Ministry of their inability to control riots due to logistical deficiencies. Home Minister Lekhak too was informed but took no action. “The failure to procure weapons for over a decade has crippled our operations,” a senior officer stated. As the country reflects on the events of March 28, urgent questions remain about security agencies’ decision-making and the systemic failures that enabled the chaos. A thorough review of security protocols, resource allocation, and inter-agency coordination is now imperative to prevent future breakdowns.

CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, has demanded the government to investigate the violent incidents that occurred at Tinkune area, Kathmandu and bring to book the culprits.

Chair Dahal said so  after inspecting the office of the CPN (Unified Socialist) which was also vandalized by the protestors on Friday.

Talking briefly to the media, he said the government also needs to seriously review the lapses in security arrangement.

The Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce (FNCCI) and the Federation of Nepali Industry and Entrepreneurship have condemned the violent incidents perpetrated at Tinkune on Friday, and demanded proper compensation for the damages caused.

Releasing separate press statements, both business entities demanded stringent action against those involved in the violence. Although everyone has the right to organize and participate in peaceful demonstrations with demands, they must not violate the rights of citizens and industrialists to carry on their business. 

The business entities said their attention was drawn seriously towards the attack on private and public property, looting and arson.

 "The loot, arson and attack on private property and loss of human life are condemnable," the FNCCI wrote. 

Similarly, another Federation appealed to all sides concerned to create a free and fair atmosphere to run business. The criminal activities orchestrated at Tinkune and Koteshwor area on Friday are deplorable, it added. 

The business entities must not be damaged and nor the industrialists attacked, they said, reminding that such activities dent the national economy. 

Both of them demanded the government that it took stringent action against those involved in the crime. Similarly, the Federation urged all industrialists and entrepreneurs to stand together for protect and strengthen the republic.

A person died and 30 others injured in a clash between pro-monarchy protesters and police personnel on Friday.

Organizing a press conference this evening, the Home Ministry said that 15 protesters and 15 security personnel were injured the clash.

The deceased has been identified as Sabin Sharma (29).

Sharma, who was injured in the clash breathed his last during the course of treatment, the Home Ministry informed.

Media Action Nepal has condemned the recent attacks on media houses, including the stone-pelting incident at the Kantipur Television and Annapurna Post offices this afternoon (March 28). The targeted attacks on the offices of these media houses, which serve as the cornerstone of independent journalism in Nepal, represent a grave assault on the freedom of the press.

On Friday (March 28), demonstrators, allegedly associated with royalist groups, resorted to violence by throwing stones at the Kantipur Television office in Tinukne area of Kathmandu, damaging the windows and creating an environment of fear and intimidation. Similarly, the Annapurna Post office in Tinkune was also attacked with stones, disrupting its operations and putting the safety of journalists and staff at risk.

“These acts of attacks are unacceptable and reflect a serious threat to the media’s ability to operate freely,” said Laxman Datt Pant, Executive Director of Media Action Nepal. Pant called for those responsible for damaging media property to be held accountable under the law. He also urged all political groups and demonstrators to respect journalists’ rights and refrain from any acts of violence or intimidation that disrupt the media’s ability to operate freely.

Today's meeting of the National Assembly could not enter the business due to protest from the opposition parties.

Soon after the Upper House of the Federal Parliament meeting began, lawmakers of the opposition parties protested by standing up from their respective seats.

Dr Beduram Bhusal of CPN (Unified Socialist) said the government should furnish the reasons why Managing Director of Nepal Electricity Authority, Kul Man Ghising, was dismissed from the post. 

"The dismissal is a Cabinet decision. As per the Article 76, the Prime Minister should be accountable to the federal Parliament. So, the Prime Minister should respond to the House", he argued.

Saying that the attention of the NA was drawn towards the issue, NA Chairperson Narayan Prasad Dahal urged lawmakers not obstruct today's business. "Attention of the NA was drawn to it. But we have to pass the bills brought to replace ordinances soon," he argued.

Similarly, Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party leader at NA, Krishna Prasad Sitaula, requested the opposition parties to help run the meeting because the obstruction would hinder the passage of the replacement bills. Sitaula also reminded the constitutional provision as per which replacement bill should be passed within 60 days of the approval of ordinances.

The NA meeting was postponed for an hour.

Tens of thousands of protesters have taken part in demonstrations across Turkey after the main rival to the country's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was formally arrested and charged with corruption, BBC reported.

Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was scheduled to be chosen in a vote on Sunday as the Republican People's Party's (CHP) 2028 presidential candidate.

The nation witnessed the greatest rioting in over a decade on Sunday night, with protestors being shot at with rubber bullets and tear gas in response to his arrest, according to BBC.

The accusations made against him, according to Imamoglu, are driven by politics. "I will never bow," he posted on X prior to being placed under arrest on remand.

Supplies of petroleum products in the Kathmandu Valley have been hampered due to the protest of the Nepal Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association.

The Association has launched a strike, putting forth a seven-point demand.

According to Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) Executive Director Dr Chandika Prasad Bhatta, they are in touch with the agitating side and a conclusion is expected by tonight.  The dialogue between the two sides has been scheduled today at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, it has been learnt.  

