- Friday, 17 April 2026
Patan (Lalitpur), March 15: The Nepali Congress (NC) has finalized the names from among the list of proportional representation candidates for the House of Representatives members. Among them, 15 candidates are women.
The meeting of the NC Central Working Committee convened here today recommended the names of six candidates each from the indigenous communities and Khas Arya categories.
Likewise, one each candidate has been selected from the Tharu, Dalit, Madheshi, Muslim and backward region categories. The meeting also decided to send three more names under the designated cluster to the Election Commission, said party Spokesperson Devraj Chalise.
The candidates were chosen from the party’s previously submitted closed list for the PR system.
“We have finalized the names of the candidates based on the 20 seats secured by our party for the PR. We have altogether 62 seats in both National Assembly and House of Representatives combined, out of which, 21 seats are reserved for women. So far, we have submitted a list that includes 15 women,” explained Spokesperson Chalise.
If there is any issue in the cluster categories, the party will make necessary changes in line with the Election Commission’s instruction, he reminded.
The meeting was chaired by party President Gagan Kumar Thapa and attended by Vice-Presidents Bishwa Prakash Sharma and Pushpa Bhuasal, General-Secretaries Pradeep Poudel and Gururaj Ghimire among others.
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21- Former President Bhandari extends condolence to Chair Oli
Kathmandu, March 15: Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has extended condolence to Chairman of the CPN UML, KP Sharma Oli, over the demise Oli’s father.
Chairman Oli’s father Mohan Prasad Oli died on Friday at the age of 97.
The former Head of State, Bhandari, reached leader Oli’s residence at Gundu, Bhaktapur on Sunday and paid tribute to the late Mohan Prasad Oli.
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23- Home Minister Aryal recommended as expert member of National Assembly
Kathmandu, March 15: The government has recommended Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal as the member of the upper house of federal parliament, National Assembly (NA).
The Cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister’s official residence, Baluwatar on Sunday decided to recommend Minister Aryal, who is originally from Gulmi district, to the President for appointing him as the NA member in a vacant post of the upper house.
Aryal’s name has been proposed for a seat of an expert member in the NA.
The 59-member NA, which serves as the permanent House, has a constitutional provision for three people to be appointed as members by the President at the recommendations of the Council of Ministers.
As per the constitutional provision, the term of NA members is six year. It may be noted that one-thirds of NA members were elected on January 25 this year.
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24- Cabinet decisions: Govt to accept grant of over 24 million USD
Kathmandu, March 15: The government has decided to accept the grant assistance of over 24 million USD to be provided by the Green Climate Fund through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The meeting of the Council of Ministers held at the Prime Minister’s official residence, Baluwatar on Sunday approved the assistance amounting to USD 24,267,427 (24 millions, 267 thousands and four hundred twenty-seven US dollars).
The grant will be mobilized to implement a project aimed at protecting livelihoods and properties by reducing risks from glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and other flood-related hazards in Nepal’s glacial river basin areas.
Likewise, the government decided that the Nepali Embassies in Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, Kuwait City, Muscat, Islamabad, Cairo and Tel Aviv as well as the Nepali Consulate General in Jeddah and Dubai would make necessary arrangements to provide immediate and effective relief and rescue support to the Nepali citizens stranded in conflict-hit West Asian countries and in transit, said Home Minister, Om Prakash Aryal.
He further shared that the government had decided to receive and study the report submitted by the investigation commission formed to probe the incidents that occurred during the Gen-Z movement last year.
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25- ‘Gen Z movement: A revolt against corruption and unemployment’
Kathmandu, March 15: At a time when the traditional political parties are reviewing their poor performance in the March 5 House of Representatives election held in the background of the September uprising, a study report released by the Finance Ministry argued that the Gen Z movement was a revolt against corruption, mis-governance and unemployment.
The report titled ‘Understanding Gen Z movement: Major Causes, Reality and Roadmap for Robust Nepal’ was prepared by the Central Department of Economics, TU.
