- Friday, 29 August 2025
Nawalpur (Nawalparasi), Aug 26: A female rhino has died after sinking in the swamp at Kawasoti-15, near the Gundrahi Dhakaha bufferzone community forest, the Chitwan National Park (CNP) Office said.
According to Avinash Thapa Magar, the CNP conservation officer, the rhino died this morning after getting stuck in the marsh while going to drink water. The rhino’s horn and hooves are safe.
The latest national rhinoceros census puts the number of rhinos in the country at 752 as of 2021. Among them, 694 are in Chitwan National Park.
—
Teej, a moment to voice for equality, empowerment: Former President Bhandari
Kathmandu, Aug 26: Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has said Teej festival is a moment to voice for gender equality and women empowerment.
The Former President wished the festival inspired everyone for ending discrimination to build an equitable society.
Issuing a message of best wishes to all Nepali sisters on the occasion of Teej festival through the social network today, Former President Bhandari extended best wishes and believed the Teej would strengthen sociocultural and family ties.
“Teej is a living tradition of our lifestyle, culture and tolerance. The married women wishes longevity and good health to their spouses by observing fasting today,” she reminded. The togetherness of the married daughters to their parental family members and childhood friends creates further affinity in society and relatives, according to her.
Bhandari suggested the celebrants that they maintained frugality and conserved festival by protecting religious and cultural values.
—
GP Koirala National Center for Respiratory Diseases adopts EMR system
Damauli (Tanahu), Aug 26: The GP Koirala National Center for Respiratory Diseases at Belchautara, Shuklagandaki Municipality-5, has adopted the Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system.
Minister for Health and Population Pradip Poudel inaugurated the EMR system at the hospital today.
The service has been launched with the installation of equipment worth Rs 2 million 526 thousand by the World Health Organization.
The government has established the Center in the name of former Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala as the best respiratory disease treatment centre in South Asia.
The Center and the hospital it runs is spread over 740 ropanis of land in Belchautara, Shuklagandaki Municipality.
—
Senior citizens lament over fading aura of Teej
-Indra Kumari KC
Ghodaghodi (Kailali), Aug 26: Madal was one of the significant traditional musical instruments giving an original aura to songs sung during the Teej festival.
The women folks, especially the sisters come to the parental homes, used to sing the songs reflecting the plights and experience they had over the year that used to be resonated with by playing the madal together.
Playing madal, a cylindrical hand drum, and singing songs on life stories were not mere recreation but the best medium of the upwelling of the emotional states.
“Actually playing madal used to begin immediately after the completion of rice plantation in Saun month, setting the ambience of forthcoming Teej festival,” recalled 61-year old Parbati Devi Khatri from Ghodaghodi municipality-8, adding those are the days lost in thin air.
Another 63-year-old Toladevi Bista has similar account: “Teej was a moment to share plight for women. But, now it is becoming a tawdry business. It is no more the occasion to show relief by releasing the burden.”
Time changed. Madal is replaced with sound system and modern songs, which make the senior citizens rue over the bygone days.
In view of Tika Chaudhari Bhul, chief of Kailali district coordination committee, the commercial songs and tawdry melodies that are played during Teej celebration are denting much the original tune and aura.
The songs sung during Teej were also sung even during other festivities including marriage ceremony in those days.
“We had to stay patient even till Teej to visit my parental home. If the relative (brother) had not come to invite, we could not got the parental homes then,” remembered Maiti Budhathoki, 65, claiming that there was emotional depth and originality in the songs played in harmony of madal and mujura.
The popular instrument of the time, madal, is hardly heard around these days during Teej.
Deputy Mayor of Ghodaghodi municipality, Guliya Kumari Chaudhary, observed Teej celebration has witnessed radical change for some years. Gimmicky and equivocal words are used in the songs these days. “Those old days of Teej songs with madal playing is hardly found these days,” she added.
Madal is one of the traditional musical instruments that is losing market. Even those making madal have faced challenges in sustaining their business.
A madal entrepreneur Tirtha Badi from Lamkichuha municipality-3, said, “It is very difficult to sell madal now.” He also blames the fading originality in song behind dwindling business of the cylindrical hand dram.
In this connection, Ghodaghodi municipality has made efforts to conserve the ancient songs and culture by organizing folk songs and Teej celebration.
The local level organized a competitive Teej celebration this year yesterday, so that it would contribute to keeping alive the Teej aura, claimed Mayor Khadka Rawat.
—
NC to field Neupane’s candidacy for parliament committee President
Kathmandu, Aug 26: The Nepali Congress has decided to nominate Ishwari Devi Neupane for the vacant chairperson position of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee.
A meeting of the top leaders of the party held today under the chairmanship of party president Sher Bahadur Deuba made this decision, party General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma said.
The vice-chairpersons, Purna Bahadur Khadka and Dhanraj Gurung, along with the general secretaries, Gagan Kumar Thapa and Sharma, were present at the meeting.
Elections for the new chairperson of the Committee will be held on August 27. The Parliament Secretariat has announced that the nomination of candidacy is scheduled to take place today from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
The position was vacant after Congress MP Ramhari Khatiwada resigned from the post.
—
Biratnagar Metropolitan City establishes technical education promote centre
Biratnagar, Aug 26: Biratnagar Metropolitan City has set up a technical and vocational education and training promotion centre.
