- Wednesday, 21 January 2026
Kathmandu, Jan 21: The price of gold climbed sharply in the domestic market today compared to Tuesday.
According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the price of gold reached Rs 295,100 per tola (11.66 grams) today, while that of silver is set at Rs 5,920 per tola.
On Tuesday, gold was traded at Rs 284,700 per tola, while the price of silver stood at Rs 5,880 per tola. Recently, both gold and silver prices have continued to surge significantly.
In the international market, gold is priced at 4,740 US dollars per ounce today, while silver is trading at 95 dollars per ounce, international media reported.
According to economic analysts, rising uncertainty in the global economy, inflation, and geopolitical tensions have contributed to the increase in gold and silver prices, as they are considered safe investment assets.
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09- HoR election: Rupandehi records highest number of candidacies and Mustang lowest
Kathmandu, Jan 21: Candidacies were registered across the country on Tuesday for the upcoming March 5 election to the House of Representatives (HoR). Political parties and candidates enthusiastically filed their nominations within the scheduled time.
The Election Commission (EC) said that a total 3,486 candidates have registered to participate in the first-past-the-post (FTPT) election system for the House of Representatives membership election.
Among them, 3,089 are men, 396 women and six third gender candidate have registered, making a total of 3,486 candidates. In Mustang, only four people have registered, while in Manang, five candidates have filed their nominations.
Six candidates from the sexually marginalized community have registered their candidacies. They are representing the Samabeshi Samajbadi Party.
According to the details, in 165 constituencies of the country, the most number of candidates, 35 each, have registered in Rupandehi constituencies No. 2 and 3. Similarly, the fewest, four candidates, have registered in Mustang.
The EC also stated that 85 persons with disabilities and 138 from backward areas have filed their candidacy.
In this election, there are 18 million 903 thousand 689 voters across the country, who will be voting in 10 thousand 967 polling stations and 23 thousand 112 polling centres on March 5 to elect their representatives to the HoR, the lower house of the Federal Parliament.
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10- HoR election: Complains can be filed against candidates till 3pm today
Kathmandu, Jan 21: Complains can be registered against the candidates running for the March 5’s election to the House of Representative (HoR) but failing to meet the required qualifications
As per the HoR election schedule, complaints against unqualified candidates can be lodged from 10 am to 3 pm today, according to the Election Commission.
According to the information received by the Commission, a total of 3,486 candidates-3,089 men, 396 women and one from third gender- had registered their nominations in 165 constituencies across the country by yesterday.
Kul Bahadur GC, Assistant Spokesperson of the Commission, told RSS that the process of filing complaints against unqualified candidates has begun.
GC said that complaints can be filed with the election officer in the concerned constituency in accordance with the Schedule 16 of the House of Representatives Election Directives-2082 BS.
If complaints are filed, the election officer must register their complaints in the registration book in line with the Schedule 17 of the directives and the provide the complainant be provided with a receipt as per the Schedule 18 of the same directive.
Following this process, the Commission will publish the final list of the candidates on January 23 between 1 pm to 3pm. The Commission will give election symbols to the candidates in fray between 4 pm and 7pm on the same day.
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11- Construction of Kohalpur-Surkhet 132 kV transmission line reaches final stage
Kakrebihar (Surkhet), Jan 21: The construction of the Kohalpur–Surkhet 132 kV transmission line has reached its final stage.
With preparations underway for charging the transmission line by February 3 itself, work is progressing rapidly. According to project chief Rabi Chaudhary, installation of cables on 500 metres still remains.
The transmission line work started six years ago with a budget of 700 million rupees. The project has achieved one hundred percent physical progress. The test of the transmission line will be completed in the coming week and electricity will be supplied within 15 days, Chaudhary said.
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12- HoR election: 3,486 candidates file their nominations
Kathmandu, Jan 21: A total of 3,486 candidates have registered their nomination in altogether 165 constituencies across the nation for the March 5 election to the House of Representatives (HoR) members, as per the latest update provided by the Election Commission.
These candidates are contesting under the direct election (FPTP). The deadline for registering nomination for the upcoming election as set on last Tuesday.
There have been minor changes in the preliminary list as the verification process undertaken by the Commission found that there were two candidates from the same party contesting in some constituencies.
Registration of nomination was carried out simultaneously across the nation on January 20.