The Association said that tanker drivers have been denied the required facilities for a long time and their frequent calls towards that end have remained unaddressed, forcing them to launch the strike. 

Appointment letters as ensured by the Labor Act, remunerations as fixed by the government, risk allowance, safety alert training every three months, and their involvement in the social security fund are among the demands put forth by the Association.

The Association said that it had on June 11, sent its appeal to the NOC, warning of the protest programs if the demands were not addressed by the next few days.

However, the Essential Commodities Control (Authorization) Act, 2017 (1961), has identified petroleum products as essential commodities, prohibiting the obstruction of their supplies meant for general use.

Loan shark and microfinance victims staged a protest outside the Baluwatar-based Nepal Rastra Bank on Wednesday.

They, who arrived in Kathmandu from various places of the country, marched from Siphal to Baluwatar putting forth various demands this afternoon.

During the protest, they demanded that cooperatives and microfinance institutions be scrapped.

The struggle committee put forth nine-point demands that include exempting loans, developing socialist economy, removing them from blacklist and releasing their collaterals and providing free loans to poor farmers among others.

The microfinance victims said that the state should address their demands and would not return home until the issue is resolved.

The victims complained that their demands have not been addressed yet despite the government’s repeated assurances.  

Earlier this morning, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal called the cooperatives and microfinance victims to Baluwatar and said that the government has been taking initiatives to resolve the problems.

Depositors have been unable to withdraw Rs 1.57bn parked in various savings and cooperatives declared as ‘troubled’ by the government. The hard-earned savings of 5,381 people are stuck in these cooperatives.

A report prepared by the Troubled Cooperatives Management Committee states that people have made claims for their savings amounting to a combined Rs 1.57bn. Speaking at the Agriculture and Cooperatives Committee of the House of Representatives, Kashi Raj Dahal, chairman of the Troubled Cooperatives Management Committee, said the government should return their savings to the depositors by selling off assets of the cooperatives. The government formed the committee for the management of troubled cooperatives on April 19 last year after people victimized by the cooperatives launched a protest for 63 days. The committee submitted its report to the government on October 9.

According to the report, over 80 percent of 31,373 cooperatives are under the supervision of local units, 19.5 percent under the provincial government, and 145 under the federal government. Out of the 15 troubled cooperatives, 4,249 depositors have parked Rs 3.19bn in Oriental Saving and Credit Cooperatives alone. Of them, only 519 depositors with savings less than Rs 100,000 have got their money back.

According to the report, the committee has managed to bring down the total liability of the suspended chairperson of the cooperatives, Sudhir Basnet, by Rs 880m. Efforts were underway to search and auction off fixed and liquid assets of board directors and borrowers of the company to pay off the depositors, Dahal added.

Investigations into three other troubled cooperatives—Consumer, Kohinoor, and Vegas—were going on together with Oriental, according to the committee. The report states that Standard Saving and Credit Cooperatives has returned only Rs 29.7m of 81 depositors out of Rs 110m deposits of 175 individuals. Dahal said preparations were underway to auction the assets of promoters and borrowers of the cooperative.

Similarly, the committee has managed to return Rs 360m out of Rs 480m claimed by 352 depositors of Pacific Saving and Credit Cooperatives. The committee is in the process of auctioning off assets of the promoters to return the savings of the remaining depositors. The committee has become successful in returning Rs 55.56m out of Rs 108.75m parked by depositors in Societal Saving and Credit Cooperatives. The committee has provided 13 katthas of land under the ownership of the cooperative to some depositors to settle their transactions. The cooperative still owes Rs 44m to the depositors.

According to Dahal, the committee has managed to return only Rs 3.3m out of Rs 130.2m of 138 individuals parked in Prabhu Saving and Credit Cooperatives. Similarly, Rs 60m out of Rs 117.4m claimed by 214 depositors of Lunibha Savings and Credit Cooperatives have been returned so far. The committee told the House panel that all the assets of Pashupati Saving and Credit Cooperatives have been seized and are being auctioned off to return the money of depositors. A total of 984 depositors have filed applications for the return of their deposits worth Rs 987.5m, according to the committee.

According to Dahal, Shiva Shikhar Saving and Credit Cooperatives have not been able to return deposits worth Rs 6.27bn of 16,365 depositors. The committee has seized documents from 36 branch offices of the cooperatives and sealed them. Likewise, all the branch offices of Tulsi Multipurpose Cooperative have been sealed. Depositors have filed applications for the return of their savings worth Rs 1.57bn parked in the cooperative.

Out of 15 cooperatives under the supervision of the federal government, depositors of three have managed to get all their money back. Depositors of Chartered, Standard Multipurpose, and Kuber have been paid Rs 8.4m, Rs 7.5m, and Rs 5.7m, respectively, according to Dahal.

“There are many problems in regulating cooperatives which have not received the attention of the state,” Dahal said. “There is a lack of resources and manpower. Most of the assets of promoters of cooperatives are already frozen as they have mortgaged them to secure bank loans.” According to Dahal, since the court has decided in favor of the cooperative promoters in many cases, it isn't clear how long depositors will have to wait to get their savings back.