Why did Delhi Capitals bench Nepal’s Sandeep Lamichhane in three consecutive matches?

The ongoing 13th Indian Premier League (IPL) has been the talk of the town in Nepal also. Eight teams are participating in the league, of which 11 out of 56 matches have already been played.

The IPL had been famous for being a melting pot of world-class cricketers playing together in different teams, stripping off their national jerseys for a change. Likewise, in Nepal, the IPL got even more popular after the star cricketer Sandeep Lamichhane was signed by the Delhi Daredevils [now Delhi Capitals (DC)] in 2018, becoming the first Nepali cricketer in IPL. 

Lamichhane is once again listed among the Delhi Capitals players. However, in all three of DC’s matches played so far this time, he has not stepped into the field. He is considered an outstanding bowler in any league, but why was Sandeep Lamichhane benched for all three matches in this edition of IPL?

Here are three possible answers:

1. Quota on international players

Each team in the IPL can sign up to eight international players. In a match, the team can have only four international players. To manage the combination, international players are listed in different playing sets. 

For DC, South African fast-bowler duo Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje, Australian all-rounder Marcus Stoinis, and Guyanese batsman Shimron Hetmyer have already made their appearances. In the meantime, Australian Alex Carey and Daniel Sams, along with Guyanese Keemo Paul and Lamichhane have been benched.

For the want of Indian players, batsmen and all-rounders, Delhi Capitals are compelled to use international players, exhausting the available quota. In addition, Stoinis and Nortje have performed outstandingly securing their position in future matches too.

2. Strong Indian spinners

Lamichhane is a leg-spinner. The DC have actively chosen to make Indian spinners play as they have three other Indian spin bowlers–Amit Mishra, Axar Patel, and Ravichandran Ashwin–with more experience than the Nepali start player. Patel is also a batsman, so his chances to be chosen grows.

Ashwin and Patel had played against Kings XI Punjab. In the game, Ashwin got injured and it seemed that Lamichhane would replace him. But, the DC chose Mishra as the replacement. For the second and third matches, the DC continued the same duo. If Lamichhane plays, the DC will have no option but to choose an Indian fast-bowlder instead of an international bowler.

3. Weak pace bowlers

The club have Rabada, a world-class fast bowler. Meanwhile, this season, Nortje got into the field from the very first match. The DC, of course, have Indian spinners Ishant Sharma and Mohit Sharma, but Ishant got injured just before the league. Mohit played the first match for the DC while Avesh Khan played the second and Ishant played the third match.

The DC have been playing with three fast-bowlers and two spinners with other international bowlers–fast-bowler Sams or all-rounder Stoinis–as replacements. Two pace bowlers in one game hint that the DC have a weak hand in the quota and are unable to make a balance with the foreign players. But if the club decides to play with three spinners at once, Lamichhane can get a chance.

When will Sandeep Lamichhane play then?

The DC have played all three matches with four international players in each. Out of the foreigners, Rabada and Stoinis have shown stellar performances whereas Nortje and Hetmyer have not fared well so far. Hetmyer has not been able to replicate his Caribbean Premier League performance and the DC have been in loss.

So far, it seems that Lamichhane will get to play if the DC decide to change the batting order or completely change the international players. 

In both of Lamichhane’s previous IPL seasons too, he was on the bench in the earlier matches. 

Delhi Capitals will play next against Kolkata Knight Riders on Saturday, October 3.

International Day for Older Persons: Let’s pay attention to emotional wellbeing of living gods and goddesses

As the world celebrates the 30^th International Day for Older Persons on this Thursday (October 1), the global population of the elderly citizens aged 65+ surpassed the population of children below five years globally in 2018. The UN has reported that there were 703 million persons aged 65 or over in 2019 and estimates that in the next 30 years, the number of older persons worldwide will double, reaching more than 1.5 billion and with 1.1 billion of them living in less developed countries.

According to the ‘World Population Prospects: the 2019 Revision’, by 2050, one in six people in the world will be over 65 (16%). The ratio was one in 11 in 2019 (9%).

We live in the 21^st century. We all agree that all individuals have an inherent right to a dignified life, and all human rights should be respected for all individuals. Principles of human rights never expire. In the highly consumption-based lifestyle currently, there is an increasing trend of treating elderly people as a social group which is unproductive, frail, and incapable. There is a larger possibility of forgetting the need for respecting and guaranteeing elderly peoples’ rights simply because of oversight.

According to the World Population Aging Report 2019, Nepal currently has 1.654 million people (5.8 per cent of the total population) above the age of 65 years, which is estimated to grow to 4.538 million (12.8%) by 2050. The dependency ratio in 2019 stands at 10.8 per cent, expected to grow to 19.8 in 2050. Likewise, economic dependency will grow from 12.8 % in 2019 to 23.8 % in 2050.

Photo: PickPik

These data clearly show Nepal will see a steady increase in the elderly population. Likewise, their economic dependency and overall dependency ratio of the population will see constant growth.

In this context, it will be worthwhile to delve into Nepal’s socio-cultural aspects surrounding senior citizens.

All theist communities in Nepal respect senior citizens equalling their status to that of gods and goddesses and pay obeisance, kneeling down and receiving blessings from them. Any cultural event, religious activity or festive celebration of any person is considered incomplete without the participation and blessings of senior citizens. Cultural traditions have thrived under the direct guidance of senior citizens as leaders of the communities. For example, Newars perform Janko, a celebration of old age, five times between the ages of 77 and 106 years. In other communities, the eldest member is considered the head of the clan and respected accordingly. 

Like other senior citizens across the world, elderly people in Nepal strive for emotional wellbeing and tend to affirm to cultural worldviews to which they are accustomed to. This might be the reason they want to be with their families, being cared for, loved and their points of views respected.

However, with Nepal’s economic and socio-cultural fabrics quickly changing due to the adoption of modern value systems including liberalism, consumerism, individualism, rural-urban and international migration and other trends, the age-old traditions of respecting the elderly citizens and valuing their contribution to families and communities are being blurred.

Photo: Pikist

In more individualised societies, there is a deep divide in the ways the economically active young population tries to make sense of their emotional wellbeing as opposed to the economically dependent elderly population, providing a fertile ground for conflict.

Moreover, the changing economic scenario in Nepal has also had an impact on the elderly citizens. More and more youth are migrating within and out of the country in search of economically viable employment opportunities, leaving elderly and children in their homes to fend for themselves. This has resulted in drastic changes in the cultural values of the migrant labour population.

The beliefs that senior citizens have nothing more to offer to their country, community and family, that they are a burden to the family, that they only consume the scarce resources including precious time, and that the elderly persons are only fuelling traditional beliefs seem to be rooting deep in the younger population. This stereotyping of elderly citizens also negates their contributions to their families and communities.

Such myths find further growth as our family structures tend to grow more nuclear from extended and joint families. The reproduction of post-modern societal values has somehow left behind the needy elderly people at homes. The stereotyping of the elderly population has helped reinforce exclusion, discrimination and marginalisation of this group of people.

All this is making the elderly population more vulnerable to poverty, homelessness, malnutrition, unattended chronic diseases, lack of proper water, sanitation and hygiene. They are also being victims of emotional and sexual violence. They are also excluded from their communities. Elderly citizens are being more and more disproportionately impacted by disasters. Studies have shown that the 2015 earthquake in Nepal disproportionately affected senior citizens. The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has also impacted elderly citizens in Nepal. Their support system has been disrupted. A large number of elderly citizens have been thrown into poverty.

Of late, Nepal has also adopted the rights-based approach to guarantee basic human rights of elderly citizens with the enactment of Senior Citizens’ Act, 2006, and the establishment of Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens with a mandate to look into policies and other issues related to elderly citizens. The state has guaranteed social security and provided for some protection procedures for elderly citizens, but they are far from adequate.

Mere legal provisions and protections do not help the elderly population from getting emotional and spiritual support. We might have to learn from our cultures and traditions and understand and respect the contributions by the elderly population to society and internalise the value of respecting and taking care of the elderly people.

