Author: space4knews

March 21, Siraha – The administration has tightened supervision in Siraha during the second day of the Nepali language subject exam under the Secondary Education Examination (SEE). According to the Education Development and Coordination Unit, during monitoring conducted on Friday, 194 mobile phones and 2 smartwatches were seized from nine examination centers across the district. Following violations of exam discipline, two center chiefs and four inspectors found with mobile devices were expelled.

The expelled individuals include Sanjay Yadav, the center chief from Balmandir Secondary School, and Ramkishor Yadav, the center chief from Janata Secondary School, Phulbariya.

According to Unit Chief Deepak Raj Kanaulee, an oversight team deployed under the leadership of Chief District Officer Surendra Paudel took immediate action upon attempts to disrupt the examination’s integrity. In the past, Siraha’s examination centers had been affected by cheating, influence, and mediation activities, which had cast doubts on the credibility of the examination system. This year, to prevent recurrence of such incidents, Chief District Officer Surendra Paudel confirmed that strict monitoring has been enforced.

This year, a total of 11,037 students from Siraha are participating in the SEE exam, including 10,625 from the general stream and 412 from technical streams. Among the examinees, 5,308 are female and 5,729 are male students. The district has designated 51 examination centers. According to the National Examination Board, the SEE exams are being conducted from Chaitra 19 to 29, from 8 AM to 11 AM daily.

March 21, Kathmandu – The Nepal Electricity Authority has announced a power outage in several areas across Kathmandu today. According to a notice issued by the Authority, the planned power disruption aims to replace deteriorated poles in the distribution network supplied through the Imadol feeder of the Baneshwor distribution center.

The Authority stated that electricity will be cut off to replace 11 kV capacity poles near Narephat, around CCRI College, and along the Suryakot route. The outage is scheduled from 11 AM to 3 PM today. The Authority apologized for any inconvenience caused by this necessary maintenance work.

Former Secretary Kishor Thapa has described the directive given by Physical Infrastructure, Transport, and Urban Development Minister Sunil Lamsal to construction entrepreneurs not to pay additional fees to employees as courageous. Minister Lamsal made this request during a meeting with a delegation from the Nepal Construction Entrepreneurs Federation on March 29, according to the federation’s outgoing president, Ravi Singh. “(The minister) asked that no member of any construction company engage in improper transactions and that they support me,” Singh said, “We immediately convened a federation meeting and informed construction entrepreneurs across the country.”

Former Secretary Thapa mentioned that he could not recall any previous instance where a minister had issued such a directive, including to secretaries and director generals. “To my knowledge, no minister had dared to do so until now,” he said, “because ministers typically had deep collusion with construction entrepreneurs and middlemen.” The federation has also made public a letter informing all entrepreneurs about the minister’s directive, which states that from now on, construction entrepreneurs should not give additional fees to government officials at any level related to ongoing projects, and if any government official demands such fees, they are to report it directly to the minister.

A construction entrepreneur who stated that they would now refuse to pay these commissions revealed the reality of previous practices. They explained that earlier commissions that needed to be paid, which were as high as 10-15 percent, have currently dropped to 5-6 percent. Providing details on when the commission typically starts and its rates, he said, “Upon signing the contract after winning the bid, a payment of 0.5 to 2.5 percent is expected,” he added, “Then, with each running bill, commissions up to 4-5 percent are paid until the contract is completed. Previously, this money reached the minister, but now it won’t.”

Former Secretary of the Urban Development Ministry, Kishor Thapa, acknowledged this observation but noted that entrenched practices like this are not easily eradicated. According to him, with no departmental minister involved, such practices are beginning to decline. For that reason, he views Minister Lamsal’s directive as a positive first step, though not sufficient. He further explained that along with ministers, political parties have also used both employees and entrepreneurs as channels to collect money.

In Kathmandu, police conducted an overnight search operation resulting in the arrest of 195 individuals involved in hooliganism, fraud, and brokerage activities. According to SSP Ramesh Thapa of the Kathmandu District Police Office, those arrested were apprehended from areas including Tribhuvan International Airport, Thamel, and Budhanilkantha. Authorities are continuing their investigation against the detained suspects.

March 21, Kathmandu – The police in Kathmandu carried out a search operation throughout the night targeting individuals engaged in illegal activities such as hooliganism, fraud, and brokering. SSP Ramesh Thapa reported that 195 people were apprehended from various locations across the city. He specified that the detainees were arrested from key areas including Tribhuvan International Airport, Thamel, and Budhanilkantha. “We have taken 195 individuals under control, including those who lure people in Thamel and the airport areas, as well as previously active hooligans and brokers,” said SSP Thapa. The police are continuing further investigation into these arrests.

With temperatures soaring above 45 degrees Celsius in India, residents are bracing for intense heat. However, India’s $6 billion bottled water industry is currently facing significant challenges due to raw material shortages. Last month, leading company Bisleri announced an 11 percent price hike, increasing the cost of a 12-pack of one-liter bottles by 24 rupees. Other companies such as Bailey’s and Clear Premium Water have also raised prices. According to a study by Data for India, 15 percent of urban households and 6 percent of rural households depend on bottled water, making it an expensive option especially for rural consumers.

Access to clean water remains a major challenge across many parts of India, with issues stemming from water scarcity, pollution, and inadequate infrastructure. Industry leaders and bottle manufacturers warn that if the ongoing war in Iran persists, rising fuel prices could further increase bottled water costs. Approximately 20 percent of the world’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas are transported via the Strait of Hormuz shipping route, which Iran has currently closed off completely, impacting global fuel prices.

