- Tuesday, 16 June 2026
Kathmandu, June 16: Deliberations on Appropriation Bill-2083 BS continue in the House of Representatives (HoR). A meeting of the lower house today held discussions focusing on budget allocations to various ministries.
In the session, lawmaker Guru Prasad Baral demanded the government increase investment in science and technology as it serves as the foundation of all knowledge.
Ramesh Kumar Mall proposed the government to reduce the budget appropriation to the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs by just one rupee. He expressed his concern over the exclusion of three Karnali-roadway projects in the budget book.
Balawati Sharma accused the government of failing to pay due attention to the construction of roadways, schools, and Bailey bridge. “The budget missed a clear approach for physical infrastructure development.”
The lawmaker proposed the government to deduct the budget allocated to the Infrastructure Development Ministry to one rupee.
Bishnu Maya BK said budget has overlooked the need to control the drug abuse and drug peddling, stating that budget allocation to the disaster risk mitigation is also insufficient.
She proposed the government to reduce the budget to the Ministry of Home Affairs to one rupee, drawing the government’s attention to ‘insufficient’ budget for combating cyber crime.
Yagya Bahadur Bogati was of the view that government failed to realise the gravity of energy, water resource and irrigation sector while allocating the budget.
According to the lawmaker, the decision announced through the budget to impose tax on electricity tariff has caused an additional financial burden on the citizens.
He proposed to reduce the budget to the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation by one rupee. The lawmaker said the budget failed to address the development concerns of the backward areas.
Bogati also companied of a lack of consistency in regard with the government policies, the country’s needs and proposed plans and programmes.
Meanwhile, the meeting of the lower house was postponed by 15 minutes after MPs demanded the presence of concerned ministers during deliberation on the ministry-wise appropriation for the new fiscal year.
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14- Govt must take road safety reforms seriously: Committee Chair Gajurel
Kathmandu, June 16: Members of the Infrastructure Development Committee under the House of Representatives here today held discussions focused on road safety, transport management, traffic accident reduction and infrastructure improvement among others.
The lawmakers and experts emphasized effective implementation of policies to curb the rising number of road accidents in the country.
During the discussion, Committee Chairperson Ashish Gajurel pledged that the committee would facilitate the implementation of recommendations furnished by lawmakers and experts.
Arguing that road safety is a highly sensitive issue, he stressed that the government should take it seriously.
He expressed his dismay that although a bill related to road safety was drafted five years ago, it was yet to be tabled in Parliament.
Gajurel also pointed out that delays in road infrastructure development had further aggravated existing challenges.
The Committee Chairperson raised the issue of removal of a relevant ministry (Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport changed into Ministry of Infrastructure Development) despite the existence of an integrated transport policy.
He opined that road safety should be highly prioritized by the government to protect future generations. He, however, lamented, “We still do not have well-managed footpaths and disability-friendly roads.”
Also, putting for his views, lawmaker Sunil KC highlighted the role of parliament in addressing traffic accidents issues.
He drew the government’s attention, through the committee, to risks caused by unplanned road excavation, delays in maintenance work and weak coordination among concerned agencies.
Likewise, Basana Thapa highlighted difficulties in obtaining road permits in the Karnali region. She viewed that the government should accord top priority to ensuring road safety.
Other parliamentarians such as Bharat Kumar Swar, Purna Prasad Limbu, Dhanendra Karki and Raju Pandey argued that it was imperative to prioritize road safety for the country’s economic development and prosperity.
Also speaking in the discussion, Saroj Sitaula, President of the Federation of Nepalese National Transport Entrepreneurs, called for considering a host of factors such as dedicated lanes for public transport, improved parking management and skilled drivers for road safety.
He also urged the government to address the gap between growing vehicle pressure and inadequate infrastructure development in the country.
Similarly, Arun Kumar Shrestha, President of Federation of Transporter Nepal, demanded that the monitoring and security systems for cargo vehicles should be further strengthened.
During the meeting, the Committee collected suggestions from experts and stakeholders on road safety transport management, road accident prevention and infrastructure development, among others.
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15- More than 1,200 patients benefit from free health dashboard
Kathmandu, June 16: The number of people receiving free services through the free health dashboard has crossed 1,200 since the government launched the dashboard for the underprivileged patients.
The Ministry of Health and Food Safety launched the online ‘Free Health Dashboard’ to provide information about free hospital beds since April 16 to implement the constitutional right to free health treatment.
According to the information updated on the portal, a total of 23,456 beds are currently available in all hospitals across the country. Of it, 10 percent, or 2,356 beds, are completely free. Out of the total free beds available, 354 beds are currently occupied by patients.
