- Monday, 19 January 2026
Kathmandu, Jan 19: Rice production is projected to decline by 4.20 percent this year compared to the last year, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. The Ministry stated that paddy production is likely to decrease by 250,350 metric tons this year.
According to the Ministry’s Information Officer, Mahananda Joshi, the estimated rice production this year stands at 5,705,126 metric tons, down from 5,955,476 metric tons last year, representing a decline of 4.20 percent.
Last year, paddy cultivation covered 1,420,636 hectares of land, which has decreased by 3.8 percent this year to 1,376,872 hectares. Factors such as youth migration, a shift toward fruit farming and cash crops, movement of people to urban areas, land industrialization, and the construction of physical infrastructure have contributed to the reduction in paddy cultivation.
In addition, drought during the paddy planting season, particularly in Madhesh Province, led to a decrease in the area. Joshi added that despite the availability of hybrid seeds and fertilizers, adverse weather conditions negatively affected the planting season.
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06- Former Minister Upreti passes away
Kavrepalanchowk, Jan 19: Former Minister of State, Govinda Nath Upreti, passed away at the age of 82. He died at his residence in Bhumlu Rural Municipality–8, Kavrepalanchowk this morning.
Upreti had long been suffering from respiratory-related complications. His spouse had passed away during the COVID-19 pandemic, and since then his nephew had been taking care of him.
According to Ward Chair Motilal Tamang, Upreti, who involved actively in the leftist movement for many years, was popularly known as the “Red Tiger” in the central-eastern region of Nepal. He breathed his last at 3:00 am.
Upreti had served as the Minister of State for Labour and is largely credited with development works in his area, particularly in the eastern Koshi region. His final rites are scheduled to be performed at Dolalghat this afternoon.
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07- EC launches call centre
Kathmandu, Jan 19: The Election Commission launched a ‘call centre’ today with the aim of providing information to voters regarding their election related queries.
EC Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai told RSS that one can call at toll free number 1102 if they have any election related queries. There are six desks at the call centre. The queries of voters would be resolved simultaneously from these desks, he added.
The amenity received the first call from Gandaki Province where a person questioned whether the previously scheduled examination of Public Service Commission would be affected or not due to election code of conduct.
The officers at the call centre responded that the previously scheduled PSC examination would not be affected due to election code of conduct. The call centre runs from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm every day, according to EC. The facility remains operative until distribution to the election winners.
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09- Festivals foster cultural values: NC President Thapa
Kathmandu, Jan 19: President of the Nepali Congress, Gagan Kumar Thapa, has said the Sonam Lhosar, celebrated as the New Year by the Tamang community, helps to preserve and promote cultural values.
Issuing a message of best wishes on the occasion of the Sonam Lhosar today, President Thapa expressed belief that the festivals are instrumental in reinforcing mutual harmony, coexistence and fraternity in Nepali society.
Thapa further wished the festival renewed energy and encouragement among all Nepalis living in the country and abroad so that they would devote to socioeconomic transformation through mutual trust, unity and cooperation.
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10- Local levels to prepare policies to curb violence against women, children
Nepalgunj, Jan 19: Two local levels in Banke district are preparing policies to curb violence against women and children.
During the discussion with journalists to address violence against women and children here today, these local levels shared that they were forwarding policies against violence.
On the occasion, Chief of Women Development Section of Nepalgunj sub-metropolis, Pabitra Giri, shared that the draft of the policy prepared by the local levels would be handed over to executive of the Nepalgunj sub-metropolis within few days and expressed the belief that the policy would help curb sexual harassment against women.
Stressing the need of a code of conduct to prevent sexual harassment, which she argued, would help transform behaviour based on gender equality, Giri mentioned that the code of conduct would be passed by the executive meeting and implemented soon.
Similarly, Janaki rural municipality has established a help desk to reduce violence against women and it has started developing a mechanism to increase victim women’s access to justice.
Likewise, Executive Officer at Forum for Women, Law and Development, Sabin Shrestha, opined that all local levels should make laws in order to reduce VAW. He added that local levels in Bardiya district have also done remarkable works against VAW by formulating such policies.
Senior advocate Sunil Shrestha pointed out the need of ending all types of violence against women. Chairperson of Badaiyatal rural municipality of Bardiya, Himalaya Tripathi, Deputy-Mayor of Khajura rural municipality of Banke, Manju Malla, among others opined that local levels should be alert to end VAW.
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11- Minister directs for effective works to resolve human-wildlife conflict
Kathmandu, Jan 19: Minister for Forest and Environment, Madhav Prasad Chaulagain, said the human-wildlife conflict had emerged as a serious threat, so effective measures are expected from the related officials. Reduction of human-tiger conflict is urgent, he stressed.
Addressing a high level discussion organized on ‘human-wildlife conflict and measures to resolve the problems’ in the federal capital on Sunday, Minister Chaulagain directed the officials to work with utmost coordination that ensures achievement of expected results.
“The people in the vicinity of forest are lodging more and more complaints. So, only traditional way is not enough to tackle problems,” he said, wondering, “Why don’t we devote to the way that guarantees results and mitigates conflict between human and wildlife?”
On the occasion, Director General at the National Park and Wildlife Conservation Department, Dr Buddhi Sagar Paudel, made a presentation on the efforts the government had made so far to mitigate the human-wildlife conflict. The suggestions furnished in the programme would be taken into account for additional measures to this front, he added.
Dean at Central Department of Botany, TU, Dr Thakur Silwal, suggested the government that the problems emerged on food system of wild animals should be addressed to resolve the human-wildlife conflict. The compulsion for the locals to go to forests for managing their livelihoods must be ended. A new law for hunting can also be a new measure, Silwal added.