While we observe the International Senior Citizen Day, let’s understand the value of spiritual and emotional wellbeing of our elderly citizens and start adopting extended family values which may restore happiness in homes and create an environment where we celebrate ageing gracefully and respectfully. We should not only see elderly people as free babysitters for their grandchildren, free workforce for different works and free mentors of their communities and start respecting the economic value contribution they do through these tasks. In addition to worshipping invisible gods and goddesses in temples, churches, mosques and other religious sites, we should start worshipping visible gods and goddesses at our homes–the elderly population—who have contributed to our wellbeing, by offering our love, compassion and care.

81 fair-price shops open today across Nepal targeting Dashain and Tihar

Kathmandu, October 1

The government has opened 81 fair-price shops in Kathmandu valley and major other cities of the country targeting customers’ needs for the biggest national festivals Dashain and Tihar to be celebrated this month and next month.

These shops will continue their operation until the Chhath festival scheduled to be observed on November 20.

Officials say Kathmandu valley will have 16 of such shops whereas other 65 will be established in major cities such as Birtamod, Biratnagar, Rajbiraj, Lahan and Banepa.

Depots, dealers and outlets of Food Management and Trading Company, and Salt Trading Corporation will be converted into fair-price shops whereas these companies will also sell daily consumables on vehicles as mobile shops.

The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies says consumers will get discounts on items such as rice, salt, beans, sugar, dairy items and goats.

The government used to operate such shops in the past also.

Woman kills husband in Dolakha

Province 3, Dolakha, Sailung, Ward 8 - #InterpersonalViolence, A woman has murdered her husband in Shailung Rural Municipality-8 of Dolakha  district.  Durga Maya Shrestha,  (47), killed her 52-year-old husband Hast Narayan Shrestha, by attacking with a Khukuri and a spade. According to Dolakha Police Spokesperson, Inspector Anjan Koirala, Durga Maya killed Hast Narayan during a domestic dispute.Durga has been taken under control by the Dolakha police from the spot.

School building vandalized in Siraha

Province 2, Siraha, Mirchaiya, Ward 3 - #Children’sRights, #Governance, A newly constructed two-room building of Raghopur Basic School in Mirchaiya Municipality-3 of Siraha has been vandalized by a group on September 29. After the room was vandalized, the materials were found scattered in the schoolyard and the recently resumed teaching at the school has been halted.School principal Dev Shankar Yadav alleged that a group led by Khageshwor Gohibar Yadav vandalized the newly constructed two-room building.  The locals demanded to search for the group that vandalized the school and take strict action. Police said that the building may have been demolished because of a dispute between the school management committee a few days ago. The incident is being investigated by the Area Police Office, Mirchaiya.

Drinking water, power shortage hit Jumla jailbirds

JUMLA, SEPTEMBER 30

The National Human Rights Commission has monitored the status of human rights of jailbirds at a time of coronavirus pandemic in Jumla.

A team headed by NHRC member Sudeep Pathak had monitored the human rights situation of inmates in Jumla yesterday.

The monitoring team had arrived in Jumla after taking stock of the human rights status of jailbirds in 12 districts of the country.

The human rights watchdog body’s team also held interaction with security agencies, journalists and human rights defenders in the district.

On the occasion, NHRC commissioner Pathak highlighted the importance of human rights protection along with efforts to prevent and control the pandemic.

He further said that the NHRC monitoring team had arrived in Jumla to take stock of the impacts of COVID-19 in the human rights sector, situation of jailbirds and detainees and violent activities taking place in the jail of late.

He said that the team would present its report covering the problems faced by citizens in this time of crisis to the government.

Among the key problems shared with the monitoring team were the road condition, electricity supply, Karnali road and human resource in health facilities.

Though nine inmates of the district prison had contracted the virus, they had recovered, the team told. The jailbirds are facing the acute shortage of drinking water and electricity. “The inmates here are always vulnerable to various diseases as they are still compelled to drink contaminated water supplied from the Tila River,” said Khadkajeet Rokaya, a jailbird.

Though the doctors had also diagnosed water-borne diseases among jailbirds, the authority concerned has been turning a deaf ear to the critical issue.

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A version of this article appears in e-paper on October 1 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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Living with Covid-19 stigma

A man committed suicide even after his victory over Covid-19. Sadly, he had lost the war against the social stigma that the disease brings with it.

According to media reports, there has been a steep rise in the suicide rate following the pandemic, many of them caused by extreme stigmatisation by the community.

Social stigma arises from a lack of knowledge and facts. It is the association between a person who shares certain characteristics and a specific disease.

Such stigmas affect those with the disease psychologically, as well as their caregivers, family, friends and communities. Even people showing similar characteristics of Covid-19 are being stigmatised and are in great suffering.

One victim, who was continuously nagged by the press after his test showed he had the coronavirus, shared verbally, “I am tired with the social isolation and discrimination. I have suffered so much that I am thinking of taking this up in court for privacy data theft.”

Stigma can drive people to hide the illness to avoid discrimination and prevent people from seeking healthcare immediately.

Research has clearly shown the association between stigma and fear around infectious diseases and the affected response.

The primary causes for shame surrounding Covid-19 are related to the emergence of the new virus; many are unaware of its effects. The development of Covid-19 has created a state of confusion, anxiety and fear in the public. Empathetically such factors are contributing to harmful stereotypes, leadibg to a situation where the virus can take a massive form.

Furthermore, this is escalating health problems and proving difficulty in controlling the disease. In this time of public health crisis, the government, citizens, media, key influencers and communities have an essential role to play in preventing and stopping the stigma surrounding the disease in the country. The facts should be accessible to the general public.

According to research on the mental health status of health workers in Nepal, nearly half of the participants of the study expressed a high degree of corona-related fear. During the pandemic, it’s heart aching to see the warriors of the pandemic, the health professionals, being humiliated by the society denoting them “as the virus”.

We all need to be thoughtful when communicating on the social media and other communication platforms. What works is building trust in reliable health services and advice, demonstrating empathy with those affected, understanding the disease itself, and adopting effective, practical measures so that people can help keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

 

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Part-time professors padlock Patan Campus

Province 3, Lalitpur, Lalitpur - #Governance, Part-time professors of Patan United Campus under Tribhuvan University padlocked the campus administration with the demands of repealing the directive, stopping the introduction of self-interested policies and regulations, treating part-time professors and permanent staff equally.  The directive issued by the university on August 17 mentions that the issues raised by the part-time professors will not be addressed but will be replaced. 

NAC staff protest decision of giving self ground handling to Himalaya Airlines

Province 3, Kathmandu, Kathmandu - #Governance, The staff of Nepal Airlines Corporation protested the decision of giving Himalaya Airlines 'self ground handling' at Tribhuvan International Airport.The employees wore black bands on their arms on Tuesday, protesting the decision. The Airlines Corporation Employees Union announced protest programs in a press conference on Monday.

Gender equality: Key to healthy ageing

Both governments and civil society must address the complex demographic shift of population ageing with strategic solutions and programmes. To do so successfully, we need a life-cycle approach to healthy ageing, with particular emphasis on girls and women, firmly grounded in gender equality and human rights

In a relatively short time, COVID-19 has devastated the lives of millions globally.

For hundreds of millions more, the toll wrought by the pandemic could have lasting effects for decades.

Perhaps one of the most cunning aspects of this virus is the harm it inflicts on older persons who face multiple and compounding threats, including being physically more vulnerable; at greater peril of the impacts of social isolation; and at significant risk from the grave and likely long-lasting socioeconomic shocks of the pandemic.

COVID-19 has proven to be acutely dangerous for people with underlying health conditions, ranging from diabetes and asthma to cardiac disease and cancer.

A disproportionate death rate is seen amongst older persons in most countries. Beyond physical health, the pandemic continues to take a heavy toll on older persons — and women in particular — in terms of psychosocial health and economic well-being.

In the Asia-Pacific region, these impacts are particularly acute, adding to the existing challenges of grappling with accelerating population ageing. This region is currently home to over half the world’s population over 60 years of age.

Globally, the number of older persons is expected to surpass 2 billion by 2050.

By then, nearly two-thirds of the world’s older people — close to 1.3 billion — will be in Asia-Pacific, with one in four people over age 60.