Among the total 3,486 candidates running for the election, 3,089 are men, 396 women and one is from third gender, said the Commission.
As per the election schedule, complaints, if any, can be lodged today against the candidates not meeting the required qualifications.
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13- 210 individuals file nominations from 16 electoral constituencies in Sudurpaschim
Mahendranagar, Jan 21: A total of 210 individuals have registered their nominations from Sudurpaschim Province for the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) elections scheduled for March 5.
The province consisting of nine districts has 16 electoral constituencies for the lower house elections, and candidates will contest from all of them, according to Dilip Bhat, spokesperson for the Sudurpaschim Province Election Office.
The highest number of nominations has been registered in Kailali district, which has five electoral constituencies. A total of 19 candidacies have been filed in Kailali-1, 16 in Kailali-2, 11 in Kailali-3, 16 in Kailali-4, and 16 in Kailali-5. As per the election schedule, January 20 was set as the day for filing the nominations across the country.
Similarly, 19 nominations were registered each in Kanchanpur-1 and Kanchanpur-2, while Kanchanpur-3 records 17 candidates. Achham-2 has nine nominations, and Achham-1 has eight.
According to the Election Office, Doti records nine candidacies, Bajura eight, Bajhang seven, Baitadi 12, Darchula 11, and Dadeldhura 13. The nominations include candidates from major political parties as well as independent contenders. The province has a total of 1,716,660 registered voters.
Meanwhile, electoral activities have also started to intensify with the completion of the registration of candidacy in all three electoral constituencies of Kanchanpur for the upcoming House of Representatives elections.
The candidates in Kanchanpur district said that they have filed their nominations for the HoR election prioritizing the development issues.
After the nominations, candidates from the main political parties have started reaching out to voters focusing on issues of development, social justice, national independence, and employment.
Candidates from the Nepali Congress, CPN (UML) and Nepali Communist Party have made infrastructure development, landless squatters’ problem resolution, unemployment reduction and national interest the main election issues alongside their political views.
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14- Call Centre at EC capable of handling 15 calls simultaneously
Kathmandu, Jan 21: The call centre launched by the Election Commission (EC) on January 19 is capable of receiving 15 calls simultaneously.
Established in view of the upcoming House of Representatives (HoR) elections scheduled for March 5, the facility aims to provide voters with information related to election matters.
According to EC Spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, the call centre is based at the EC office in Kantipath and has been set up to address concerns and queries from voters, citizens, and other stakeholders regarding the March 5 elections. Voters can dial the toll-free number 1102 for any election-related inquiries.
The facility is equipped with six desks and operates daily from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm, Bhattarai said.
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15- CM Baniya for using cement instead of asphalt in paving roadways in Nepal
Kathmandu, Jan 21: Chief Minister of Bagmati Province, Indra Bahadur Baniya, emphasized the need to promote the usage of domestically produced cement in road construction thereby reducing the import of asphalt.
CM Baniya stated that the use of domestic raw materials was indispensible to attain sustainable development and self-reliant economy.
The CM said so while inaugurating a one-day training organized by the Nepal Cement Manufacturers Association on last Tuesday in facilitation of the IPTM Nepal Pvt Ltd.
The training was related to design and construction of cement concrete pavements and aimed to promoting sustainable development of roads infrastructures.
During the inaugural, CM Baniya observed that replacing bitumen would not only promote the cement industry but also would help reduce the country’s overall trade deficit.
He pledged collaboration between the provincial government and cement industries and prioritize such programmes in the upcoming budget.
In order to maximize the cement consumption, he suggested that we should consider constructing of concrete road instead of asphalt roads.
On the occasion, Association’s Chairperson Raghunandan Maru highlighted the need for sustainable road infrastructures in the country, mentioning that more than 90 per cent of goods and passengers transportations in Nepal was currently taking place via road transport.
Although the initial cost of the concrete pavement is slightly higher compared to the asphalt roads, he explained that cement concrete pavements have lower maintenance costs in the long run along with higher durability and reliability.
He shared that Nepal imports bitumen worth more than Rs 11 billion every year. To replace this, he viewed, there is a need to use domestically produced cement in constructing concrete roads.
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16- Central Security Committee’s instruction to further strengthen security arrangements
Kathmandu, Jan 21: The government has directed the District Security Committees to further strengthen security arrangements in view of the upcoming March 5 election to the House of Representatives members.