The dashboard provides updated information on the number of beds currently available across the country, the free beds that will incur a charge of 10 percent, the free beds currently in use, and the remaining number of free beds.
The ministry has also said that it is preparing to provide updated information on other services available in hospitals through the dashboard.
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17- Medical Education Commission approves Scholarship Grant Procedures,2083 BS
Kathmandu, June 16: The Medical Education Commission has approved and decided to implement the Scholarship Grant Procedures, 2083 BS, aiming to address long-standing legal and administrative issues related to scholarship funding in medical education.
The meeting of the Commission chaired by Prime Minister Balendra Shah and convened at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers at Singha Durbar today took the decision to this effect.
According to Deepa Dahal, PM Shah’s Press and Research Expert, the procedure was endorsed within 24 hours of receiving approval from the Ministry of Education and Sports and the Ministry of Finance, resolving legal ambiguities and procedural challenges that had long persisted in the sector.
The procedure was introduced after the promulgation of the Ordinance to Amend Some Nepal Acts, 2083 BS, published in the Nepal Gazette.
The ordinance added Section 54(b) to the National Medical Education Act, 2075 BS, authorizing the Commission to prepare the necessary guidelines and procedures.
Previously, a legal vacuity had emerged after Section 35 of the Legislation Act, 2024 automatically invalidated the Commission’s earlier directives and procedures.
To address the issue, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education and Sports provided formal consent with positive recommendations on June 15.
The newly approved procedure has also paved the path for granting funds to public educational institutions for providing free scholarships.
It also authorizes the Commission to provide grants to medical education institutions offering free scholarships across all academic levels, including advanced postgraduate studies such as DM/M.Ch programmes.
The meeting, co-chaired by Minister for Health and Food Safety Nisha Mehta, was attended by Vice-Chairperson of Commission Prof Dr Shree Krishna Giri and other members of the Commission.
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18- RSP completes conventions in 4 provinces and 64 districts ahead of national convention
Kathmandu, June 16: The ruling Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) announced that it has completed conventions across 4 provinces and 64 districts so far in a run to its first national convention.
According to the latest update released by the party, conventions have been held in 609 local levels rural municipalities and 4,363 wards across the country.
District and provincial-level conventions have already been organized in Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini Provinces the convention process in Madhesh Province has been suspended at the moment.
Similarly, conventions in Karnali and Sudurpashchim Provinces are currently underway, the party said.
Kabindra Burlakoti, General-Secretary of the RSP, informed that conventions have not been held in several districts, including Dolpa and Humla in Karnali Province, Rukum East in Lumbini Province, Manang and Mustang in Gandaki Province and Dhanusha, Saptari, Bara and Sarlahi districts in Madhesh Province.
He shared that convention processes had begun but were later suspended in Sindhupalchok, Siraha, Mahottari and Rautahat districts.
The party further mentioned that preparations are in full swing to hold RSP’s first national general convention in Chitwan district from coming June 21 to 23.
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19- Vietnamese Bhikkhus team visit Boudhanath, Syoyambhunath
Kathmandu, June 16: A team of Vietnamese Bhikkhus who arrived Nepal in course of the Walk for Peace tour today visited Boudhanath, Swoyambhunath, Charumati Chaitya and monasteries in Kathmandu.
The tour aims to promote the global message of peace and the team arrived in Nepal, the birthplace of Gautam Budhha, on Monday.
Instructed by Venerable Ratnaguna, a well-known Buddhist teacher, the journey is led Nepali Bhikkhu Pannakara. The 24-member team of Bhikkhus already completed 3,700 kilometers peace trek of various states in the United States of America over a period of 108 days.
A well-known dog named Aloka, the Peace Dog, is also the part of the team. The group arrived in Nepal from Thailand via New Delhi.
According to the organisers, the journey seeks to spread the message of world peace, compassion, non-violence and spiritual awakening through practical engagement with people. The team members who come from diverse academic and professional backgrounds have been presenting Buddhist teachings in an advanced yet simple and accessible manner.
The peace tour includes interactions with various communities, meditation practices, and the dissemination of the message that true begins with in oneself rather than from external circumstances.
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20- Korean Envoy pays courtesy call on Health Minister Mehta
Kathmandu, June 16: Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Nepal, Park Tae-Young paid a courtesy call on Minister for Health and Food Safety, Nisha Mehta.
During the meeting held at the Ministry in Singha Durbar, matters related to Nepal-Korea friendly relations and bilateral cooperation in health sector were discussed, said Assistant Spokesperson of the Ministry, Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari.
On the occasion, views were also exchanged on health insurance programme, capacity development of health-related human resources, strengthening health infrastructure, expanding quality health services, promoting health tourism and herbs and medicine production.