Women, who generally outlive men, currently constitute the majority — some 54 per cent — of older persons in Asia-Pacific, but represent an even greater majority, 61 per cent, of the ‘oldest old’ population of 80 years and over.

Even before the COV- ID-19 crisis, elderly women in a majority of Asia-Pacific countries were facing significant challenges, exacerbated by the fact that many societies have been moving from traditional, nuclear family-oriented patterns to far more fluid, fragmented structures. The result has been that many older women, with a higher tendency to live alone, face poverty and are more likely to lack family and other socioeconomic support.

The majority of older people do not have reliable and sustained access to a caregiver. Facing non-existent or only minimal safety nets, many have already slid into poverty during the pandemic or are on the cusp of doing so.

The pandemic has brought into acute focus the urgent need for both governments and civil society to address the complex demographic shift of population ageing with strategic solutions and programmes.

To do so successfully, we need a life-cycle approach to healthy ageing, with particular emphasis on girls and women, firmly grounded in gender equality and human rights.

To unpack this, let us consider a woman in her 70s in the small village where she was born and raised.

As with so many of her generation, she was made to marry early, with minimum education. She had children early, pregnancies were unplanned, childbirth was risky. Her husband, many years older, died a long while ago, leaving her a widow, unprepared to enter the workforce or properly fend for herself. Her children left the village for the city, adding to her isolation.

This is the scenario many older women now face – with the added risks, burdens and effects of COVID-19.

But imagine if, as an adolescent, this woman had been able to take that other branch of the road: completing school and higher education; achieving gainful employment; marrying as an adult and of her own choice; having healthy children and being able to invest in their well-being; and, ultimately, enjoying a secure old age.

If addressed in a holistic way and underpinned by better policies, more resilient social systems and gender equality, the lives of older people, especially women, can be improved significantly. This would also allow societies to harness the valuable experience and knowledge of older persons as they age – reaping a ‘longevity dividend’ from healthy, active older people who can continue their engagement in family and community.

In fact, the commitment to advance a better world in an ageing society has already been articulated by the 2002 Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing. This agreement commends the development of evidence-based policies that help create ‘a society for all ages’. In addition, the landmark Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population on Development (ICPD), as well as the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) underscore the basis of this approach to healthy ageing.

We must collectively now prioritise greater action, funding and implementation.

Within UNFPA, our mandate clearly incorporates the need to enable and strengthen the self-reliance of older persons including women, enabling their participation for the benefit of both society and themselves.

The ICPD Programme of Action is our foundation, and our guiding principle.

As the United Nations Population Fund, the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, we are increasingly seeing countries turning to us for advice and assistance on issues of population ageing. UNFPA is committed to helping governments in full partnership with civil society and communities.

2020 launches the Decade of Healthy Ageing as well as the Decade of Action to achieve the SDGs.

As Asia-Pacific, with the rest of the world, seeks to ‘build back better’ from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, let us seize this moment to transform the challenge of population ageing into opportunity.

We must translate gender equality and human rights into practical strategies and approaches that ensure no older woman will ever be left behind.

Andersson is the United Nations Population Fund Regional Director for Asia and the Pacific. October 1 marks the International Day of Older Persons

 

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New law evokes mixed reactions

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 30

A group of six civil society organisations have cautiously welcomed the recent authentication of two ordinances as laws by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari after they were passed by the Council of Ministers.

One of the new legislations has adopted stringent punishment for perpetrators of acid attack and introduced some regulatory measures for sale and distribution of acid and other corrosive materials.

“We take it as a positive sign. The government has paid attention to voices of survivors and others demanding changes in the law in order to better address acid attack related violence,” read a joint press statement issued by Amnesty International Nepal, Forum for Women, Law and Development, JuRI-Nepal, Legal Aid and Consultancy Centre, Burn Violence Survivors Nepal and Women’s Rehabilitation Centre.

“Today is a good day, particularly for the survivors of acid attacks, who have been leading the fight for amendment to the law related to acid attack from the very beginning. Their tireless advocacy led the government to act upon it. Now, we need to ensure that the law is enforced effectively,” said Nirajan Thapalia, Director of Amnesty International Nepal. As per the new law, which comes into effect on Monday, the maximum jail term for perpetrators of acid violence has been increased from eight years to 20 years and fine up to one million rupees.

It is now mandatory for sellers of acid and other corrosive materials to obtain a license and to sell to only adults above the age of 18.

However, the ordinance has failed to address the provision of sentencing based on the body parts that sustained injuries. This showed that the law has failed to consider in depth the experiences of survivors, the organisations warned.

Sabin Shrestha, executive director of Forum for Women, Law and Development said, “It would have been even more meaningful if the ordinance had brought a new law against acid attack related violence rather than just amending the current act.”

“Even though the new ordinance has helped to address the demands of acid attack survivors to a certain extent, the government should also focus on steps to prevent acid attack related crimes,” said Mohan Lal Acharya, executive director of JuRI-Nepal. The new ordinances have also failed to address incidents of burn violence caused using kerosene, petrol and other inflammable substances.

“The law needs to address the issue of burn violence which is a heinous crime just like acid attack. The physical pain, the mental trauma, the treatment process, the impact on self-respect and self-confidence suffered by acid attack and burn violence survivors are similar in nature. Failure of the law to address the issue of burn violence may suggest that there exists discrimination between survivors of similar crimes,” said Pratiksha Giri, executive director of Burn Survivors Nepal.

“The changes brought by the ordinance in respect to widening the scope of punishment for perpetrators, adding provision for treatment of survivors and prioritising such cases in the court are all welcome.

However, unless there are additional provisions that offer financial and social protection to address the psychosocial impact on survivors, those changes will not be effective,” said Lubha Raj Neupane, executive director of WOREC Nepal.

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A version of this article appears in e-paper on October 1 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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EDITORIAL: Review the provision

No foreign tourist will visit Nepal when one has to stay in hotel quarantine for one week before setting out for trekking or mountaineering

The mandatory provision requiring a visiting foreign tourist to stay in hotel quarantine for one week before setting out for a trek or mountaineering is impractical, and it will not help promote tourism activities when the number of coronavirus cases is still on the rise in the country.

The concerned ministry, stakeholders and policymakers should have held extensive discussion on the issue before reaching such a decision. The entire tourism industry is in a downward trend all throughout the world due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Less numbers of people are travelling all over the world for fear of the disease, causing huge losses to the airlines, hotel and tourism industries, pushing millions of people out of their jobs. Against this backdrop, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation needs to come up with a practical approach to attract visitors with attractive packages so that they visit Nepal and stay for a longer period than they used to before the coronavirus hit the country. This provision will be applicable to those tourists travelling to the country for trekking and mountaineering, the activities which take place in remote parts of the country, where the disease has affected the least compared to the densely populated urban centres. The stakeholders have asked the ministry to review it.

No tourist would like to stay in hotel quarantine for seven days, nor would s/he be able to afford the additional cost incurred. As per the World Health Organisation’s health protocol, a foreign traveller needs to produce a negative PCR test report conducted in the country of origin, not more than 72 hours before they board a flight and along with papers proving that one has Covid-19 insurance worth US$ 5,000. This should suffice for a traveller wishing to visit Nepal, where tourism activities have come to a grinding halt for the last six months. He or she can have their PCR test conducted in Nepal at their own expense if they have any doubt about their health condition. However, the ministry’s mandatory provision of getting an insurance cover against the virus worth Rs 100,000 to a Nepali support staffer or a guide involved in trekking or mountaineering is a welcome move. This provision will give a sense of security to the Nepali staffers who are working with foreigners by risking their life due to the coronavirus.

A large number of tourists visit Nepal for trekking, and mountaineering is popular even during the autumn season. But who will come to Nepal for short treks of one week or a fortnight when one has to stay in hotel quarantine for at least a week? This strict provision may help some hotels in the urban centres in Kathmandu or Pokhara to run their business for sometime. But it will not help promote tourism activities at the major tourist destinations, especially in the rural and mountainous areas. Most foreign tourists come to Nepal for sight-seeing, rafting, trekking and mountaineering. The tourism ministry and concerned stakeholders must develop special packages so that a large number of tourists can be attracted to visit Nepal at affordable cost even during the coronavirus pandemic.