The meeting of the Central Security Committee presided over by Minister for Home Affairs Om Prakash Aryal here today called for making security arrangement more reliable to systematize the electoral campaigns of political parties and candidates running the upcoming election.
The meeting decided to activate all mechanisms formed to coordinate election related programme, according to the Secretariat of the Home Minister.
Decision was also made to make the monitoring of social media more effective so as to control the misuse of social media during the election campaign.
It was also decided that those doing illegal activities would be brought to book.
The meeting also reviewed the preparations made by all four security agencies regarding the election security plan.
The Integrated Election Security Plan-2082 BS approved by the Committee targeting the election is currently in force.
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17- Humla farmers concerned over delay in snowfall, blame climate change
Simkot (Humla), Jan 21: As election fervor slowly picks up in the nation, political activities have intensified from the local level to the digital sphere. With nominations for the House of Representatives (HoR) elections scheduled for March 5 now complete, attention has shifted to political campaigning at both local and national levels.
However, in Humla district, farmers have an additional concern.
For farmers in Humla, regular atmospheric patterns matter for agriculture. Normally, the district experiences snowfall during winter, which supports winter crops and maintains soil moisture. This year, however, Humla has not received the expected snowfall, even as winter enters its later phase.
Farmers who had been expecting snowfall since late November are now concerned about the possibility of drought. In previous years, Humla would already be wrapped in a white blanket of snowfall. Such sights were common in the district headquarters, Simkot, as well as in surrounding highland areas. This year, snowfall occurred only once in mid-October, and no snowfall has been recorded since then.
Although temperatures have dropped and the sky has remained cloudy for several days, snowfall has not occurred.
Pema Lama of Simkot Rural Municipality–3 said that snowfall usually take place in the months of Push and Magh (the period from mid-December to mid-February). These months are considered peak snowfall months in the district.
“Our winter crops are likely to be affected due to the lack of snowfall,” said Gaugora Bohora of Simkot Rural Municipality–2. “We are concerned that agricultural production may decline.”
Farmers say the hills and mountains in the district are still waiting for snowfall, which is essential for maintaining moisture levels and supporting crop growth.
The effect of climate change has been seen in Humla also.
Farmers here hoped that it would snow whenever clouds appeared in the sky, but after some time the clouds would dissipate from the sky, said Gorkha Rokaya of Durpa village, Kharpunath Rural Municipality-5.
“In Humla, compared to ten years ago the snowfall has not occurred as expected in the past two to three years,” he said, adding that during this month of Poush, the high-altitude areas of Simkot, Kharpunath, Namkha, Sarkegad, and Chankheli rural municipalities used to be white with snow cover, but in recent years, it is not the case.
Farmers used to be elated with snowfall taking place in this month as it would be beneficial to the winter crops and recharge the water sources with plenty of water in the streams and rivers during the dry summer months.
Rokaya explained that the elders in the village said ‘the age of Kali’ has come because it does not snow much these days.
Farmers are concerned that the crops such as oat, wheat, and barley, which ripen in Jestha, would be affected because there was no snowfall for two months in Mangsir and Poush. Farmers worry that this year too there would be a delay in snowfall and rain as in last year, affecting their crops.
“On one hand the cold is increasing while on the other hand farmers are concerned about frost damaging the crops, as there has been no snowfall even in the winter season,” said Man Bahadur Aidi of Baraai village, Sarkegad Rural Municipality-6.
Aidi explained that without the required snow and rain, the crops planted in the fields will not grow and even if they grow, they will die. There is worry among farmers that the crops planted in the fields will be wasted because snowfall has not occurred even though barley and oats were sown.
He said that over the last some years in the district, even when it snowed, it was light snow and did not soak the ground much. Aidi explained that even the heavy rain had not occurred.
According to him, the possibility of drought is high because, during the winter months, there is no snowfall during the winter this time, which means shortage of water for irrigation for summer crops in the fields.
Farmers have become concerned due to the lack of snowfall in the highlands not only of the Himalayan district of Humla but also in Jumla, Mugu, Dolpa and Kalikot districts of Karnali Province.
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18- HoR election: 504 nominations for 28 electoral constituencies from Koshi Province
Morang, Jan 21: A total of 504 nominations have been registered from Koshi Province for the House of Representatives (HoR) elections scheduled for March 5. According to updates provided by the Provincial Election Office, the highest number of constituency-wise nominations, 34, has been filed from Sunsari-4.
