- Sunday, 28 June 2026
Kathmandu, June 26: A meeting of the House of Representatives that was earlier scheduled for 11:00 am on Saturday has been rescheduled for Sunday, June 28.
As per the revised schedule, the HoR session will take place at 11:00 am on Sunday, according to a notice issued here today by Federal Parliament’s General Secretary Padma Prasad Pandey.
Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal has postponed the meeting in accordance with rule 6(3) of the House of Representatives Regulations, 2083 BS.
—
13- Growing urgency of automated weather station at local level
Ngamindra Dahal, PhD
Kathmandu, June 26: In Sunkoshi Rural Municipality of Sindhuli district several water supply schemes were completed recently while many others are under-construction. These are vital projects for communities struggling with water stress. But the scenario warranted evident question: Were these schemes designed considering the actual climate of the area?
Importantly, the municipality has no local weather station; no reliable record of rainfall patterns, temperature trends, or shifting precipitation. Engineers and planners are designing infrastructure meant to last decades with only a fraction of the information they need. The same gap was observed in Waling Municipality of Syangja district, where the local government has invested heavily in water supply, drainage, sewerage and runoff control without detail data on local rainfall intensity, frequency, or how the climate there is changing.
These are not isolated cases either. They are symptoms of a much larger problem. Nepal is building roads, water systems, settlements and disaster plans for a changing climate, while often missing the most basic information about local weather.
Every municipality and rural municipality in Nepal needs at least one Automated Weather Station (AWS) — more in larger or geographically complex areas. This is not a scientific luxury. It is an investment in better governance, less wasted money and climate-resilient development.
Geographic demand
Nepal’s terrain makes climate planning unusually hard. The same monsoon that sustains the plains can flood the Tarai, trigger landslides in the hills and create hazards in the mountains, sometimes all at once.
Rainfall is growing less predictable: short, intense bursts; longer dry spells; shifting snowfall; rising temperatures. All of this affects agriculture, drinking water, roads, bridges, settlements, forests and disaster risk. Yet many local governments still plan around historical rainfall patterns that may no longer hold. Local weather information is no longer optional but the foundation of sound planning.
Small instrument, outsized value
An AWS continuously records rainfall, temperature, humidity, wind and other conditions in real time- a sharp upgrade from sparse manual readings.
A municipality planning a drinking water system needs to know whether rainfall is rising or falling, whether recharge areas are shifting, and whether existing sources will survive future conditions. A municipality designing drainage needs rainfall ‘intensity’, not just annual averages. A municipality preparing disaster plans needs to know where extreme rainfall is most likely to trigger floods or landslides. Without this, many decisions are really just educated guesses.
Heed local gaps, costs and data
The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) has expanded Nepal’s national weather monitoring network, which is a significant effort. But Nepal has 753 local governments, each with its own geography and climate risks. A national network cannot capture that granularity. Rainfall in one valley can differ sharply from a valley a few kilometres away, especially where elevation and slope vary widely. Local governments need their own climate information.
Floods, landslides, droughts, and fires already consume a large share of public resources every year, mostly through reactive emergency response, relief and reconstruction — money spent after the damage is done.
An AWS cannot prevent disasters, but it can sharpen the decisions around them. It provides evidence to distinguish a genuine climate extreme from damage caused by poor design. It strengthens drought-related decisions with real records instead of assumptions. It gives local governments a transparent basis to justify spending and prioritize investment. Prevention, in short, is cheaper than repeated recovery.
Poor data also means poorly designed infrastructure: drainage systems sized for outdated rainfall assumptions, roads damaged repeatedly by runoff no one accounted for, water sources chosen without regard for future recharge, urban growth that blocks natural drainage and raises flood risk. These failures are rarely about a lack of money. More often, they are about a lack of information — and an AWS, costing roughly several hundred thousand rupees depending on technology and site, is a small price against the cost of infrastructure built on bad assumptions.