The study report described the Gen Z movement not as an impulsive response but a deep seated disenchantment towards the system that fueled corruption, unemployment, social injustice and institutional erosion. The movement has been regarded as collective and structural responses to such ills.
It further explained the generation accustomed to digital atmosphere, transparency expected by the educated and aware Gen Z youths, and urgency of justice, opportunity and accountability in democratic system. However, as they failed to see their expectation realized, it burst into the rebellion, causing the Sept 8-9 uprising, the report concluded.
In order to assuage youths’ plight and disenchantment and resolve national problems, the study suggests institutional reform, merit-based administration, compulsory digital governance, timely execution of policy, quality job creation, linking education and skills to market, protection of digital rights, youth participation and engagement in policy formulation and revival of youths’ trust in system. These would further pave way for social stability, sustainable democracy and economic development, it stressed.
Other factors triggering the movement, as the study, mentioned are: decline of public trust in political leadership, restriction on digital freedoms, luxurious lifestyle of political leadership and their relatives, limited persons’ access to State services, lack of job-ensuring education, shortage of job as per qualification, and gross nepotism in political appo0intment. The insufficient mainstreaming of marginalized community is equally vital to cause the movement.
Acute shortage of jobs led youths to leave country while distancing education and labour market, limited atmosphere for entrepreneurship and income inequality, government services full of hassles are other causes behind the uprising
The political appointment in the anti-corruption body made the appointees accountable to political leadership rather than to the people and system. The digital rights have been regarded as the fundamental rights by the youths, the study divulged.
However, the study report mentioned that the movement created economic instability and negative impacts on private sector’s investment. It has further resulted in declining morale to the investors. The arson, vandalism and looting perpetrated during the protest took a heavy toll on national property: some Rs 84.45 billion worth property perished in the scourge.
The study also stated that some positive results of the movement such as rising political awareness among youths and accountability on rise in bureaucracy, institutional pressure against corruption and political leadership.
The study strongly suggested the policy effective at least for five years while reform in education, incorporation of moral education up to secondary level in school, clean politics, reduced inequality, mainstreaming of marginalized community and intensification of reconstruction drive.
The report was prepared by conducting a survey where nearly 98 percent respondents had achieved secondary and above education. They belonged to 16-25 year age group.
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26- SC denies interim order in Sah’s favour
Kathmandu, March 15: The Supreme Court has denied issuing an interim order in favour of Kishori Sah, a Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) candidate for the House of Representatives election from constituency no 1 of Dhanusha.
Sah had lodged a writ petition at SC, demanding an interim order against the cancellation of his candidacy by the Election Commission.
A division bench of Justices Binod Sharma and Megharaj Pokharel on Sunday denied the order. With this, the Election Commission’s decision on scrapping Sah’s candidacy has been upheld and Matrika Yadav’s victory legitimate.
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27- Shram Sanskriti Party submits names for PR system
Kathmandu, March 15: The Shram Sanskriti Party has submitted the names of four candidates to the Election Commission (EC) under the proportional representation (PR) system.
The party has secured four seats in the House of Representatives (HoR) elections under the PR system by crossing the threshold of three percent.
The party’s vice-chairman Loknath Chudal said that Rubi Kumari Thakur was chosen from the Madheshi women’s cluster, Radhika Ramtel under Dalit women, Ambika Devi Sangraula Khadka from Khas Arya women and Purna Prasad Limbu from Adibasi Janajati cluster.
The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Nepali Congress (NC), CPN (UML), Nepali Communist Party and Rastriya Prajatantra Party also submitted the names of their candidates to the EC under the PR system for crossing the threshold of three percent of total votes.
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28- ‘Ujyalo Nepal Party received dignified votes amid turbulence’
Kathmandu, March 15: The Ujyalo Nepal Party has reviewed the party’s performance in the recently concluded House of Representatives (HoR) elections and charted out the party’s upcoming political course.