Similarly, Morang district, which has six electoral constituencies, has registered 118 nominations. These include 18 from Morang-1, 21 from Morang-3, 20 from Morang-4, 22 from Morang-5, and 20 from Morang-6.
Likewise, Jhapa district, which has five constituencies, has recorded 90 nominations: 15 from Jhapa-1, 18 from Jhapa-2, 17 from Jhapa-3, 16 from Jhapa-4, and 24 from Jhapa-5.
A total of 109 nominations have been registered in Sunsari district, including 25 from Sunsari-1, 28 from Sunsari-2, 22 from Sunsari-3, and 34 from Sunsari-4.
Udayapur district, which has two constituencies, has registered 31 nominations: 18 from one constituency and 13 from the other. Similarly, Ilam district, also with two constituencies, has recorded 27 nominations: 13 and 14 respectively.
Among districts with a single constituency, Taplejung has registered 13 nominations, Panchthar 15, Sankhuwasabha 13, Tehrathum 12, Bhojpur 12, Dhankuta 18, Solukhumbu 12, Khotang 15, and Okhaldhunga 16.
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19- HoR Election: 56 women file nominations in Lumbini; woman nomination nil in Rolpa
Dang, Jan 21: A total of 56 women have filed nominations from Lumbini Province for the upcoming election to the House of Representatives scheduled for March 5.
The highest number of women’s nominations has been recorded in Rupandehi with two candidates, while Rolpa district has not received any nomination from women, according to the Province Election Office, Dang.
Five women candidates have filed nominations each in Dang, Banke, Bardiya, Gulmi and Nawalparasi East. Four nominations have been registered in Kapilvastu, while Palpa and Rukum have two each. One woman candidate each has filed nominations in Arghakhanchi and Pyuthan.
Although major political parties have fielded a relatively low number of women candidates, fringe parties have included women to some extent. There are also independent women candidates in the province.
Out of a total of 599 nominations filed across 12 districts in the province: 394 from various political parties and 205 independent women account for 56 nominations.
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20- Agricultural Development Bank marks 59th anniversary
Kathmandu, Jan 21: By the second quarter of the current fiscal year 2025/26, the total deposits of the Agricultural Development Bank have reached Rs 324 billion 970 million while the total loan disbursement is Rs 230 billion 270 million.
The Bank stated that by that period, non-performing loans accounted for 4.52 per cent of total loan investments.
This information was shared in a programme organized on the occasion of the Bank’s 59th anniversary. The Agricultural Development Bank Limited has celebrated its 59th anniversary with various programmes today.
Established as a leading bank for loan investment in the agricultural sector, this bank has progressively improved its business plans, working style, managerial capacity, and technical systems over time.
Currently, the bank has 51 percent of its shares owned by the Government of Nepal and 49 percent by the general public.
According to the bank, 50 percent of the total loan growth target for the fiscal year 2082/83 has been invested in the agricultural sector.
In terms of financial indicators, compared to the previous fiscal year, the Bank’s total deposits increased by 20.31 percent in fiscal year 2081/82, reaching Rs 293 billion 350 million, while loan disbursement increased by 8.40 percent, reaching Rs 224 billion.
During that period, the Bank’s non-performing loan ratio was 3.44 percent and the net profit was Rs 3.73 billion.
Speaking at the anniversary celebrations held at the bank’s central office, the Bank’s chairman, Dim Prakash Poudel, highlighted the need to become proficient in new technology and modern administrative and banking systems to keep pace with the rapid changes in the banking sector.
Referring to the radical changes in the banking system at present, he mentioned that the Agricultural Development Bank has largely adopted those changes.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Govinda Gurung said that the Bank has given special attention to expanding banking access in rural areas while prioritising agricultural loans. He added that priority has been given to credit expansion in productive sectors that would help in import substitution and export promotion.
CEO Gurung stated that a five-year strategic business plan has been implemented from 2081/82 BS to 2084/85 BS, with the aim of making banking services efficient, accurate and customer-focused.
He said the Bank, while fully complying with the regulations and directives of Nepal Rastra Bank, has maintained financial discipline and is providing various digital services with digitalisation as the focus.
On the occasion of the anniversary, the Agricultural Development Bank has launched the ‘One Minute Business Plan’ software targeting small farmers and also formally inaugurated the Child Care room at its central office.
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