A weather station should not sit on a hillside as a scientific curiosity. Its data comes inherently in everyday municipal decisions: water supply planning, drainage and flood management, agricultural advisories, forest fire risk, early warning, land-use planning, infrastructure design, and climate adaptation. Schools and communities can use it too to build climate awareness. This is what federalism should look like — local governments making decisions grounded in their own reality, not borrowed assumptions.
Practical way forward
Nepal does not need a perfect system to start. Every municipality and rural municipality should budget for at least one AWS through its annual planning process. The DHM can provide technical standards, site selection, training, and integration into the national network. Development partners and climate funds can help bridge the transition. Above all, local governments must actually use the data they collect, not merely archive it.
The real question is no longer whether Nepal can afford automated weather stations. It is whether Nepal can keep spending billions on infrastructure and disaster response without knowing the climate conditions those investments are supposed to withstand.
In a country this geographically diverse and climate-exposed, weather data is basic infrastructure — not an add-on. An automated weather station is a small instrument with an outsized return: smarter decisions, more accountable spending, safer communities, and future local governments are actually prepared for.
[Dr. Dahal is a hydrometeorologist and water management professional at the Nepal Water Conservation Foundation, Kathmandu.]
—
14- Education Minister attends Sudurpashchim University convocation
Kathmandu, June 26: Minister for Education and Sports Sasmit Pokharel announced that efforts are underway to reclaim the encroached land of the Sudurpashchim University, Tikapur Campus.
During the convocation ceremony, he highlighted that work has already begun to utilize the 300 bigaha of encroached land. Minister Pokharel expressed satisfaction with the significant increase in the number of graduates, noting that it has doubled compared to previous years.
He also mentioned that new subjects and programmes will be introduced based on the needs and aspirations of the local community. “Make sure to apply the knowledge and skills you’ve gained from the university in your everyday life,” he encouraged the graduates.
The ceremony saw undergraduate, postgraduate, MPhil, and PhD students from all six faculties of the university being awarded. Awards were presented to outstanding students, including the Chancellor’s Medal and the Vice Chancellor’s Medal. According to the Examination Controllers’ Office, Nishant Chand from the Faculty of Management received the Chancellor’s Medal, while Kailash Raj Bhatt from the Faculty of Agriculture was honored with the Vice Chancellor’s Medal.
Additionally, Dr. Tulsikumari Sharma made history as the first female student to earn a PhD from the university.
—
15- 40 guidelines and administrative tools issued for governance reforms
Kathmandu, June 26: The government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah has issued about four dozen guidelines, procedures and circulars targeting various ministries, commissions, secretariats, provincial and local levels, with a focus on governance reforms, effectiveness of service delivery and promotion of good governance in the counry.
Since the formation of the current government, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers has issued 40 guidelines, procedures and circulars so far with the objective of making the administrative mechanism agile, transparent, accountable and people-oriented. Most of these directives, procedures and directive circulars are directly related to the effective implementation of the 100-point government reform agenda made public by the government.
The government’s directives, procedures and circulars are mainly focused on administrative reforms, service delivery, austerity, agriculture and trade promotion, natural resource management, corruption prevention, good governance, public accountability, education, health, foreign employment, health insurance reform and addressing citizen grievances. According to Prime Minister Shah’s press and research expert Deepa Dahal, these guidelines, procedures and circulars have been issued with the aim of ending administrative delays, emphasizing digital governance, eliminating unnecessary procedural hassles, maintaining austerity in government expenditure and providing quick and effective services to citizens.
To streamline the administrative process, arrangements have been made to limit the decision-making process to a maximum of three levels by implementing the ‘Business Process Reengineering’ (BPR) guidelines, while all government agencies have been instructed to strengthen the Government Integrated Office Management System (GIOMS) and work through the digital system.
In addition, emphasis has been placed on implementing reform programs such as the ‘Zero Backlog File’ campaign, complaint management, updating details and maintaining institutional memory with priority. Through the circular, strict arrangements have been implemented to purchase new materials other than essential ones, repair and use old materials and prevent misuse of vehicles to maintain economy in government expenditure.
