Starting export of 364-MW electricity to India, Nepal has set a historic milestone. With all technical groundwork done by a team led by Nepal Electricity Authority Managing Director Kul Man Ghising, the official visit of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to India had made the breakthrough in Nepal-India electricity trade. Showing tremendous goodwill towards Nepal, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi directed concerned officials to look at Nepal’s request on electricity export. Opening the market for Nepalese electricity, India has shown that it is a big market for Nepal. As trade is part of a give and take, Nepal needs to follow this principle in dealing with India. For MD Ghising, who wiped out load-shedding in his first tenure, starting the export of big volumes of electricity to Indian market is another feather in his cap of his second tenure
By Keshab Poudel Jun 24, 2022
After the announcement by Minister for Finance Janardan Sharma in his recent budget to provide subsidies for electric cooking, removing subsidies from LPG, Nepal’s clean cooking movement has entered a new phase. With the rising global oil prices and growing electricity production inside the home, minister Sharma has found the right time to save millions of dollars given as a subsidy to import the LPG. With the announcement of the new energy policy by the federal government, the response of local and provincial governments will determine how quickly the clean e-cooking campaign will move. As provincial and local level governments are key to making the transition of energy a success, how the new budgets of provincial and local governments address the issue will determine the future of the campaign
By Keshab Poudel Jun 03, 2022
At a time when there are growing complains on the apathy of Tharu Commission in dealing with Tharu related issues, Chairman of Tharu Commission Bishnu Prasad Chaudhari spoke to Keshab Poudel on various issues related to Tharu commission and its accountability issues. Excerpts:
By Keshab Poudel May 30, 2022
Following the inauguration of Gautam Buddha International Airport (GBIA), Nepal’s second international airport, Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, is connected to the rest of the world by air. Financed by Asian Development Bank, GBIA will immensely contribute, among others, to linking the Nepalese tourism sector to the Buddhist corridor of Nepal and India. However, all will depend on how Nepalese policymakers pursue the path to achieve high economic growth through this new connectivity
By Keshab Poudel May 23, 2022
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has paid a short visit to Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, confining most of his six-hour stay in Nepal to spiritual activities and high-level bilateral meetings. His official meeting with Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and the Nepali delegation ended in a positive note, signing agreements on the construction of a hydropower project and support to enhance Nepal’s higher education institutions. The message of the visit: common culture and civilization is a meeting point for both the countries to foster bilateral relations
By Keshab Poudel May 21, 2022
Even four years after taking full shape, “Other” Constitutional Commissions, which are created to strengthen federalism and inclusion by creating a just society, are still nowhere. With the apathy of federal parliamentary committees and the centralized federal government, implementing agencies dumped their recommendations and suggestions presented through annual reports. Limiting their role to formality by presenting an annual report to the President, the commission also failed to show visible programs and policies for implementation. Despite several financial, administrative and legal constraints, seven other commissions can make difference in the country taking the agenda of inclusion to provincial and local levels in collaboration with Civil Society Organizations. At a time when other commissions are invisible in the broader national picture, a study prepared by the Niti Foundation in partnership with Social Science Baha has come out with a recommendations to enhance the effectiveness of the commissions
By Keshab Poudel May 17, 2022
Although Nepal and the United States are geographically far away, their relations at state to state and people to people level is close and intimate. The material and technical support provided by the U.S. Government contributed enormously to build infrastructures and establishing democratic institutions at the grass-root level. People-to-people relations are so deep and strong which have been fostered and strengthened by scholars, diplomats, Peace Corps Volunteers, travelers, and individuals. As Nepal-U.S. Relations enter at 75, the foundation of friendship between the two countries stands now unshakable
By Keshab Poudel Apr 30, 2022
Having spent almost three and half decades running single-handedly Nepal’s most respected and hot political house of Ganesh Man Singh, Sirjana Singh, spouse of Prakash Man Singh, is a good knowledge political person. With the marriage of two grown-up sons taking the family affairs, Sirjana decides to use her political and managerial skills as a mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City. At a time when many old Congress stalwarts are showing interest to contest the elections, the Nepali Congress with the recommendation of the Kathmandu District Congress has chosen the name of Sirjana Singh for the mayoral candidate of Kathmandu. Mired by so many mismanagements with lack of a visionary mayor, Nepali Congress rightly choose Sirjana Singh, a humble, gentle and reconciliatory behavior, as a candidate to lead the country’s capital. Low profile and soft-spoken Singh can change the face of Kathmandu with her vision and planning
By Keshab Poudel Apr 23, 2022
Nepal has drastically improved its health system including care and treatment for cardiac health. Although cardiac arrest is still a leading cause of death in Nepal, the mortality rate has gone down and there are institutions, technologies and medical experts to save people from cardiac arrests. Dr. Man Bahadur KC, son of a farmer, a resident of the remote village of Baglung district, has seen all this change through the lens of a patient, practicing doctor and manager
By Keshab Poudel Apr 18, 2022