Health Minister Mehta urged the Korean Ambassador to pay special attention to ensure access of Nepali workers in Korea to health security and services.
Similarly, Ambassador Young expressed commitment for continuous support of Korea in priority sectors of government of Nepal. He also expressed belief that the cooperation between the two countries would become stronger and result-oriented in coming days.
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21- Public urged not to download unnecessary, suspicious apps
Kathmandu, June 16: The Cyber Bureau of Nepal Police has urged the general public not to download and install unnecessary and suspicious apps that are being advertised, tempting audience to watch the 2026 World Cup for free.
In a statement issued by the Bureau’s spokesperson and Deputy Superintendent of Police, Dilip Kumar Giri, it is noted that there has been a rise in activities where people are asked to install Android apps to watch the 2026 World Cup through social media and various online platforms, often requesting various permissions and then misusing them to hack mobile banking apps and commit financial frauds.
The Cyber Bureau has also warned against downloading and installing unnecessary or unfamiliar files like APK, EXE, BAT and EHL among others. Additionally, they have requested that banking systems only be ‘updated’ based on official notices and instructions from banks and financial institutions.
The Bureau shared that they are sharing awareness materials related to this issue through their official Facebook page.
In order to avoid cyber fraud in the name of the World Cup, the general public has been urged to remain cautious and get necessary information only via official sources.
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22- Nepal–Denmark Bilateral Consultation in Kathmandu
Kathmandu, June 16: Nepal and Denmark have reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral relations and deepen cooperation in the days to come. The two sides also agreed to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations in 2027.
During the Third Meeting of Nepal–Denmark Bilateral Consultation Mechanism held in Kathmandu today, the two sides reviewed various spectrums of bilateral relations and expressed satisfaction over the warm and friendly relations existing between Nepal and Denmark since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1967, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Recognising that both Nepal and Denmark have recently formed new governments following their respective elections, the two sides expressed confidence that the renewed political mandates would provide fresh impetus to further strengthen bilateral relations and deepen cooperation in areas of mutual interest, guided by shared commitments to good governance, transparency, sustainable development and democratic values.
The Nepali side highlighted the government’s ongoing economic reforms and measures aimed at creating a more conducive environment for foreign investment. The delegations discussed opportunities to further strengthen economic cooperation, particularly in the areas of clean energy, trade and investment, tourism, information technology, and digital innovation.
During the consultations, the two sides also exchanged views on regional and global issues of common concern, including climate change, realisation of SDGs and cooperation in multilateral forums.
The meeting was co-chaired by Mr Ganesh Prasad Dhakal, Joint Secretary and Head of the Europe Division of the Ministry and Mr Christian Tobias Bayer Tygesen, Director for Asia, Oceania, Latin America and the Caribbean (ASILAC), Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark. The Nepali delegation included officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the sectoral Ministries, while the Danish delegation included the Non-Resident Ambassador of Denmark to Nepal Rasmus Abildgaard Kristensen and other officials from the Danish Embassy in New Delhi, India, adds the statement.
It may be noted that the MoU on the establishment of Bilateral Consultation Mechanism between Nepal and Denmark was signed on 11 June 2018.
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23- ‘OTT Platform’ now comes under legal radar; Registration and permission mandatory
Kathmandu, June 16: The government has officially brought the Over-the-Top (OTT) platform to the registration and regulation radar.
Amending the National Broadcasting Regulations, 2052 BS, the Ministry of Information and Communications has come up with the arrangement to legally regulate the OTT service providers being operated under digital broadcasting system.
According to the revised regulations published in the national gazette on Monday, both foreign and domestic OTT platforms providing services or broadcasting content within Nepal are now required to obtain permission.
With this arrangement in place, digital streaming services and OTT platforms that have been operating informally for years will come under a clear legal structure for the first time.
With the expansion of digital media, bringing platforms outside the traditional broadcasting system under the same regulatory framework has become necessary.
In this connection, Minister for Information and Communications Dr. Bikram Timilsina had initiated the policy measures to regulate OTT platforms.
The ministry made amendments to the regulations after internal groundwork to that end. It amended various schedules of the National Broadcasting Regulations 2052 to explicitly include OTT and digital broadcasting systems.
According to the revised provisions, details regarding ‘foreign OTT programmes being downlinked and OTT platforms’ have been made mandatory in Schedule–3 (a). It has made foreign OTT service providers or institutions distributing digital programs to get permission to broadcast within Nepal.
Previously, such OTT platforms had been in operation independently without being registered with any government authority. Content monitoring had become complicated owing to legal ambiguities, regulation, and tax collection.