Instructions were given to temporarily suspend foreign travel of civil servants in order to prevent impact on governance reform work. Instructions have also been issued to operate cold stores at full capacity to promote the agriculture and manufacturing sector, increase consumption of milk and dairy products, organize details of agricultural product imports, and make the distribution of chemical fertilizers and inventory status transparent.
A letter has been sent to all ministries with a decision to approve the decision on O&M guidelines by mid-Ashar for implementation. Guidelines on the preparation of the annual action plan for the fiscal year 2026/27 and guidelines on preparing the concept of the annual program have also been issued. Circulars, procedures and instructions have been issued on providing details of the financial management of Madrasas, removal of office bearers including vice-chancellors of various universities and bodies, conducting classes on television for all secondary level subjects, strengthening Nepal Drug Limited, stipend and working hours of MBBS and BDS intern doctors, management of Nepali workers going for foreign employment, reform of health insurance programs and management of non-governmental organizations (NGOs/INGOs) and Social Welfare Council.
Special instructions have been issued to control illegal mining, collection and transportation of river-extracted and mineral products for the protection of natural resources, while priority has been given to maintaining office cleanliness and environmental hygiene through the operation of the National Cleanliness Week. All ministries, commissions, secretariats and offices have been directed to effectively control corruption-related activities. Instructions have also been given to regularly update the details of office heads, spokespersons and information officers to increase the accountability of government bodies towards citizens and to mandatorily pick up the phone during office hours and address complaints.
Under Secretary and Assistant Spokesperson of the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Sirjana Sharma, said that the PMO has been providing necessary coordination and facilitation between the ministries, commissions, secretariats, provinces and local levels as the ‘apex body’ for coordination, monitoring and evaluation of the government.
According to her, the PMO has been issuing these documents to the concerned bodies from time to time to effectively implement the agenda put forward by the government, maintain coordination between ministries and accelerate overall governance reforms. She stated that most of the directives, procedures and circulars issued in the last three months are related to the implementation of the government’s agenda related to governance reforms and informed that progress reports are regularly requested from the concerned ministries and bodies for the implementation of those directives, monitoring is also done and necessary facilitation is also done.
—
16- Manang continues to be first in evaluation of administrative performance
Kathmandu, June 26: Manang has emerged as the top-performing district across the country in the latest assessment of district administration service delivery carried out by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The district scored 18 marks out of 18.25 full marks in the assessment, according to the Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Division at the Ministry. Manang had also secured the top position in the previous assessment.
Similarly, as per the third quarterly assessment for the fiscal year 2082-83 BS, Myagdi ranked second with 17.87 points, while Bhakatpur and Rasuwa shared third place with 17.62 points each.
Likewise, Makwanpur and Syangja are in the fifth, while Rukum East and Rupandehi shared seventh position. Kaski, Jhapa, Doti and Nawalparasi East jointly secured the 10th position.
Kathmandu ranked 76th with 2.5 points, while Dhanusha is in the last among the 77 districts, securing 1.68 points. According to Division Under-Secretary Bishwamitra Kuinkel, the assessment was based on indicators including citizen service delivery, execution of assigned responsibilities, and compliance with administrative standards. The evaluation also considered case settlement, disaster management efforts, and the implementation of development activities.
—
17- Weak monsoon brings below average rainfall
Kathmandu, June 26: Although the monsoon is active across the country rainfall has been significantly below average.
According to the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, an average of 149 millimeters of rainfall was measured across the country from June 1 to 25, which is 69.6 percent of the average rainfall (214 millimeters) for this period.
The department’s data states that rainfall was measured less than 90 percent of the daily average every day. Rainfall was very low especially in the early days of the month, while there has been some improvement in the last few days, though it is yet to reach normal conditions.
According to meteorologist David Dhakal, low rainfall is due to the late arrival of the monsoon in Nepal this year and its weak activity in the initial phase. However, the monsoon has not yet expanded across the country.
Meteorologist Dhakal said that the monsoon system, which has spread only to some areas of five provinces, is still weak and may take a few days to spread to the rest of the country.