Fair price shops

With the Dasain festival just round the corner, fair price shops are springing up at different places of the capital from Thursday. The Food Management and Trade Company (FMTC) in association with the Dairy Development Corporation and Salt Trading Company are setting up the stalls to sell goods like rice, sugar, salt and ghee at subsidised rates. Last year, there were 73 such outlets across the country, but this year, the government is undecided about opening such shops outside the valley due to the increase in the number of Covid-19 cases.

There is a tendency on the part of the business community to create artificial shortages during the festival time and swindle the poor consumers. So these fair price shops run by the government are necessary to keep prices stable in the market. It is not without reason that the FMTC is purchasing about 3,000 goats and mountain goats for Kathmandu this festival season. Their meat will not make even a small dent in the total demand, but it will certainly keep business persons from engaging in mischief. Perhaps, the time has come to have permanent government-run fair price shops across the country that will sell particularly edibles.

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UN Resident Coordinator Julliand completes her tenure

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 30

Outgoing United Nations Resident Coordinator Valerie Julliand completed her tenure in Nepal today. She has been appointed by UN Secretary General as UN Resident Coordinator for Indonesia.

Julliand has termed the relationship between the Government of Nepal and the UN as “one of mutual respect and collaboration”.

“When I first arrived in Nepal, the country was recovering and reconstructing after the 2015 earthquake – a feat that would be daunting and challenging for any country. As I leave, Nepal faces the COVID-19 pandemic and its immense socio-economic impacts,” said Julliand adding, “UN will continue to work together with the Government of Nepal and its people to recover from this crisis, build back anew and lay foundations for a gender-equal, more inclusive and climate-friendly Nepal.”

During her tenure, UN in Nepal signed its five-year partnership agreement (UNDAF 2018-2022), supported earthquake reconstruction process and coordinated COV- ID-19 preparedness and response efforts of humanitarian community, and worked with the government and civil society in taking forward the Global Agenda 2030, for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and promotion of human rights. “Now more than ever, in the COVID-19 context, we need to remember that we cannot take the progress made on the Sustainable Development Goals and Millennium Development Goals for granted. We need real change in policies and economies to achieve a truly inclusive and equitable society to ensure that progress is not lost,” Julliand stressed.

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A version of this article appears in e-paper on October 1 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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Govt still undecided on Grade XII examinations

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 30

Though various alternatives for conducting the stalled exams have been recommended, the government has failed to take a decision to hold Grade XII examinations.

The National Examination Board had suggested the government if holding examinations inside classrooms was not feasible, online exams could be conducted for 40 marks, with 20 marks allocated for practical exams and the total marks obtained by a student in Grade XI exams could be converted to 40 marks for the evaluation.

Another alternative suggested by the NEB was that evaluation and certification could be done through 50 per cent internal assessment and the remaining 50 per cent marks could be calculated by converting from the marks obtained by a student in Grade XI.

Although NEB’s suggestion has been forwarded to the Council of Ministers through the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, for its approval, no decision has been made regarding this so far and this has created confusion among the students and parents.

If a decision on this matter is not immediately made, then there will be slim possibility of conducting the exams before the Dashain festival.

Moreover, it would be difficult to conduct the exams in the mountainous districts after the Dashain due to the cold. In such a situation, experts suggest, the second alternative of the National Examination Board has a high chance of implementation.

Questions have been raised regarding the authenticity of the online exams said to be held for 40 marks as it was going to be an ‘open book exam’. Besides internet access for students in remote parts of the country was a major issue.

A few days ago, Minister of Education Giriraj Mani Pokharel had said that the ministry was for administering the examinations in one or the other form as the Grade XII exam is a board examination and it has to have international equivalence. If online exam is held, questions will arise on the duration of the exam and assigning of the exam centres.

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A version of this article appears in e-paper on October 1 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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Swindling racket busted, eight members arrested

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 30

Police have nabbed eight persons who were involved in swindling money from people on the pretext of exchanging foreign currency at a rate lower than the market rate.

The police came to know about the large scale business of the racketeers and their notorious history following the arrest of a few members of the gang last Friday on September 25.

Earlier, a youth Nawaraj, 25, (name changed) from Dhapasi, who had recently returned from foreign employment was looted by the members of the group.

According to police, Nawaraj was lured by a young girl whom he had known through Facebook.

She had told Nawaraj that her family had found a large amount of US Dollars from an earthquake rubble and they were willing to exchange it with Nepali currency at a lower rate.

Nawaraj, who had met the girl once at a hotel room agreed to exchange Rs 500,000 for USD. After a few days, he went near Rose Village Apartments in Balkot, Bhaktapur with the cash. There, two persons along with the girl handed him apparently a bundle of USD bills wrapped by a towel in exchange of Nepali currency.

While exchanging the money, Nawaraj was shown some original US dollar bills.

But below the original US dollar bills were actually stacked a bulk of paper cut in the size of the USD bill. Unaware of it Nawaraj had handed his money to them. As soon as they received the money all three, including the girl, left the scene.

When Nawaraj checked the bag he finally learned that he was swindled by the girl and her friends. He then lodged a complaint against the girl and her team at Bhaktapur Police. Police soon arrested them and five more persons from their rented rooms at Bode of Madhyapur Thimi Municipality.

Of those arrested are, leader of the group Khel Bahadur Tamang, 36, Rail Bahadur Tamang, 33, Shyam Bahadur Tamang, 33, Ram Krishna Tamang, 25, Kanchi Tamang, 32, Raj Kumar Tamang, 33, Nirmal Bhandari, 23, and Bimal Bhandari, 21.

All of them are from Barhabise Municipality, 3, of Sindhupalchowk district and are related to each other or are neighbours.

Only after their arrest last Friday, police came to know that they were involved in similar 10 other cases. The group had been active in swindling money from people for the past six years and they had swindled millions of rupees in the same manner. Subash Budhathoki, inspector and spokesperson for Metropolitan Police Range, Bhaktapur, said some of them lived at various places in Kathmandu valley, in disguise as commoners.

“The gang members were involved in activities like animal husbandry and truck driving. They were very friendly to their neighbours wherever they lived.”

The leader, Khel Bahadur had bought two ropani land in Shankharapur Municipality of Kathmandu district.

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A version of this article appears in e-paper on October 1 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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Private labs get ultimatum to cut PCR test fee

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 30

The Ministry of Health and Population has given a 24-hour ultimatum to private hospitals and laboratories to bring down the fee for polymerase chain reaction test to Rs 2,000 per test in line with the rate fixed by the government.

“In case they fail to do so, the permission given to them to conduct the test will be scrapped,” said Jageshwor Gautam, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Population, today.

Eight private hospitals and laboratories, including HAMS Hospital, Star Hospital, B&B Hospital and Nepal Mediciti Hospital had issued a press statement on September 27 saying that they would be charging Rs 3,899 for a PCR test.

Earlier on September 14, the government had decided to decrease the fee for PCR test that diagnoses COVID-19 to Rs 2,000 from Rs 4,400.

The Health Emergency Operation Centre had issued a directive to all the laboratories conducting PCR test to charge Rs 2,000 per test as per the decision taken by the Incident Command System meetings held in the presence of Minister of Health and Population, Bhanubhakta Dhakal on September 14.

On August 31, the government had slashed the fee for PCR tests to Rs 4,400 from Rs 5,500.

According to Gautam, the Incident Command System of the Ministry of Health and Population had decided that labs charging fee in excess of what the government had fixed should be warned before directing National Public Health Laboratory to scrap the permission given to them to conduct test.

In case the errant labs fail to bring down the fee even after that the Ministry of Home Affairs and Department of Commerce, Supply and Consumer Protection Management will be asked to take action against them on the charge of black marketing.

Jyotindra Sharma, executive director at HAMS Hospital, said they would not abide by the government ultimatum, adding that the fee fixed by the government was not reasonable.

“Private hospitals and laboratories have to bear additional cost that government hospitals don’t have to,” added Sharma.

“As the health ministry has told us to decrease the price of the PCR test, all the laboratories and hospitals’ management should sit and discuss the issue and come up with a solution,” said Sharma.

