- Saturday, 3 January 2026
Kimathanka, Jan 2: Coordinator of the Nepali Communist Party (NCP), Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ argued the leftist socialist unity was materialized for the country, people and constitution. Coordinator Dahal said it during a programme held to spread the message of unity at Khandbari in the district on Friday.
“Election is the best alternative we have following the Gen Z movement,” he said, adding that the leftist and socialist forces need to be unified to give a political solution to the crisis.
He reminded that the Gen Z movement showed the Gen Z youths were fully aware of the system and circumstances of the country. Nepali communists will move ahead by mending their ways also in view of the Gen Z protest, Dahal vowed.
On the occasion, Joint Coordinator of NCP, Madhav Kumar Nepal, said youths are shouldering the responsibility to protect country from anarchy. “Gen Z movement exposed the illusion that youths were not interested in politics,” he mentioned.
Leader Nepal thanked the youths for their aware and responsible movement and hoped peaceful and democratic way for resolving national crisis.
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20- March 5 election unstoppable: Minister Kharel
Chitawan, Jan 2: Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Jagadish Kharel, who also serves as the Government Spokesperson, has expressed his confidence that the March 5 election to the House of Representatives was now unstoppable.
Talking to the media persons at Bharatpur Airport on Friday, the Minister said, “The election announced for March 5 will be held at any cost. It will be conducted in an impartial and calm atmosphere.”
The Election Commission has been working on election-related activities at a breakneck speed. Over 64 political parties have submitted the closed lists of candidates for the Proportional Representation (PR) system,” he said, adding that more than one million new voters have been registered. With the recent appointment of new leadership in Nepal Police, the morale of the police personnel is also high.
The Minister also assured that the government has already ensured the necessary workforce and budget for conducting the democratic exercise. “Political parties have already begun their election publicity campaigns in the districts, and they are preparing to nominate candidates for the direct election system,” he added. According to him, the questions and discussions from the public and media are now entirely focused on the elections, and there is no doubt over its timely conduct.
As the government spokesperson said, his role was to ensure the success of the election process and that was not affiliated with any political party. “I have not yet decided whether to contest the election,” he declared, adding that his focus was on creating an election-friendly atmosphere. “I am actively engaging with political party offices to build an atmosphere conducive to free and fair elections. In my capacity of a member of the Council of Ministers, I am responsible for assisting the Prime Minister in this election mission. We are committed to ensuring a fair and impartial election on the scheduled date,” Minister Kharel explained.
He also highlighted that the government was making progress in laying the foundation for good governance alongside the election preparations. On another note, he viewed it is the personal right of the present ministers whether they contest elections. “However, one thing matters,” he said. “If someone chooses to compete in the election, they should not abuse the post they hold. Their decision to serve the nation and approach the citizens should not be hindered in any way.”
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21- Bhattarai stresses timely polls
Biratnagar, Jan 2: CPN (UML) leader Yogesh Bhattarai has echoed the need to hold the House of Representatives (HoR) election on the announced date of March 5, 2026.
Citing that there has been already a development in regard with the election process, he said there is no option to withdraw or postpone it under any pretext.
Speaking to the media at Biratnagar Airport on Friday, the UML Deputy General Secretary said that political parties have already submitted their lists of proportional representation candidates to the Election Commission, and that nominations for the first-past-the-post system are scheduled to be registered on January 20, leaving no possibility of withdrawing from the election process.
Taking into account practical challenges such as the Holi festival in the Tarai region just a few days before the election and the possibility of snowfall in Himalayan districts, Bhattarai said the polls could be conducted in phases if necessary. “However, the elections must be completed within the month of Falgun (mid-March),” he stressed.
He further warned that a prolonged transition could pose a threat to the Constitution and democracy itself, adding that elections are essential to keep the parliamentary system alive.
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22- Ministry continues monitoring of colleges with foreign affiliation
Kathmandu, Jan 2: The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has continued a monitoring of higher educational institutions which are affiliated with foreign academic. It comes as part of the implementation of its directives on the monitoring of such institutions.
Following a decision made by Education Minister Mahabir Pun on December 29, 2025, the Ministry issued a 10-point directive to such institutions in line with the Guidelines for Operating Higher Education with Affiliation from the Foreign Educational Institutions, 2059 BS.
Minister Pun stated that complaints were received that some institutions were operating in violation of the directives, lacked transparency in fee structures and scholarships, and negatively affected students’ learning. The directive requires such institutions not to appoint a discipline in-charge (DI), to establish a grievance-handling mechanism, and to ensure transparency in fees and scholarship provisions.
Recently, disputes erupted between teachers and students at the Thapathali-based British College along with various related concerns, was reported to the Ministry. The Ministry is currently studying the matter.
According to Under-Secretary Parashuram Tiwari, both the government and the concerned academic institutions share responsibility for implementing and enforcing the directives. The Ministry has warned that permission to operate higher education programmes may be revoked at any time if institutions fail to comply with the stipulated conditions and standards.