A review meeting held under the chair of party Chairman Kulman Ghising on Sunday expressed satisfaction about the votes received for the party amid several challenges.
The party’s central committee members, HoR candidates, province coordinators, district coordinators and responsible leaders were present at the meeting.
The meeting concluded that the vote received in the recent HoR elections was the political foundation for the party’s future, party’s Spokesperson Dr Raju Thapa said.
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29- Shrestha appointed Chair of NTNC
Kathmandu, March 15: Adarsha Kumar Shrestha has been appointed the Chairman of the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC). Prime Minister and Trust’s Patron Sushila Karki appointed Shrestha, a permanent resident of Sindhuli district, to the post for five years, PM’s Press Advisor Ram Bahadur Rawal said. The post was lying vacant after the resignation of Chairman Ain Bahadur Shahi.
Shrestha holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology and Bachelor’s Degree in Law.
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30- NC President calls on PM Karki
Kathmandu, March 15: Nepali Congress (NC) President Gagan Kumar Thapa called on Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Sunday.
The NC delegation of President Thapa, Vice-Presidents Bishwa Prakash Sharma and Pushpa Bhusal had a meeting with PM Karki at the latter’s official residence in Baluwatar.
The meeting was held in the presence of Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal, according to the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.
During the meeting, PM Karki extended gratitude to the NC for the supportive role it played in various capacities to make the March 5 election to the House of Representatives (HoR) a success, according to PM Karki’s Secretariat.
Prime Minister’s press advisor Ram Bahadur Rawal shared that PM Karki also urged the NC leaders not to be disheartened by their defeat in the recently held HoR election.
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31- Hearing on Lamichhane’s writ scheduled for Monday
Kathmandu, March 15: The Supreme Court (SC) on Monday is hearing the writ petitions filed against Chairperson of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rabi Lamichhane, on money laundering and organized crime charges, as the case could not be completed on Sunday.
A division bench of Justices Saranga Subedi and Sunil Kumar Pokharel would continue hearing on the petitions.
Prior to this, a division bench of Justices Sapana Pradhan Malla and Shreekant Poudel had ordered that the petitions be presented for the hearing on Sunday.
Attorney General Sabita Bhandari had on January 14 decided to withdraw the case at a time when the case was under consideration in the SC. The writ petitions were filed against the decision of the Office of the Attorney General to withdraw the case related to the organized crime and money laundering charges.
Senior Advocate Dinesh Tripathi, advocates Yubaraj Paudel and Avash Regmi had filed separate writ petitions at the SC against the decision of the Attorney General.
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32- Nepalis in Kuwait urged to return home via Saudi Arabia
Kathmandu, March 15: The Nepali Embassy in Kuwait has urged Nepali nationals residing in Kuwait with a valid resident permit and who wish to return home to travel via Saudi Arabia.
Issuing a notice on Sunday in view of the evolving situation in the Middle East, the Embassy requested Nepalis residing in Kuwait to submit their Saudi Visa application online if they intend to travel to Nepal via airports in Saudi Arabia.
The Embassy also notified that Nepalis bearing a valid resident permit (Kuwait’s Civil ID) are allowed to enter Saudi Arabia via land route for their travel to Nepal once they obtain visa.
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33- NOC hikes prices of petroleum products
Kathmandu, March 15: The Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has hiked the prices of petroleum products effective from midnight today.
According to the NOC, the price of petrol was hiked by Rs 15 per litre, while the prices of diesel and kerosene were increased by Rs 10 per litre.
Consumers in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Dipayal will now pay Rs 172 per litre for petrol and Rs 152 per litre for diesel and kerosene.
In a statement issued this evening, the NOC mentioned that the decision for the rate adjustment was made as the fuel prices were hiked in the new supplies to the NOC from the Indian Oil Corporation.
The NOC has stated that the unusual price hike of petroleum products in the international market led to this togch situation, while urging the consumers for their continued support. —