Four other labs that are charging Rs 3,899 are also based in Kathmandu valley. They are: Intrepid Diagnostic Centre, Decode Genomics and Research Centre, Central Diagnostic Laboratory and Research Centre and Saurya Healthcare Private Ltd.

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Nepal, Germany agree to enhance partnership in productive sectors

Kathmandu, 1 October: Nepal and Germany have emphasized the need of continuing interaction between the two countries, including the importance of enhancing partnership in productive sectors such as investment and trade.

They have agreed to work together on matters of common interest, such as climate change, at various multilateral forums.

In a virtual Nepal-Germany Bilateral Consultation Mechanism meeting held on Wednesday, the two sides re-evaluated the overall state of the bilateral relations and cooperation between Nepal and Germany.

Views on cultural relations, people to people contacts and connectivity, among others followed by discussion on Nepal-Germany cooperation in the current context of the pandemic and plans for economic recovery.

The Nepali delegation comprised the Ambassador of Nepal to Germany, senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation and Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. The German delegation included of the Ambassador of Germany to Nepal, and senior officials of the Federal Foreign Office and Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

People’s News Monitoring Service

Nepal and China agree to implement transit transportation pact

Kathmandu, 1 October: Nepal and China have agreed to take further initiative for the operationalisation of the Transit Transport Agreement 2016 and its protocol, 2019 to boost trade and commerce of both countries.

Both the countries have agreed to build and facilitate trade infrastructure through mutual assistance and interdependence, according to media reports.

A joint meeting of the  working group on trade between the two countries discussed about the construction of the border check station and dry port at Timure of Rasuwa, establishment of  a laboratory for testing plant and animal products in Nepal, labelling of food items exported from Nepal to China, and upgrading and maintenance of the Syaphrubensi-Rasuwa road section.

The Nepali side requested the Chinese authorities for the construction of an integrated checkpoint at Korala border in Mustang district. The Chinese side has given positive response to the request.

People’s News Monitoring Service

SC hearing against Gautam’s nomination to NA begins

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 30

Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court today began hearing in the case filed against Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Vice-chair Bamdev Gautam’s nomination to the National Assembly.

Lawyers representing petitioners, Senior Advocate Dinesh Tripathi and Advocate Badri Raj Bhatta and the government presented their arguments. Hearing of the case will continue on Friday in the same constitutional bench headed by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher JB Rana.

Other justices in the bench are Deepak Kumar Karki, Hari Krishna Karki, Bishwambhar Shrestha and Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada. Petitioner Tripathi argued before the court that nomination of Gautam to the Upper House had undermined the decisions of his electors, who voted against him in Bardiay-1 constituency.

He also said the provision whereby the president nominates three persons to the NA on recommendation of the government is for nominating distinguished persons of various walks of life and not for a regular leader like Gautam.

The constitutional provision stipulating that a person, who has lost the HoR election cannot become a minister in the same tenure of the HoR means that such a person cannot also become a member of the NA, he argued. Tripathi said the government used the constitutional provision with mala fide intention against the scheme of the constitution. Advocate Pankaj Kumar Karna, who pleaded on behalf of the petitioners said had the constitution imagined of nominating any person from any field, the law of the land would have incorporated provisions for electing all 59 members to the NA through direct election. But since the spirit of the constitution was to nominate distinguished persons, who have contributed to national life such as economist, scientist, artists and academicians, the constitution incorporated provision for nominating three people to the 59-member NA.

Attorney General Agni Prasad Kharel said as per Article 87 of the constitution, Gautam was eligible to become a member of the federal parliament and thus Article 78 (4) did not apply to him. Kharel said under the Interim Constitution, Mahantha Thakur and Madhav Kumar Nepal, who had lost Constituent Assembly elections, were later appointed to the NA among the 26 nominees.

Nepal even became prime minister. He also cited the case of late prime minister Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, who was defeated in the House of Representatives elections held in 1959, but was nominated to the HoR and he later became the speaker of the House in the same tenure of the HoR.

“One-time defeat does not mean that the loser has been disqualified forever,” he argued.

The bench had given two hours each, to the lawyers representing the petitioners, the government and Gautam to conclude their arguments. The court will hear arguments from Gautam’s lawyers on Friday and would give the petitioners a chance to rebut their arguments.

Earlier a single bench of the SC had ordered the government to keep Gautam’s process in status quo besides asking the government not to assign extra constitutional responsibility to him.

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A version of this article appears in e-paper on October 1 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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Man United beat Brighton again, Calvert-Lewin hat-trick

LONDON: Manchester United earned their second win over Brighton & Hove Albion in five days as they booked a place in the League Cup quarter-finals with a 3-0 win at the Amex Stadium on Wednesday.

It was much more comfortable for United than Saturday’s dramatic last-gasp 3-2 league victory, Scott McTominay heading in the opener shortly before halftime before Juan Mata and substitute Paul Pogba scored in the second half.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made 10 changes to the team that started at the weekend, with Victor Lindelof the only player to keep his place, and although United struggled for fluency they were too strong for a second-string Brighton side.

Holders Manchester City beat Burnley 3-0 thanks to a double from Raheem Sterling and new signing Ferran Torres’ first goal in English football.

Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin continued his superb form with his second hat-trick of the season as the Toffees outclassed West Ham United 4-1 at Goodison Park.

The 23-year-old took his season’s tally to eight goals in all competitions, more than any other Premier League player, and he became the first Everton player to score a hat-trick in the League Cup since Paul Rideout against Lincoln City in 1993.

This form has strengthened his case to be included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for three internationals in October, which is due to be named this week.

Newcastle United narrowly avoided an upset as Jonjo Shelvey’s late equaliser earned them a 1-1 draw against League Two (fourth tier) Newport County and set up a penalty shootout which the Premier League team won 5-4.

The quarter-final draw will take place after the final fourth-round ties on Thursday, Brentford v Fulham, Aston Villa v Stoke City and Liverpool v Arsenal.

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Bamdev’s case under hearing

Kathmandu, 1 October: The hearing of the writ petition filed against National Assembly member and leader of the ruling Nepal Communist Part(NCP) Bamdev Gautam held on Wednesday in the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court has been kept under hearing. The next hearing is scheduled for Friday, October 2.

The pleas of the petitioner and the Attorney General were heard on Wednesday by Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana and Justice Dipak Kumar Karki, Hari Krishna Karki, Bishwambar Prasad Shrestha and Ishwar Prasad Khatiwada, according to the media reports.

People’s News Monitoring Service

 

Court orders PM Oli to reassign Tikaram Rai

Kathmandu, 1 October: The Supreme Court has ordered the government to appoint Tikaram Rai, media expert in the Gorkhapatra Corporation. 

Rai was appointed to the Gorkhapatra Corporation as the media expert by the cabinet meeting on 10 December 2018. He was terminated on 16 July this year. 

Prime Minister himself had appointed Rai in the Gorkhapatra, he later had terminated him. Rai was appointed there for improvement of the Corporation, a government undertaking. 

The joint bench of the Supreme Court judges Tejbahadur KC and Prakash Dhungana has given the court order to the government to reassign Rai to the same post, reports Jana Aastha online. 

People’s News Monitoring Service

 

Conspiracy to finish Nepal Airlines

Kathmandu, 1 October: The recent decision permitting ground handballing facility to the Himalaya Airlines is a plan to finish the national flag career Nepal Airlines Corporation.
The Civil Aviation Authority has given a letter to the Himalaya Airlines allowing the ground handling facility to the Airlines.
Against such a decision of the Authority, Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai called Rajan Pokhrel and instructed to take back the decision.
According to the Jana Aastha vernacular weekly, it cannot be believed that the Civil Aviation Authority didn’t grant such a facility to the Airlines without knowledge of the Minister. The idea of rewarding Baluatar close businessman, owner of the Yeti Group which has a major share in the Himalaya Airlines, was developed through a planned setting.
Now, the Authority will hand over another letter to the Himalaya Airlines and the Airlines will go to the court and return with court permission for operating ground handling service.
Presently, Nepal Airlines, Thai Airways and Indian Airlines have obtained such a facility and the Nepal Airlines, the government undertaking, which is facing a heavy loss, is managing staff salary by providing ground handling service to other airlines flying to Kathmandu.
To recall, the Tourism Ministry had appointed Furgurje Sherpa, associated with the Yeti Group, as the Nepal Airlines board member. Appointment of a businessman from the rival group was also intended with the plan of destroying the government undertaking.
When Sherpa was appointed as the board member, it was believed that the government is planning to shut down Nepal Airlines.

