With his broad vision, depth perspective and clear mission, Prithvi Bahadur Pande launched a joint operation of Nepal Investment Mega Bank Ltd (NIMBL), a bank named after the merger of Nepal Investment Bank Ltd and Mega Bank Ltd. Led by Pande, an experienced, reputed and highly respected banker, the newly merged NIMBL aims to expand banking services throughout Nepal to reach all populations, both urban and rural.
By Keshab Poudel Jan 12, 2023
Starting from a small financial institution limiting its activities in the remittance, chairman of Global IME Bank Chandra Prasad Dhakal, a former employee of a public sector commercial bank, establish himself as the number 1 banker in Nepal in a matter of just three decades. In his long journey, senior vice president of the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FNCCI) Dhakal, a humble and soft-spoken person from Baglung district, has diversified his investment focusing on banking, the recreation industry with cable cars. Dhakal will assume the post of president in the Federation of Nepalese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the oldest and largest business body following its general assembly slated for April reaching the top of Nepal's overall business sector. Despite all these achievements, nothing has changed in his humility, reconciliatory and humble behavior
By Keshab Poudel Jan 11, 2023
DINESH KUMAR GHIMIRE is an electrical engineer who has spent his entire career in the civil service working for various agencies under the Ministry of Energy, Irrigation and Water Resources in Nepal. Ghimire has held various policy-level positions and has participated in bilateral meetings to formulate energy policy. Recently, Nepal has been transitioning from fossil fuels to clean energy sources as part of its commitment to the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals and Nationally Determined Contributions. To aid in this transition, Ghimire is currently serving as the head of the energy ministry. At the UN Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC) COP 27) in Cairo, Ghimire presented Nepal's energy transition policy and future strategy. Nepal is also exporting surplus hydroelectricity worth over Rs. 11 billion to India and promoting the use of electric cooking and electric vehicles to minimize the use of LPG and petroleum products, respectively. As Nepal is in a crucial phase of its energy transition, Ghimire is well-suited to lead the ministry. In a recent interview, Ghimire discussed various issues related to the energy transition, including the export of energy, expansion of transmission lines, and upgrading of distribution systems to increase domestic consumption. Excerpts:
By Keshab Poudel Jan 09, 2023
Supported by the European Union, Helvetas Nepal, Oxfam and Yuwalaya, and conducted in collaboration with the Youth Sounding Board (YSB) and Youth Panel, the consortium of Ujyalo Foundation, Accountability Lab, and Antenna Foundation Nepal, the study was concise and brief.
By Keshab Poudel Dec 06, 2022
Floated five years ago the idea to connect Hindus from all over the world between Mukti Chhetra (Nepal) to Harihar Chhetra ( Bihar, India) through Kali Gandaki River, the only sacred river to have Saligram, senior advocate and environmental lawyer Prakash Mani Sharma has the finally got this opportunity to raise the issue and discuss among different stakeholders. Following an interim order issued by the Supreme Court on a petition filed by Sharma and others on behalf of Pro-Public, the proposed construction of the Kali Gandaki-Tinau river diversion scheme, which is environmentally, religiously and culturally devastating, come to halt. With this order, advocate Sharma find time to materialize the idea of how to promote religious tourists for the economic prosperity of people living in the region and protect the river’s ecology, environment and religious sanctity
By Keshab Poudel Nov 24, 2022
Although Nepal has been holding elections since 1947 in different political systems and regimes at local and parliamentary levels, Nepal is yet to build an election management body with a credible image. As Nepal is heading for the next general elections on November 20, the parties in the opposition have already started questioning whether Election Commission can hold the election free and fair.
By Keshab Poudel Nov 15, 2022
Following an interim order issued by the Supreme Court on a petition filed by senior advocate and prominent environmental lawyer Prakash Mani Sharma and others on behalf of Pro-Public in July 2020, all activities including the stone queering, sand extractions and proposed preparation for Kali Gandaki River Diversion scheme come to a halt. However, the ecological, cultural and environmental threat to Kali Gandaki, one of the highly important spiritual rivers of Nepal with civilization linkage, remains. Backed by high-level political leadership, massive illegal sand extractions and stone queering continue in some areas and the idea of diversion is yet to remove from Nepal’s Irrigation Master Plan, which proposes to divert rivers in eight different basins. Thanks to the petition and order of the court, people from all walks of life united to protect the river. From the mouth of the river (Damodarkunda in Mustang) and up to the tail of the river at Debghat (Chitwan, Nawalparsi and Tanahu), there is a consensus against diversion and indiscriminate stone and sand queering. However, delaying taking the final decision on the river is causing problems as well. Local levels and communities, who opposed interventions in scared river, have been facing a scarcity of construction materials like sand and stone necessary for infrastructures development and construction of houses calling new order for wise use of resources of the river
By Keshab Poudel Nov 12, 2022
Recently, Nepal has chosen realistic approaches to multilateral issues keeping Nepal’s core national interest in mind. However, Nepal’s foreign policy Mandarins are yet to reform multilateral policy towards Israel with whom Nepal has cordial and warmth relations at the bilateral level
By Keshab Poudel Oct 08, 2022
At a time when some constitutional commissions are struggling to demonstrate their visible presence by exercising their enormous constitutional powers, Chief Elections Commissioner Dinesh Kumar Thapaliya has revealed how studies conducted by Niti Foundation helped them to make the commission’s function effective and strong
By Keshab Poudel Oct 04, 2022
Funded by the European Union and implemented by Helvetas-Nepal in close partnership with local NGOs Women Empowerment Action Forum (WEAF) (Karnali Province) and Sahayogi Samaj Nepal (SSN) (Madhesh Province), Promotion of Youth Engagement in Local Governance Process (PROYEL) has demonstrated how equipping youths with basic information on constitutional, legal process and techniques of handling new digital media can increase the participation of youth to exercise their democratic rights and duties through dialogue and engagement with the local governments.
By Keshab Poudel Sep 29, 2022
By signing an MoU to build 1061 MW Upper Arun project under blended finance, Nepal Electricity Authority and its subsidiary UAHEL have pushed Nepal into a new era in the power sector. This is the first four digit project which will be built by Nepal. In the presence of minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, NEA MD and chairperson of AHEL Kul Man Ghisin signed the MoU with financial Institutions
By Keshab Poudel Sep 28, 2022
Unprecedented global energy crisis created by Russian invasion of Ukraine is pushing some countries in South Asia to the brink of collapse. With surplus hydro-electricity in the grid, Nepal is taking this crisis to transform from fossil fuel to green and clean hydro-electricity. With the backing and support of Minister of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation Pampha Bhusal, Nepal Electricity Authority, under the leadership of Managing Director Kul Man Ghising, has pushed Nepal’s energy sector to a new era. After exporting over 365 MW surplus electricity to India daily, NEA has launched a nation-wide campaign to increase the domestic consumption targeting the kitchen for e-cooking and street for e-vehicles
By Keshab Poudel Sep 13, 2022