Likewise, meteorologist at the DHM, Sudarshan Humagain, said there is a possibility of less than average rainfall in most parts of the country in the this year’s monsoon season. There is a 55 to 65 percent chance of less than average rainfall in the southern parts of Karnali Province, most areas of Lumbini Province, eastern parts of Madhes Province and southern parts of Koshi Province this year.
—
18- RSP general convention election results
Chitwan, June 26: Sovita Guatam has been elected as the vice president (under woman category) in the ongoing general convention of Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). She received 789 votes while her rival candidate Tosima Karki got 572.
Similarly, Bipin Kumar Acharya has been elected as the general secretary with 673 votes while his rivals Manish Jha got 346, Gnaesh Karki received 169, Sagar Dhakal got 139 votes and Ranju Darshana garnered 34 votes.
According the election commission, Hari Dhakal and Ashim Shah were elected as the joint general secretary with 404 and 471 votes respectively. Other candidates for the same posts, Pukar Bam received 334 potes, Yagya Mani Neupane (300), Ramesh Prasain (207) Sulav Kharel (291), Ashok Kumar Chaudhary (179) Milan Limbu (151) Rajiv Khatri (148), Bijay Jairu (114) and Himesh Pant got 53 votes.
Likewise, Nisha Dangi has been elected as the joint general secretary under woman category. She received 737. Her rival candidates Rima Bishwakarma received 282, Kamini Kumari Chaudhary (146), Jamuna Sharma (82) and Juli Yadav got 78 votes.
Prior to this, Rabi Lamichhane was elected as the President and Swarnim Wagle as the vice president unanimously. Likewise, Prime minister Balendra Shah was elected as the party’s senior leader.
Earlier, 99 central members were elected in the first round of the election as part of the convention.
—
19- Man charged with infant murder, incest apprehended
Bhadrapur (Jhapa), June 26: A person alleged of killing an infant and indulging in incest has been arrested in Jhapa by the police.
He was apprehended from a hotel based in Fikkal Bazar of Suryodaya municipality-10 in Ilam. The arrest was made based on a special information and technological investigation.
A lifeless body of a new born was found buried in an open area at Jhiljhile of Shibasatakshi on April 15. During the police interrogation, the alleged rape survivor said that the infant was born to her following frequent rapes by her own father and the child was buried on the suggestion of her father, said District Police Office Jhapa’s information officer and Deputy Superintendent of Police Ranjan Awa.
The man had been hiding to evade arrest. He was apprehended on June 17 from a hotel along with his daughter. He has been brought to Jhapa from neighboring Ilam and is being investigated.
The girl is under protection at a Kakarvitta-based shelter home.
—
20- Gandaki PA continues discussion on Appropriation Bill
Gandaki, June 26: In today’s meeting of the Gandaki Provincial Assembly, discussions were held on the appropriation headings related to the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Health, Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers, Provincial Public Service Commission, Provincial Assembly Secretariat and various institutions and bodies in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2026/27.
During the discussion, the Provincial Assembly members emphasized the need to correct the shortcomings in budget preparation and implement the budget effectively. They expressed their views on the strengths as well as areas that need improvement in budget appropriation.
Provincial Assembly members Kusum Budha Pun, Champadevi Khadka, Phanindra Devkota, Roshan Bahadur Gaha Thapa, Prakash Baral and others participated in the discussion on the Appropriation Bill.
During the special hour of the meeting, Opposition Party Leader Hari Bahadur Chuman said a fragmented and distribution-oriented budget will not achieve the expected results.
Rastriya Prajatantra Party Parliamentary Party Leader Panchram Gurung also expressed his views on contemporary issues including the budget.
Discussions on the ministry-level headings under the Appropriation Bill began on Tuesday and will continue in the next meeting.
—
21- Rs 30 m subsidy for preservation of indigenous crops and agro bio diversity
Kathmandu, June 26: The government has provided a subsidy of Rs 30 million for the preservation of indigenous crops and agro bio diversity.
Under the Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Environment, the Centre for Conservation of Agricultural Biodiversity has provided the financial support to the farmers involved in indigenous crop production.