People’s News Monitoring Service

Rape accused arrested in Udayapur

Province 1, Udayapur, Katari, Ward 5 - #GBV, UDAYAPUR, Sept 28: Police on Monday arrested a teenager from Udayapur on rape charges. Tek Bahadur Bhujel, 19, from Katari Municipality-5 was apprehended after the family of the victim filed a case against him, according to Area Police Office, Katari. The girl was raped by the accused after forcibly entering her room at 1 PM on Sunday.According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Hemanta Bhandari, preliminary investigation suggested that a rape attempt was made. 

Soaltee bags award

KATHMANDU: Soaltee Westend Premier Nepalgunj has been recognised with ‘Award for Environment-Friendly and Sustainable Development’ at the 41st World Tourism Day by the Nepal government, Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation.

Known for pioneering in high-end tourism in Nepal since 1960, with Soaltee Hotel in Kathmandu, the company has taken another step by setting up Nepal’s most state-of-the art eco-friendly hotel, as per a media release.

Soaltee Westend Premier Nepalgunj is the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Category hotel in Nepal, certified by the US Green Building Council. From the design stage to the eco-friendly energy saving practices followed which reduces pollution and sets very high standard for energy-saving and eco friendly criteria.

 

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BPKIHS reports another Covid-19 death

KATHMANDU: The Dharan-based BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) reported another covid death on Wednesday.

A 39-year-old male from Rajbiraj-4 of Saptari succumbed to coronavirus infection at 3:10 am today morning. He was undergoing treatment in the ventilator in the Covid unit of the institute, informed Dr Nidesh Sapkota, Spokesperson at the BPKIHS.

The deceased was referred from Golden Hospital, Biratnagar after he showed Covid-19 symptoms like fever, cough, difficulty in breathing and was admitted to the covid hospital on September 26.

Hospital is preparing to perform the last rites of the deseased as per the health protocal, added Dr Sapkota.

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Police for strict enforcement of odd-even rule

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 29

Traffic police have intensified action against the vehicles violating the odd-even rule, which is being enforced in Kathmandu valley.

Chief district officers of Kathmandu, Bhaktapur and Lalitpur had lifted the complete lockdown on September 10, allowing businesses to operate on particular days. But the government had decided to continue the odd-even rule for vehicles.

As the number of vehicles on roads has started growing exponentially, traffic police have stepped up their action against the rule violators.

Superintendent of Police Rameshwar Prasad Yadav of Metropolitan Traffic Division, Singha Durbar, said as of 5:00pm today, as many as 1,595 vehicles were held across the valley. Of those held, 1,290 were two-wheelers and 305 were four-wheelers. Some of those vehicles were held until 8:00pm, according to traffic police.

Traffic police have increased the number of check posts to enforce the rule. Today there were 41 check posts, mostly around and inside the ring-road.

Many people have complained about the abrupt action of the traffic police. A passerby caught around Kausaltar area of Bhaktapur said, “I had thought the odd-even rule was no more and had been riding all day for the last one week. But all of a sudden my motorbike was held without any information.”

Feature image: File

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A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 30, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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Lowering risks of Covid-19

The number of Covid-19 cases in Nepal has been increasing steeply since August. It took just a month to double the number of positive cases (from 24 August to 23 September).

Another concern about COV- ID-19 is the number of daily tests, which does not include asymptomatic cases and cases notified in low health care settings, especially in rural areas.

The average number of daily tests in the last month was around 11,000, which is far below those countries with similar populations but with low numbers of daily incidences.

Australia has tested almost eight times more RT-PCR tests than Nepal for almost less than half the number of COVID-19 cases, Malaysia has tested 1.5 times higher COVID 19- tests than Nepal even with six times lower number of cases. Moreover, New Zealand has an almost equal of tests despite its having a population that is 5.5 times smaller than Nepal’s. More investigations help reduce the chance of transmission by asymptomatic cases, and contact tracing is possible in an effective way.

In applied epidemiology, the number of secondary cases due to a typical primary case is known as the reproduction number. A reproduction number less than one implies the virus’s extinction, whereas if it is greater than one, the virus infects the population and shows disease persistence. WHO has reported the reproduction number for Nepal to be 2-4.

However, one research report (communicated in a journal) has shown that Nepal’s estimated reproduction number is around 1.3-1.5, meaning that on an average, one positive case in Nepal infects 1.3-1.5 susceptibles.

This estimation is relatively low than global findings, possibly due to significant underreporting notification data.

The number of secondary cases depends on three major factors. First, the probability or chance of infection; secondly, contact rates (between infected and susceptible); and lastly, the duration of infectious periods.

All these three components are directly proportional to the number of incidences.

The current control measures, such as lockdown, wearing masks and good sanitising habits are not enough to reduce infection probability and contact rates. However, extensively large numbers of tests reduce the probability of infection by asymptomatic cases, which is the major challenge in Nepal.

Mathematical models show that Nepal needs to increase daily tests by 5-7 times of what is currently being done to include more asymptomatic cases.

But this is an ambitious goal and needs a strong government and political commitment.

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Universal basic income: The time is now

The idea of a UBI is not perfect, but the decision on it must be taken soon. Of all the things the coronavirus has given us, the least is time. If there was ever a time for a universal basic income, it is now

A concept that has been under debate for some years in global forums is the Universal Basic Income (UBI), which briefly defines a distribution structure where every citizen receives a fixed amount of cash regularly from the government. With the Covid-19 virus highlighting the ills of poverty and inequality, especially in emerging markets, the discussions around UBI have become louder.

A universal basic income has three key components.

It is universal – no citizen is excluded. Everyone gets the same assistance, irrespective of their gender, wealth, age or occupation.

It is unconditional, that is, transfer is done without any pre-condition. The recipient does not have to perform any task in order to be eligible for the income.

It is direct – money reaches the targeted beneficiary directly, without much interference from any middleman.

The biggest criticism has been with regard to the universality of the UBI, as economies have limited fiscal space and ongoing expenditures.

While it eliminates the exclusion error, the inclusion error rises, where a lot of relatively richer individuals also receive the payment. However, existing schemes also run similar risks, and sometimes the opposite, where exclusion errors are significant and the benefits reach a little few.

Regarding the fiscal space, it has been suggested that the UBI should not be implemented in addition to existing programmes, but rather as an alternative. The constraint then is not fiscal but political, as scrapping existing programmes requires a lot of political will and concurrence of a lot of stakeholders in the status quo.

Another criticism is about the one-way transfer of cash with nothing in return.

Such unconditional transfers would make the recipient lazy and unwilling to work, which would be detrimental to the economy.

This idea is based on an assumption that the sole purpose of an individual to work is survival. This is questionable, as human necessities go beyond food, and extend to clothing, housing, health, education and other activities, which are continuously upgraded with rising incomes.

Also, the ones at the bottom have too little to save.

Any increase in income would immediately turn into expenditure. With a higher marginal propensity to consume, the multiplier effect would give significant gains. For those slightly above this bottom section the additional incomes could also ignite entrepreneurial instincts, leading to investments and employment.

There is therefore a need to trust these individuals, that they will strive to improve their lives and not be lazy.

The biggest handicap with respect to the UBI is that of targeting, especially in emerging countries. Despite the right intensions, the policy makers can’t implement the UBI if there are limitations in the distribution capabilities. The lack of internet penetration and absence of banking services in remote areas makes direct transfers impossible, and cash transfers through intermediaries would open the gate for corruption.

While the state could start with areas that they could service right now, in the medium term they would have to work on preparing the infrastructure to facilitate UBI.

Banks would also have an incentive to open branches, as they get a new set of depositors and borrowers.

Banking correspondents could be hired in these areas to reach more individuals and get them under the government and bank’s service net. This data could be used in future policies, and also to improve the targeting of the UBI itself.