The recent amendments have created a basis to bring OTT platforms under regulation and the legal framework, just like other broadcasting mediums, the ministry shared.
In addition, the revised regulations has also determined the licensing and fee structure for OTT and digital broadcasting services.
According to the new system, any foreign programme producer who downlinks and broadcasts their digital OTT programme produced in their country in Nepal is required to pay Rs 1 million per platform.
Similarly, Rs 2.5 million must be paid per OTT platform to distribute the signal of a foreign OTT digital program that has received downlink permission.
The rules noted that fee amounting to Rs 10 million has been set for operating an OTT broadcasting service.
For the broadcasting rights (franchise) of foreign programmes or approval for direct broadcasting of foreign programmes, a fee of Rs five lakh rupees has been set, while for operating an online radio, a license fee of 50 thousand rupees has been set.
With the rapid expansion of digital technology, the use of OTT platforms in Nepal has also been increasing significantly.
However, these service providers had been operating for a long time without a clear legal framework.
It has resulted in challenges such as regulation of such content, revenue, consumer rights protection, and unhealthy competition with the local broadcasting industry.
Since digital broadcasting services are becoming as important as traditional media, it is necessary to bring them under the state’s legal framework.
After the new regulations are implemented, foreign and domestic OTT platforms operating in Nepal will now have to complete the registration process. It is expected to bring greater transparency to the digital content distribution system.
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24- Govt. accelerates process for payment of health insurance claims
Kathmandu, June 16: The Health Insurance Board has forwarded a process to release an additional Rs 911 million for insurance payment to 202 different hospitals across the country.
The Ministry of Health and Food Safety has been facilitating the due payments under Health Insurance and medical treatment programme for poor people.
According to Assistant Spokesperson at the Health Ministry, Dr Samir Kumar Adhikari, earlier on third week of May, Rs 1.3 billion was paid as health insurance claims.
A total of Rs 321.3 million was allocated as medical treatment for poor people on June 4 and additional Rs 273.77 million was paid on June 10, he added.
It is estimated that Rs 7 billion is needed to pay the outstanding health insurance claims till December 15, 2025 and Rs 14 billion from December 16, 2025-July 16, 2026.
Assistant Spokesperson Dr Adhikari opined that the government has expedited resource management and payment process prioritizing the payment of outstanding insurance claims and medical treatment for poor people for years.
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25- Discussion on Appropriation Bill to continue in HoR on Wednesday
Kathmandu, June 16: Discussions were held on various ministries and agencies during the discussion on the Appropriation Bill in today’s meeting of the House of Representatives,.
Discussions were held on various headings of the Ministries of Science, Technology and Innovation, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Infrastructure Development, Home, Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Foreign Affairs, Finance, Defense, and the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Secretariat of the National Planning Commission, the Office of the Vice President, and the Office of the President.
In the meeting, MPs Nitima Bhandari (Karki), Pukar Bam, Ram Lama, Badan Kumar Bhandari, Ankita Thakur, Buddhi Prasad Pant, Dhanendra Karki, Sushant Vaidik, Sulabh Kharel, and Smriti Century expressed their views on the ministry-specific titles.
The meeting also passed a condolence resolution over the death of former member of the House of Representatives, Mangal Prasad Gupta.
The House of Representatives will meet again at 11:00 am on Wednesday, where the concerned ministers are scheduled to respond to the questions raised under ministry-specific headings of the Appropriation Bill.
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26- Past budgets lied to Dalits, the new is reform-oriented: RSP Whip Pariyar
Kathmandu, June 16: Whip of the ruling, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Prakash Chandra Pariyar, has said that the past governments have deceived the Dalit community in the budget but the upcoming fiscal year budget is reform-oriented.
Participating in the discussion on various headings of the Appropriation Bill 2083 in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, Whip Pariyar said that in the past the budget was allocated in the name of the Dalit Development Authority but without making any laws. “There are many examples of past governments lying to underprivileged regions and communities by just making a fuss in the budget. It was also said that 200 million rupees were allocated in the fiscal year 081/82 and 500 million rupees in 082/83. However, the necessary law was not made for the formation of the Dalit Development Authority. Since the law was not made, there was no way that a single penny would be spent. This was just an act of lying to the Dalit community.”
Defending the budget presented for the new FY, he opined that the budget is reform-oriented, middle-class-friendly, and youth-targeted, and that it has assimilated the essence of the Gen-Z generation.
He argued that doubling the income tax exemption limit to one million and reducing the highest rate from 39 to 29 percent is a historic and welcome step for the middle class.