The head of the centre Keshav Devkota informed that this type of financial support has been provided through 40 local levels for the purpose of protecting indigenous crops.
Stating that grants have been provided to farmers participating in the sustainable management of agricultural biodiversity, he informed that in the management of agricultural biodiversity emphasis has been placed on the sustainable protection of soil microorganisms and genetic resources related to agricultural systems. In order to receive the subsidy, farmers’ groups, agricultural cooperatives or private farms must be registered and renewed with the relevant body.
The Center coordinates with the local level to monitor the sustainable management of agricultural biodiversity. It is believed that the production made by farmers using traditional knowledge and skills will help in biodiversity conservation.
Chief Devkota informed that the Centre has asked the farmers to focus on food security, nutrition and adaptation to climate change, and has set a condition to adopt organic fertilizers and organic methods for the management of agricultural biodiversity.
Farmers are prohibited from using chemical fertilizers/pesticides in organic farming system in order to get support in this programme to protect the rights and knowledge of farmers.
—
22- Judiciary and media complement each other: Chief Justice Dr Sharma
Kathmandu, June 26: Chief Justice Dr Manoj Kumar Sharma has said that the judiciary and the media are complementary to each other.
At an Interaction between Court and Media organized by the Supreme Court Cases and Writ Division here on Friday, Chief Justice Dr Sharma said that the judiciary and the media are complementary to each other and the objective of both is to ensure the rights of citizens.
“Both the judiciary and the media work for the welfare of citizens and for justice,” he said, “Both should pay equal attention to facts, accuracy and professional dignity.” The media also serves as a bridge between the judiciary and the people.
Presenting a working paper on ‘Judiciary and Media’, Judge Mahesh Sharma Poudel said that both the judiciary and the media have the faith and trust of the people.
Justice Shrikant Poudel said that reforms in the judiciary, increasing public trust, and implementation of decisions have been prioritized. Supreme Court Chief Registrar Bimal Poudel said that challenge is increasing as misleading information and fake news are being spread through the social media.
Supreme Court Spokesperson Arjun Prasad Koirala said that efforts are being made to facilitate the easy availability of court orders/decisions to the media, while cautioning about the misinformation being spread due to social media and AI.
Constitutional and Judicial Journalists Forum, Nepal Chairperson Kalika Khadka and Vice-Chairperson Bhasha Sharma held the view that the flow of false news can be reduced if information from the court is received quickly.
—
23- Chief Minister Karki insists on press freedom for establishment of democratic values
Rastriya Samachar Samiti ( RSS)
Biratnagar, June 26: Chief Minister of Koshi Province, Hikmat Kumar Karki, has said that civic freedom can’t be fully realized without recognizing the essence of the press and media.
Inaugurating the ‘ Koshi Media Summit’ on Friday organised by the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Koshi Province, the Chief Minister highlighted the vital role of the media and journalists in strengthening democracy, safeguarding civic rights, and promoting good governance.
‘Respecting differing opinions, dissent and criticism is the true spirit of democracy, ” he said, adding these values reflect the beauty of democracy.
Fact-based, accountable, and ethical journalism will further strengthen democracy, he said. The Chief Minister also added that from the beginning of the new fiscal year, the Koshi Province would ensure equal opportunities and rights for all media to access government advertisement.
—
24- RSP will move ahead as a major force in the country: President Lamichhane
Narayangadh (Chitwan), June 26: Newly elected President of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Rabi Lamichhane, has said that his party has gained legitimacy as a major and mature political force in the country with the first historic general convention.
Addressing the party leaders and cadres after taking the oath of office and secrecy from RSP Central Election Commission Chief Bhuwan KC this evening, he expressed his determination to move forward responsibly and committed to the grand campaign of nation building.
He mentioned that the general convention has provided the new political party a legal and political identity as a party. Admitting that there were some technical and managerial weaknesses in the management and organization, President Lamichhane said, “This was our first general convention. We accept that there may have been some weaknesses in the management as it was our first experience. I express my commitment to learn from these weaknesses and improve them in the coming days.”