Versions of the UBI have been implemented in countries like the US, Finland, Brazil and Germany.

The effectiveness of these programmes has also varied from case to case, and while some decided to continue with it, most took the alternative route with methods like providing subsidies, exemptions or indirect transfers.

In the USA, the oil dependent state of Alaska makes an annual unconditional transfer of the Permanent Fund Dividend ranging from US$ 1,000- 2000 depending on the price of oil. The dividend was observed to have no impact on overall employment.

However, it affected fertility rates, as families were encouraged to have more kids.

In the town of Dauphin, Canada, to check the impact of a basic income, a randomised control trial was done during 1974-79, where every family was eligible to participate. It seemed to have benefitted the physical and mental health of residents, with fewer doctor visits and cases of hospitalisation. High school graduation rates also improved.

The Bolsa Familia Programme in Brazil is a case of conditional transfer, where recipients are expected to keep their children in school and visit health clinics. Millions of recipients are covered under the programme. Finland ran a one year trial in 2017 by choosing 2,000 unemployed citizens and giving them 560 euros every month for two years, irrespective of whether they held a job. The results showed that the income didn’t help them get jobs, but it did make them feel happier and less stressed.

The recipients also reported that they felt more trust toward other people and social institutions.

In Germany, in 2014, the non-profit Mein-Grund-einkommen used crowd funding to set up a basic income programme.

Each got about $1,100 per month for a year. Most of the recipients said the income made them less anxious, more than half said it helped them continue their education while about a third said they feel more motivated at work. In India, between 2011 and 2012, a pilot project in the state of Madhya Pradesh gave a basic income to some 6,000 Indians. Receiving a basic income led to improved sanitation, nutrition and school attendance.

The idea of a UBI is not perfect. Each country, including Nepal, would have to assess the plausibility of its implementation in the context of their abilities.

But the decision would have to be taken soon. Of all the things the coronavirus has given us, the least is time. If there was ever a time for a universal basic income, it is now.

Sharma is economist and co-founder at Sankhya Solutions, a research and analytics company

 

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EDITORIAL: TU, stay resolute

One only hopes TU has a Plan B ready should coronavirus cases in the country get out of hand

Even as the authorities mull over another lockdown following the rapid rise in the number of Covid-19 cases across the country in recent days, Nepal’s biggest university, Tribhuvan University, has decided to go ahead with its regular examinations after the major festivals next month. Dasain, the biggest festival of the Nepalis, is just about a fortnight away, and students have been asked to contact their respective colleges and learn about the exam schedule and location. The coronavirus has hit all sectors, but its impact on education is particularly critical as it affects more than a third of the country’s population, or 10 million students in schools and colleges. The lockdown went into force on March 23, just days before the school and college students were to sit for their respective exams. As a result, the Secondary School Examinations (SEE) taken at the end of class 10 were cancelled this year. For the first time, students were, thus, evaluated based on their performance in school, which resulted in unprecedented high scores.

The new academic year of colleges in particular has been delayed by months, and unless the authorities can come up with some way to conduct the exams and start the new session, the academic environment is going to go awry. Some universities have already conducted exams, but they have few students.

However, Tribhuvan University, with tens of thousands of students studying in hundreds of affiliated colleges, is a different story altogether.

The mode of taking the exams will have to be very different this time. Until now, all the students from a particular college were made to take their exams from a particular centre.

But right now, most of the students have gone back to their homes, some to remote villages. With the students unable to travel long distances, the exam centres will have to be at the nearest convenient location for them. For those unable to visit a nearby college, the TU is also mulling over holding ‘open book exams’ under the direct supervision of local governments.

But all this is easier said than done. For one, the authorities cannot be taking chances. The threat of the coronavirus is real, and there are immense chances of the virus spreading if the students are not made to follow the mandatory health guidelines at the exam centre. With the incidence of Covid-19 increasing at an alarming rate, no one can predict what the scenario will be after Dasain and Tihar, when the cold season will have set in. The government is said to be thinking of imposing another lockdown should the number of active cases touch the 25,000 mark. For now, TU remains determined to conduct the exams come what may as no one knows when the virus will finally go away. One only hopes it has a Plan B ready should coronavirus cases in the country get out of hand. It is equally necessary that there is strict monitoring and supervision of the exam centres to discourage any unethical practice.

When the exams are conducted, strict monitoring of the movement of students, practising social distancing and wearing of masks will go a long way in making them a success.

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Abide by the rules

Eight private hospitals and laboratories which have obtained permission from the government to conduct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests have refused to abide by the directives issued by the Ministry of Health and Population. The ministry has now slashed the price for a PCR test from Rs 5,500 to Rs 2,000, citing price cuts in the international market for PCR test kits and reagents. The private hospitals and labs have argued that they cannot provide the service at the price fixed by the government as they have already made huge investments in setting up their labs and arranging human resources. The private hospitals, in a joint statement, said they would charge Rs 3,899 for a PCR test.

Their argument that they need to buy equipment, reagents and other stuffs at a “much higher price in the black market” is simply illogical. The government has already made arrangements to purchase the required equipment and other stuffs at subsidies rates.

Private health institutions must provide affordable services to the public in times of emergency. If they don’t follow the rules, legal action should be taken against them. They cannot be fixing fees on their own.

 

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Rape accused arrested from Rautahat

Province 2, Rautahat, Katahariya, Ward 1 - #GBV, #Children’sRights, According to DSP Ravi Rawal of Area Police Office, Garuda, Indal Das, 35, of Bhasedhwa Paraswani Tole in Katahariya Municipality-1 was arrested on charge of raping a 15-year-old girl. He was arrested on September 28.After the victim’s father informed the police, a team under the command of SI Latif Ansari from Area Police Office Katahariya arrested Das from his house.According to DSP Rabi Rawal, a case of rape was registered against the accused after the victim’s father lodged a complaint at the Area Police Office, Garuda on September 29.The girl underwent a medical examination at the District Hospital, Gaur on September 29.Kopila Timalsina

Discussion on safe abortion to be held

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 29

Local chapter of global women’s rights movement, She Decides Nepal, will mark International Safe Abortion Day with an ‘Open House’ event tomorrow to raise awareness on abortion rights.

The event will aim to create a safe space for young people to come together and share knowledge and experiences. Through speaking openly and informatively about abortion-related issues, the movement hopes to help raise awareness on safe abortion.

Despite abortion being legal in the country many women and girls have been deprived of the right to decide on abortion issues. Nepal’s recent Demographic and Health Survey found that only 41 per cent of women aged between 15 and 49 were aware that abortion is legal in Nepal, and only 48 per cent knew a place where a safe abortion service could be obtained. Over half of abortions (58 per cent) were conducted by untrained or unapproved providers. The COVID-19 pandemic has further restricted women’s access to safe abortion and the right to decide. During this time, many women and girls have been unable to use essential sexual and reproductive services, such as contraception, which is resulting in a higher number of unintended pregnancies, adding further strain to an already overstretched system.

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A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 30, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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Fair price shops to open from tomorrow

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 29

The Food Management and Trade Company Ltd (FMTCL) has announced that it will be opening fair price shops from Thursday.

FMTCL will be opening the shops targeting the festive season in association with Salt Trading Corporation (STC) and Dairy Development Corporation (DDC) in Kalimati, Koteshwor, Teku, Singha Durbar, Satungal, and other places of Lalitpur and Bhaktapur.

As per FMTCL, it will operate five shops, while STC and DDC will operate five and three shops, respectively. The shops will be open till the Chhath festival. Last year, the government had operated a total of 73 shops across the country with STC operating a total of 35 such outlets, including three mobile outlets, while FMTCL and DDC had operated 23 and 15 shops, respectively, within and outside the Valley.

According to FMTCL, it has still not decided on the price that it will be charging for the food items that it will be selling through the fair price shops.

The company has, however, made a commitment to increase the number of outlets and mobile outlet services gradually. However, looking at the increasing threat of COV- ID-19 infection the government has not taken any decision yet to open such outlets outside the valley.