Sagarmatha I-Lab Group (Koshi Province), the Kathmandu University, School of Education and the ETH Zurich of Switzerland are collaborating on the establishment of the promotion centre.
The promotion centre would be instrumental in producing the technical workforce needed for local level and provinces, according to Mayor Nagesh Koirala.
He further hoped it would help in creating employment and self-entrepreneurship among youths. Youths would be connected to industry and market through skill enhancement.
—
Bheri Hospital to provide free dialysis to destitute with special health complication
Banke, Aug 26: Bheri Hospital is all set to provide dialysis services for free of cost to the needy people who also suffer from the diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson and seropositive.
The people with such health issues and also in want of dialysis service would be provided it freely. The hospital made public a list of the people who could access this treatment.
The scheme was launched as per the project directive on treatment of the destitute.
The Nursing and Social Security Division under the Department of Health Service had introduced the scheme.
Medical superintendent at Bheri Hospital, Dr Nirajan Subedi, informed that the people suffering from Hepatitis B and HIV are termed as the seropositive ones. Such patients would be entitled to the treatment costing as high as Rs 300 thousand for dialysis in a year.
With this scheme in place, the people facing financial problems to treat kidney disease would get huge relief.
The service begins on Wednesday, Dr Subedi informed. The hospital is also making homework to finalize the list of the people would be entitled to the kidney transplantation and peritoneal dialyses.
—
DPM Singh eulogizes late leader Mangaladevi in establishing women’s representation
Kathmandu, Aug 26: Deputy Prime Minister and Urban Development Minister, Prakash Man Singh has said the Nepali Congress woman leader the late Mangaladevi Singh had made notable contribution towards establishing women representation at various tiers of state governance.
On the occasion of the 29th memorial day of Mangaladevi Singh, the founder of the Nepal Women Association and a leader of the Nepali women’s movement, while offering a garland at Singh’s statue at local Shobhabhagawati today, he stated that Mangaladevi’s role in the fight for women’s rights is unparalleled.
Deputy Prime Minister Singh mentioned that the current constitution has ensured inclusive, proportional representation and women’s participation at the policy level as a result of the struggles of women leaders like Singh who raised their voices for women’s rights and privileges.
Chairperson of the Mangaladevi Foundation, Srijana Singh, said that Mangaladevi Singh is a source of inspiration for Nepali women.
The Nepal Women’s Association was established on Shrawan 24, 2004, under the chairmanship of Mangaladevi Singh, in order to fight for their rights and entitlements, encouraging women to step out of the confines of the four walls of the house.
—
Shaanxi Province Deputy Speaker meets CM Acharya
Lumbini, Aug 26: Chief Minister of Lumbini Province, Chet Narayan Acharya, has expressed belief that relations between Lumbini Province of Nepal and Shaanxi Province of China would further strengthen Nepal-China relations by bringing together the people from two countries.
CM Acharya said it during a meeting with a visiting Chinese delegation led by Deputy Speaker (Vice Chairman of the People’s Congress) in the province, Zhang Zhichuan, here today. In the meeting held at Chief Minister Acharya’s office, issues ranging from tourism, culture, green development, smart city, commercialization of agriculture, education and skill development and possible cooperation featured significantly.
CM Acharya said the province government could work in collaboration for the promotion of Jitgadhi fort, Niglihawa, Tilaurakot, Ramgram and others.
He further reminded that Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Nepal in 2019 had given special emphasis on Nepal-China relations.
On the occasion, visiting Chinese leader informed that they could collaborate with Lumbini province in the sector of development of tourism infrastructure, smart city, solar and wind energy, technical education, processing of medicinal herbs.
Chief Secretary of Lumbini Province, Baburam Adhikari said the province government had prioritized sustainable development, modernization of agriculture and industrialization.
—
Neupane’s lone candidacy for State Affairs and Good Governance Committee President
Kathmandu, Aug 26: Only the candidacy of Nepali Congress MP Ishwari Devi Neupane has been received for the vacant position of President of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee under the House of Representatives.
Nepali Congress lawmaker Ramhari Khatiwada proposed Neupane’s candidacy while CPN (UML) lawmaker Krishna Gopal Shrestha seconded it.
Neupane is the member of the same Committee. She registered her candidacy at 3.00 pm today. The schedule for nomination of candidacy was from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm today.
Nepali Congress chief whip Shyam Kumar Ghimire and UML’s chief whip Mahesh Kumar Bartaula had accompanied Neupane to register her candidacy for the position.
Neupane would be declared elected unopposed the President of the Committee after the proposer informs in the Committee’s meeting tomorrow that only Neupane’s candidacy has been submitted for the position.
Neupane, who had begun her political career with her affiliation to the Nepal Student Union, is now a central member of the Nepali Congress.
Earlier, she was the member of both the Constituent Assemblies. She has carried out party responsibilities in various capacities, including chief of women department in NC.
Neupane resigned from the post of Chairperson of the Parliamentary Hearing Committee to become the Chairperson of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee.
The NC office bearers’ meeting held today had decided to field Neupane as the Chairperson of the Good Governance Committee since the post was lying vacant following lawmaker Ramhari Khatiwada’s resignation from the post.
Talking briefly to media persons after filing the candidacy, leader Neupane said she would garner support from all sides concerned to forward the significant bill.
“Where there is challenge, there is equal possibility. I carry out my responsibility by creating favourable atmosphere,” she added.
—