At present, there are 69 academic institutions in the country that operate higher education programmes with their affiliations to the foreign educational institutions.
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23- Amidst objection within, NC revises date for 15th General Convention, reschedules for May 11-14
Kathmandu, Jan 2: Irrespective of intense objection by the General Secretaries duo, the Nepali Congress (NC) revised its initial schedule of its 15th general convention- now from May 11 to 14 in Kathmandu.
A meeting of the party’s central execution committee held on Friday revised the schedule, citing adverse situation. It endorsed the revised proposal, arguing there was sheer lack of time for the preparations to the earlier schedule of January 10-12, according to party spokesperson Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat.
At a time when the General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma were rallying for a special convention, reasoning the party’s failure to hold general convention as per time mentioned in statute, spokesperson Mahat flatly rejected the idea of conducting a special general convention with the revised schedule endorsed for May 11-14.
Mahat explained the meeting agreed that it was no longer viable to implement the previously announced schedule for the general convention. There is no possibility of conducting the general convention before the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5, he added.
According to the revised schedule, ward conventions at the village/town level will be held on April 4, followed by village/municipal conventions on April 8. Province Assembly regional conventions are slated for April 11, while House of Representatives regional conventions will take place on April 15 in districts with a single electoral constituency and on April 18 in districts with two or more constituencies. The provincial conventions are scheduled for April 23–25.
He further said that the relevance of a special convention has ended following the December 1 decision to hold the 15th general convention. Meanwhile, the party’s General Secretary, Gagan Kumar Thapa, expressed dissenting views on the decision to revise the general convention dates. Although the proposal was endorsed by a majority vote, Thapa said that he, along with four or five other members, held differing opinions.
Speaking to the media, Thapa said that Article 17(2) of the party’s statute clearly states that a special central general convention can be convened within three months if 40 percent of the central general convention members submit a written application to the central committee, citing special reasons.
It may be noted that Thapa and several others from his faction had earlier organized a signature campaign, demanding a special general convention in the aftermath of the September 8–9 Gen Z movement. The movement had significant repercussions on domestic politics, including the fall of the government, the announcement of fresh House of Representatives elections for March 5.
Thapa said they are demanding that the party convene a special general convention by mid-January and expect the central leadership to address the demand, stressing that this is also necessary for the enforcement of the party statute.
He added that regardless of their position or capacity within the party, leaders should not remain mute spectators to recent developments. He hinted that the special general convention could be convened by exercising the rights granted to the General Secretary under the party statute.
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24- DDA issues notice to recall Levoflox-500 tablets with batch number BB-24001
Kathmandu, Jan 2: The Department of Drug Administration (DDA) has released a notice concerning the recall of certain medicines from the market. The Department on Friday issued a notice to recall the drug Levoflox-500 tablets from the local market with batch number BB-24001. The Department has also urged all not to recommend, sell, distribute and use the drug of this specific batch number.
Manufactured by Magnus Pharma Pvt. Ltd., this drug is used to prevent bacterial infections. The Department stated that the lab tests of the specific batch carried out at the National Drug Laboratory did not meet the quality standards.
The sale and distribution of these drugs have been suspended and they must be immediately recalled from the market. The records should be submitted to the department as per Section 14 of the Drug Act, 2035 BS, the Department has mentioned in the notice by informing the concerned industry and its representatives.
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25- ‘Issues of indigenous nationalities in hydel projects should be addressed mutually’
Lalitpur, Jan 2: Minister for Energy Kulman Ghising has said that issues related to the private land, forest area and community’s concerns that could surface while advancing the hydropower projects should be resolved through coordination between the local and federal governments.
At a high-level dialogue programme on impacts of hydropower projects on indigenous nationalities community and the resolution organized by the Indigenous Nationalities Commission in Lalitpur on Friday, Minister Ghising said such issues should be addressed through mutual understanding since hydropower is the major basis of the country’s economic prosperity.
Minister Ghising noted that land acquisition, use of forest land and impacts on the local community’s lifestyle while implementing the hydropower projects were sensitive issues.
He shared that such issues should be addressed as per the guidelines of the donor agencies and added that the government was serious about the social aspect of such projects. “The issues of the local community and indigenous nationalities should not be neglected. Solution should be sought on the basis of consensus,” Ghising viewed.
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26- SC issues order to ensure representation of people with disabilities
Kathmandu, Jan 2: The Supreme Court (SC) on Friday issued an order to the Election Commission (EC) for an arrangement to ensure representation of people with disabilities in the House of Representatives (HoR) election.
A division bench of Justices Hari Prasad Phuyal and Tek Prasad Dhungana made this verdict to mandatorily include the names of people with disabilities in the closed list of the political parties.
The SC verdict stated that the political parties that submitted their closed list in the EC for the proportional representation system should include the people with disabilities as per the constitution and has asked the EC to reexamine the closed list to confirm the participation of the people with disabilities and ensure the participation in the parties’ closed list if the political parties failed to comply with the provision.
Madhav Prasad Chamlagain, former lawmaker Prakash Pantha and other activists had lodged a writ petition at the SC demanding the rightful representation of the disabled people in the HoR.