Member Secretary at the National Nature Conservation Trust, Dr Naresh Subedi, informed that the Trust was working in collaboration with government bodies to resolve the conflict between human and wildlife.
Country Representative of the World Wildlife Fund, Dr Ghanashyam Gurung, viewed as wildlife is the foundation of ecotourism in Nepal, wildlife should not be taken as a problem. Rather, it should be managed well.
A local from buffer zone of Bardiya district, Nischal Neupane, expressed worry over increasing number of tiger attacks, preying humans in Bardiya area for lack of government’s slow response.
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12- Development should be visible: Minister Bhandari
Attariya (Kailali), Jan 19: Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security, Rajendra Singh Bhandari, has said the development activities should be carried out by ensuring its visibility and benefits.
Inaugurating the ‘province-level skills and employment fair-2025’ here today, Minister Bhandari said if any activity is conducted without ensuring positive result, it does not mean development. He argued that though Sudurpaschim is rich in nature and culture, the absence of the harmonization of nature and culture is delaying development works.
Efforts would be made to bring the development projects under the ministry to Sudurpaschim Province in a fast track way, he said, expressing worry that numerous youths were leaving country for lack of employment atmosphere. Time has come to create employment-friendly environment within country, Bhandari underlined.
“It is upsetting that youths are not getting atmosphere to utilize their energy. Their curiosity and restlessness have exploded in protest. The Gen Z protest was the example,” the Minister reminded.
He informed that the Ministry had forwarded a work procedure for creating internal jobs. The fair also features training in 22 categories. It will run for 40 days.
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13- Resignation spree on the eve of candidacy filing for direct election
Dhanusha, Jan 19: Number people’s representatives have joined a resignation spree on the eve of candidacy filing under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) for the upcoming March 5 election to House of Representatives. Tomorrow, January 20, is the day scheduled by the Election Commission to file candidacies under FPTP category.
Former Chief Minister of Madhes Province, Satish Kumar Singh, has resigned from the post of province assembly member effective from today itself.
Singh, elected from Saptari constituency 2 (A) from Janamat Party, submitted his resignation letter before Speaker of the Mahesh Province Assembly, Ram Ashish Yadav, at the Madhes PA Office, Janakpurdham.
Similarly, Sudurpaschim Province Assembly member Dr Tara Joshi has tendered his resignation from the post. Joshi, elected as PA member as an independent candidate from Dadeldhura constituency (B), resigned from the post after Rastriya Swatantra Party made him a candidate to the election of the House of Representatives from Dadeldhura.
Joshi tendered his resignation on Sunday via email, said Speaker Bhim Bahadur Bhandari. Likewise, Bagmati Province Assembly member Yub Raj Dulal (Sharad) today put down the paper from the post after he got the ticket as the candidate for Sindhupalchowk constituency-2 from the Nepali Communist Party.
He was elected as PA member from Sindhupalchowk constituency 2 (B). Kanhaiya Baniya, a member of Lumbini Province Assembly, also put down the paper. He was elected as PA member from Rupandehi constituency 4 (A) from the then Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, Nepal in 2079 BS.
Baniya submitted his resignation letter before Lumbini PA Speaker, Tula Ram Gharti. He is filling his candidacy to March 5 election from Rupandehi-4. Kathmandu metropolitan city mayor Balendra Shah and Dharan sub metropolitan city mayor Harka Raj Rai Sampang had resigned from the posts on Sunday.
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14- UML will contest election: Chair Oli
Jhapa, Jan 19: Chairperson of the CPN (UML), KP Sharma Oli, has said UML will participate in the upcoming election under any circumstances, reaffirming its commitment to democracy.
Leader Oli arrived in his home town, Jhapa, today in the context of the upcoming election to the House of Representatives (HoR) scheduled for March 5. He said, “Country’s peace and security should be in good condition, we will take part in the election under any other context.”
He was talking to media at Chandragadhi Airport. The former Prime Minister also urged the government to ensure that the election would be held in a peaceful and impartial atmosphere.
As per the election schedule, the candidacy nomination under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) has been scheduled for tomorrow, January 20. According to UML District Chair Prem Giri, the party central chair, Oli, will be filing his candidacy from the Jhapa electoral constituency 5. This is his first visit to Jhapa after he resigned from the post of Prime Minister following the September Gen Z movement.
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15- My candidacy for balanced geo-politics: Dr Bhattarai
Gorkha, Jan 19: Former Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai has said he is going to file candidacy from Gorkha constituency-2 in view of the need for protecting national sovereignty and maintaining geo-political balance rather than fulfilling personal interest.
In a press meet organised in Gorkha today, he argued that though he had already announced not to contest in the March 5 House of Representatives election, he realized the changed political scenario and accepted the request of Gorkha people.
“The House of Representatives is the supreme place of people’s representatives. Significant decisions on the issues of national independence, sovereignty and security policy should be made from this place,” he mentioned.
Bhattarai opined that he decided to file candidacy thinking that an active role should be played in the HoR to take the country towards the strong path of independence balancing the geo-politics.
He decided to file candidacy at Gorkha-2 from the Pragatisil Loktantrik Party led by Janardan Sharma.
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16- Election preparations up in Manang
Manang, Jan 19: Preparations for the upcoming election to the House of Representatives (HoR) have been intensified in Manang, where the total number of voters stands at 7,000.
During the previous HoR elections held in 2022, the total number of voters was 6,779. According to Chief Election Officer Jeevan Kunwar, there are a total of 3,623 female voters and 3,377 male voters. Total 29 election centres have been set up across the district.
Manang is considered geographically challenging for conducting elections, and election management activities are being carried out accordingly. Coordination is ensured among the Election Commission, district administration, security agencies, and local levels for making the voting successful. —