Generally, the government operates outlets across the country and sells goods like rice, ghee, salt and sugar, among others, at subsidised rates to control the inflation of daily consumables during the festive season and provide relief to consumers. Starting from Dashain, the shops are open till Chhath.

Amid this, FMTCL has decided to purchase 3,000 goats and mountain goats targeting the Dashain festival. As per the company, 1,400 mountain goats and 1,600 goats will be purchased for the festival. The goats will be purchased from Nepalgunj, Hetauda and Dang, among other districts while mountain goats will be purchased from Mustang.

As per Sharmila Neupane, information officer of FMTCL, the price of goats and mountain goats might increase this year as farmers are increasing the price due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, due to the pandemic transportation will be costlier too, she added.

READ ALSO: 

• Fair price shops to open after October 1

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UK air ambulance tests paramedic jet suit

LONDON, SEPTEMBER 29

Emergency responders and engineers in Britain said today they had successfully tested “the world’s first jet suit paramedic”, which could transform how life-savers reach isolated casualty sites.

The Great North Air Ambulance Service, which provides emergency air response across swathes of northern England, said it had helped flight-test the 1,050 bhp (brake horsepower) jet suit in the Lake District National Park.

The trial saw Richard Browning, the founder of Gravity Industries which has pioneered the technology, fly from the bottom of a valley up to a simulated casualty site in 90 seconds — compared to a 25-minute response time on foot.

Video of the simulated exercise shows Browning, wearing a helmet, goggles and red flight suit equipped with a jet pack-style device, powering off the ground and zooming through the air just above the surface of the rocky terrain.

Andy Mawson, GNAAS director of operations, said the charity chose the test location based on its call-out data and had little idea how the tech would fare in the real world.

“We’ve seen it now and it is, quite honestly, awesome,” he said in a statement.

Mawson added that at a time of strained healthcare provision because of the coronavirus pandemic, it was “important to still push the boundaries”.

“We think this technology could enable our team to reach some patients much quicker than ever before,” he said.

“In many cases this would ease the patient’s suffering.

In some cases, it would save their lives.”

GNAAS, which responds to more than 1,500 call-outs a year and relies on donations to fund its operations, said the successful test flight was the culmination of a year of discussion with Gravity Industries.

The charity was “now exploring the next steps in this collaboration,” it said.

Browning said it was “wonderful” to have tested his “Gravity Jet Suit” with active emergency responders.

“We are just scratching the surface in terms of what is possible to achieve with our technology,” he added.

“Emergency response is one of the areas Gravity (Industries) are actively pursuing.”

 

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Nepali UNMISS peacekeepers honoured with UN medal

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 29

United Nations honoured UN peacekeepers, including Nepali nationals in South Sudan, during a function held here today.

“I’m very proud to be a part of United Nations Mission in South Sudan,” said Captain Chunadevi Paudel, a peacekeeper from Nepal, upon receiving the United Nations medal for her commitment to the cause of durable peace across South Sudan. “I have been struck most by the people of South Sudan. They have been through so much pain, they have a higher degree of resilience and positive attitude towards life,” she said.

Captain Paudel was in Sudan as part of her first peacekeeping mission and she left behind her young son to wear the iconic blue beret. “Staying away from one’s children is hard,” she said adding, “But at the end of my deployment, I can truly say that I have learnt a lot from the host community and from all my fellow peacekeepers from different countries.” Captain Paudel is one of 850 Nepali peacekeepers, who received the UN medal today for their immense contribution to the mission’s mandate delivery during the most challenging and extraordinary time, when conflict and displacement in the world’s newest country have been exacerbated by the spread of COVID-19.

Nepali battalion has, in the past 11 months, conducted operational activities in some of the most sensitive areas of South Sudan, especially in Equatorias, undertaking diverse tasks such as force protection, community engagement and enhancing UNMISS’ situational awareness. Most importantly, they have protected civilians and prevented conflicts from escalating, read a press release issued by UNMISS.

Special Representative of UN Secretary-General and Head of UNMISS David Shearer commended the awardees for their professionalism, commitment and dedication. “I would particularly like to thank you for the support you provided to Pibor in Southern Sudan during the period of intense inter-communal violence and large-scale displacement of civilians. As such, you should be justifiably proud of your efforts to create positive and meaningful change for the people of South Sudan,” said Shearer.

Colonel Saroj Kumar Adhikari, Contingent Commander for Nepali battalion reiterated his country’s commitment to United Nations’ peacekeeping efforts. “Our country has a long history of contributing troops to United Nations. As peacekeepers we try to bring to all our deployments, the ability to understand the on-ground situation, respect the rule of the land, be dedicated to the mission’s objectives and always have a sense of pride in the duties we perform,” he said. Colonel Adhikari paid tribute to the generous spirit of South Sudanese communities.

As one of the first medal parades to be held in Juba following the outbreak of COVID-19, it has been a special day, not just for those being honoured, but for everyone attending and a testament to the peacekeeping mission’s commitment towards ensuring a just, equitable and sustainable peace for all communities in South Sudan. Nepal’s first deployment to UNMISS was in 2011. Since then its commitment has grown to over 2,000 personnel including military observers, staff officers, two battalions, the High Readiness Company as well as a formed police unit and individual police officers, read the release.

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A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 30, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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Govt offices told to abide by Right to Information Act

KATHMANDU, SEPTEMBER 29

Thirteen years after the implementation of the Right to Information Act-2020, some government offices have yet to designate their information officers.

According to the National Information Commission, 29 offices have been running without information officers. NIC Chief Commissioner Mahendra Man Gurung said those offices were directed to make provision of information officers for dissemination of information to citizens, on their request. A press release issued by the NIC stressed the need for information officers in each public body to implement the legal and constitutional provisions on right to information of citizens.

The RIT Act stipulates the provision of an information officer in a government body for dissemination of information.

To disseminate information to the public, the chief of a public body has to regularly provide information to the information officer by establishing a separate information section.

The constitution has also recognised the right of citizens to demand and obtain information held by public bodies on any matter of public importance.

“Both the information provider and receiver are equally responsible for implementation of the right to information. Dissemination of information is more important during the COVID-19 pandemic,” read the release.

Though most of the public bodies have information officers, they often refuse to provide information on request of citizens. The NIC said it received 1,013 complaints against public bodies for their refusal to provide information in fiscal 2019-20.

“We settled all the complaints by directing the public bodies concerned to provide information sought by the complainants,” the NIC informed. “The citizens are expected to be more proactive to make the public bodies to provide them with information to maintain good governance and transparency, and prevent or control corruption.” The NIC also said it penalised 24 officials for their failure to implement its directives with regard to dissemination of information, in 2019-20. The act requires public bodies to disclose key information about their activities on a quarterly basis even without the request of citizens.

Despite such legal provision, 90 out of 120 offices were found not complying with the provision on the proactive disclosure of information during the study.

The NIC said it was working on preparation of a five-year strategy for effective implementation of the right to information.

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A version of this article appears in e-paper on September 30, 2020, of The Himalayan Times.

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Messi seeks to draw line under Barca departure saga

BARCELONA: Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has said he wishes to move on from his recent bid to walk out of the club and his recent attacks on the board of directors, calling for everyone to pull together to help the team have a successful season.

Messi handed Barca an official notice in August of his desire to terminate his contract before eventually deciding to stay for the coming season, the last on his current deal, because he did not want to face a legal battle with the club.

After rowing back on his decision to leave, Messi continued to attack club president Josep Maria Bartomeu in a September interview and also criticised the club for their treatment of Luis Suarez, who left Barca for Atletico Madrid.

Yet in an interview with Barcelona-based newspaper Sport published late on Tuesday, he said he no longer wanted any fights with the club.

“After so many arguments, I would like to bring an end to everything. We all have to be united and assume that the best is yet to come. We must always be united and pull in the same direction,” Messi said.

“I take responsibility for my errors and if they existed, it was only to make Barcelona better and stronger.”

Barca’s all-time top scorer also said he regretted hurting the club’s supporters but stressed that he believed at the time that leaving the team where he has spent the last 20 years would have been good for the club.

He added: “If at any moment, any of them were annoyed by something that I said or did, let there be no doubts that anything I did was always with the club’s best interests in mind.”

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