Similarly, Pariyar claimed that the reduction in the number of ministries, private sector-friendly approach, finalization of capital gains tax in the stock market, and digital AI and startup packages, etc. have caught the attention of the new generation.
He presented an example of the inclusion of many issues of poverty alleviation and social security in this budget, and said that the provision of Rs. 1,000 nutrition allowance to 313,000 Dalit children is an example of this.
The RSP Whip also noted that programs such as preservation of traditional skills of the Dalit community, management of landless squatters, and model homestays in Dalit settlements of Madhesh, Karnali, and the Sudurpaschim provinces are commendable features of the new budget.
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27- RSP changes venue of its first national convention
Chitwan, June 16: The venue for the first national convention of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) has been changed.
Earlier, it was scheduled to be held at Hotel Star, Ratnanagar. The party has now decided to hold its first national convention in Bharatpur from June 21-23.
RSP central committee member and Coordinator of Accommodation and Food Management Committee, Rajan Gautam, shared that the inaugural ceremony of the convention would be held at Guesthouse Ground of Bharatpur while closed session would take place at Industrial Exhibition Centre of the Chitwan Association of Industries.
He mentioned that they have decided to change the venue as per the instruction of RSP Central Chairperson as well as keeping the possibility of extreme heat and rainfall in mind.
The RSP has expected around 50,000 people in the inaugural session. Chiefs of national-level political parties, representatives from neighbouring countries have been invited in the inaugural session.
Around 3,000 representatives would participate in the closed session.
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28- “Contribute to trans-Himalayan prosperity”, FM Khanal appeals to Chinese investors
Kathmandu, June 16: Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has invited the Chinese investors to contribute to build the next chapter of trans-Himalayan prosperity together. For this, he urged them to invest in Nepal, while highlighting the economic opportunities and demographic strength of Nepal.
Participating in the Investment Conference organised by the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing, China on Tuesday, with the aim of promoting Chinese investment in Nepal, he underscored the commitment of the Government to ensure more enabling and business friendly environment in the country.
On the occasion, a presentation was made by the representative of the Investment Board of Nepal on investment opportunities in Nepal, according to the Nepali Embassy in Beijing.
In the evening, the Foreign Minister had a separate meeting with Chinese businesspersons, entrepreneurs and investors.
Earlier in the morning, Minister for Foreign Affairs Khanal met with, Chair of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Huning.
During the meeting discussions were held on further strengthening the cordial and friendly relations between Nepal and China, and promoting cooperation in the areas of mutual interest.
Also today, Minister Khanal visited the White Pagoda (Dagoba) at the Miaoying Temple in Beijing. Designed by Nepal’s national luminary Araniko, this heritage is a symbol of Nepal-China friendship and testament to Nepal’s historical soft power, international recognition of Nepali artisans, and richness of Nepali architecture.
In the afternoon, Minister Khanal engaged with both Chinese and international media representatives and shared insights on Nepal’s foreign policy, Nepal-China relations, priorities of the newly formed Government in Nepal and engagement of Nepal with the international community.
The Foreign Minister is scheduled to return home tomorrow, following completion of a four-day official visit at the friendly invitation of his Chinese counterpart, Mr Wang Yi.
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29- Yoga practice in Kailash Mansorabar on International Yoga Day
Kathmandu, June 16: The World Peace and Spiritual Society is organizing a mass yoga and meditation event in Kailash-Mansarobar region on the occasion of the International Yoga Day. This will the first of its kind event to be held in the region.
At a press conference in Kathmandu today, Society Chairperson Yogi Acharya Rajan Sharma informed that a special yoga practice programme is to be organized in Kailash-Mansarobar with a view to recognizing Nepal in the globe as a holy origin of Yoga.
According to him, the main goal of the event is to establish Nepal as the country of yoga gurus and to promote the ancient yoga, penance, meditation, and spiritual culture of the place at an international level.
The team participating in the Yoga Day celebration will depart for Kailash–Manasarovar on June 17.
On the occasion of International Yoga Day, yoga and meditation practice en masse is scheduled to take place at Kailash–Manasarovar on June 21.
‘It is a matter of pride for all Nepalis that an international-level yoga and spiritual awareness programme is being organized in the Kailash–Manasarovar area, considered the land of penance of Lord Shiva, by Nepal and the Nepali community,’ said Chair Sharma.
‘We believe that yoga in the silent beauty of the Himalayas and the sacred environment of Kailash–Manasarovar will not only be a physical practice but also a path to spiritual awakening and peace.’
The programme is expected to draw more than a hundred participants, including yogis, meditation practitioners, yoga instructors, ascetics, researchers, and spiritual activists from Nepal, India, and other countries.
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