As per the recent National Population and Housing Census, the total population of disabled people in the country is 647,744 (2.2 percent of the total population).
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27- Amidst objection within, NC revises date for 15th General Convention, reschedules for May 11-14
Kathmandu, Jan 2: Irrespective of intense objection by the General Secretaries duo, the Nepali Congress (NC) revised its initial schedule of its 15th general convention- now from May 11 to 14 in Kathmandu.
A meeting of the party’s central execution committee held on Friday revised the schedule, citing adverse situation. It endorsed the revised proposal, arguing there was sheer lack of time for the preparations to the earlier schedule of January 10-12, according to party spokesperson Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat.
At a time when the General Secretaries Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma were rallying for a special convention, reasoning the party’s failure to hold general convention as per time mentioned in statute, spokesperson Mahat flatly rejected the idea of conducting a special general convention with the revised schedule endorsed for May 11-14.
Mahat explained the meeting agreed that it was no longer viable to implement the previously announced schedule for the general convention. There is no possibility of conducting the general convention before the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 5, he added.
According to the revised schedule, ward conventions at the village/town level will be held on April 4, followed by village/municipal conventions on April 8. Province Assembly regional conventions are slated for April 11, while House of Representatives regional conventions will take place on April 15 in districts with a single electoral constituency and on April 18 in districts with two or more constituencies. The provincial conventions are scheduled for April 23–25.
He further said that the relevance of a special convention has ended following the December 1 decision to hold the 15th general convention. Meanwhile, the party’s General Secretary, Gagan Kumar Thapa, expressed dissenting views on the decision to revise the general convention dates. Although the proposal was endorsed by a majority vote, Thapa said that he, along with four or five other members, held differing opinions.
Speaking to the media, Thapa said that Article 17(2) of the party’s statute clearly states that a special central general convention can be convened within three months if 40 percent of the central general convention members submit a written application to the central committee, citing special reasons.
It may be noted that Thapa and several others from his faction had earlier organized a signature campaign, demanding a special general convention in the aftermath of the September 8–9 Gen Z movement. The movement had significant repercussions on domestic politics, including the fall of the government, the announcement of fresh House of Representatives elections for March 5.
Thapa said they are demanding that the party convene a special general convention by mid-January and expect the central leadership to address the demand, stressing that this is also necessary for the enforcement of the party statute.
He added that regardless of their position or capacity within the party, leaders should not remain mute spectators to recent developments. He hinted that the special general convention could be convened by exercising the rights granted to the General Secretary under the party statute.
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28- Communications Minister calls Bharatpur as the country’s central city
Chitwan, Jan 2: Minister for Communications and Information Technology Jagadish Kharel said that Bharatpur has been established as a central city in the country.
Speaking in a session of the ‘Bharatpur Conclave’ on Friday, Minister Kharel stated that Bharatpur is now the country’s central city in addition to being a hub for tourism, agriculture, infrastructure, health care and education.
He also appreciated the role of Mayor Renu Dahal played for the development of Bharatpur City to its current status, adding that remarkable achievements were made in the past eight years.
Minister Kharel was of the view that Bharatpur could be a good answer on why the nation did not develop and referred to the need for political stability in the country. “Renu Dahal got a chance to work for eight years as the Mayor of Bharatpur. Bharatpur would not have achieved this extent of development had she served only nine months,” Minister Kharel elaborated.
On the occasion, Minister Kharel reiterated that the House of Representatives (HoR) election would be held on March 5 and urged not to habour any confusion.
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29- Robust connectivity among touristy cities stressed
Chitwan, Jan 2: Robust connectivity among three key touristy cities- Bharatpur, Lumbini and Pokhara- have been underlined for boosting tourism.
In a discussion organized by the Sunaulo Nepal on ‘tourism in Bharatpur’ on Friday, participants proposed promotion of these three destinations as a ‘golden triangle’.
President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI), Chandra Prasad Dhakal, viewed Bharatpur has a significant tourism potential that remains untapped. He reminded the kumbha mela (one of the most significant religious gatherings of the world) held in India last year, stressing that similar tourist interests could be drawn to regions like Narayani and Devghat.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Nabil Bank, Manoj Gyawali, remarked that Bharatpur stands out as a key tourist hub. He stated, “There are 27 five-star hotels nationwide, with six in Chitwan alone. Given the strong tourism potential, investment in tourist infrastructure has also seen progress.” Tourism expert Dr Bishwa Subedi advocated for Chitwan to be developed as a centre for eco-friendly tourism.
His suggestions are Lumbini’s concentration on cultural tourism, Pokhara’s on trekking tourism, and Chitwan’s on wildlife safari tourism, to which connectivity could given an impetus.
Collaborative efforts are underway between Pokhara Metropolitan City, Lumbini Municipality, and Bharatpur Metropolitan City to achieve this goal, he shared, adding that Bharatpur Municipality is planning to establish a new lakeside circuit by incorporating the seven lakes in the vicinity. —