Why might the price of drinking water continue to rise? Vijay Singh Dubal, president of the Maharashtra Bottled Water Manufacturers Association, attributes the increase to higher crude oil prices driving up the cost of plastic bottles. This week, Brent crude oil prices hit $119 per barrel, marking the highest level since the US and Israel initiated conflict against Iran. Crude oil is a key raw material used to produce polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin pellets for plastic bottles. Dubal explained, “The price of preforms has risen from 115 rupees per kilogram to nearly 180 rupees.”

Glass bottle manufacturers are also feeling the impact of the war. Last month, the Brewers Association of India, representing major breweries like Heineken and Carlsberg, reported a 20 percent increase in glass bottle prices. Indian liquor producers have petitioned state governments for price hikes in response. Companies such as Vitrum Glass cite fluctuations in natural gas prices as a driving factor behind the rising cost of glass bottles. An industry insider stated, “The situation is very fragile. Even a slight disruption in the supply of essential commodities like water and medicine has a huge effect.”

March 20, Saptari – A young man has been arrested on charges of luring and abducting a teenage girl in Saptari. The police detained 21-year-old Chandan Das from Ward 9 of Bodebarsain Municipality, who is accused of enticing and causing the disappearance of Smritikumari Mandal, a resident of Ward 14 of the same municipality.
According to the police, on Bhadra 2 (mid-August) after completing an exam at Mahendra Chuni Secondary School in Manraja, Mandal was abducted during her journey home through various inducements. Authorities have also indicated the involvement of Kanchankumari Das, Rajvriksha Das, and Surendra Das in the case.
After the incident, Chandan had fled but was apprehended on Thursday morning from Surunga Municipality, Ward 6, as confirmed by Dambar Bahadur Puri, Deputy Superintendent of Police at Saptari District Police Office. The district court of Saptari has extended the investigation period by seven days on charges related to the abduction, with authorities continuing their inquiry.

March 21, Kathmandu – At a gas plant in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, debris from missiles and drones falling caused one fatality and several injuries. A fire broke out at the Habshan gas plant, where two Pakistani and two Egyptian nationals were injured, and one Egyptian national died, according to local media reports.

According to Gulf News, the debris fell on the gas plant while the air defense system was intercepting incoming threats. The Egyptian national died during the evacuation of the site. The four injured individuals are reported to be in stable condition and were promptly rescued and taken to the hospital.

Earlier, on Friday, debris falling in Ajban region during air defense operations led to injuries of 12 individuals, including seven Nepalis. Among the injured, one Nepali’s condition is serious, while the remaining five injured are Indian nationals.

Chaitra 20, Baitadi – The body of 64-year-old Krishnabahadur Chand from Pancheshwar Rural Municipality-4, Bannana, Baitadi, who went missing in the Mahakali River, has been found four days later. Chand went missing last Tuesday morning around 11:30 AM while bathing in the Mahakali River at Haldhugat, where he was swept away by the current.

The body was discovered on Friday along the banks of the Mahakali River in Indian territory. Gulmpati Jung Bahadur Kunwar of the Armed Police Force, Unit 51, Gulm Headquarters, Baitadi, confirmed the recovery of Chand’s body.

The body was found near Sugarkhal village in Dungaletti Gram Panchayat of Champawat district, India. This area lies across from Pancheshwar Rural Municipality-2, Dhoyaghat. Indian Border Security Force (BSF) collaborated actively in the search operations, and it was a BSF team that ultimately recovered the body. – Rastriya Samachar Samiti

The CPN-UML has revised the statements presented by parliamentary party leader Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ during the first session of the House of Representatives, deeming them inconsistent with the party’s core values. After nearly six hours of review, the UML secretariat reaffirmed the party’s commitment to maintaining amicable relations with the Nepal Army, police, and international organizations. The secretariat meeting asserted that the election of the parliamentary party leader was conducted without any directive, control, or intervention from the party and appealed to its members refraining from making public comments. Kathmandu, 19 Chaitra.

The CPN-UML expressed that the remarks made by parliamentary party leader Ram Bahadur Thapa ‘Badal’ in the first meeting of the House of Representatives did not align with the party’s principles and have since been corrected. The party secretariat spent approximately six hours on Friday reviewing Badal’s statements. Following the review, the secretariat clarified that UML maintains cordial relationships with the Nepal Army, police personnel, administrative staff, and international bodies. In a statement issued after the meeting, General Secretary Shankar Pokharel described Badal’s viewpoint as impractical.

Badal had sarcastically commented on the prime minister’s congratulations delivered in parliament. He portrayed votes received from the public in a conspiratorial and disparaging manner. Most leaders in the secretariat meeting expressed that Badal’s remarks were inaccurate and required clarification consistent with party policy. In the House of Representatives’ first session, Badal delivered a speech lasting about 6 minutes and 17 seconds during which he questioned the election results.

Badal concluded that invisible foreign powers played a role in ensuring the unity party’s victory. He questioned, “Did armed groups appear on the 23rd/24th with anarchic intent? Under whose directive were former prime ministers and home ministers illegally detained?” In response to these controversial assertions, the UML secretariat firmly stated that the party continues to uphold longstanding amicable relations with the concerned authorities.

The meeting confirmed that the parliamentary party leadership election transpired without any party directive, control, or interference. Deputy General Secretary Lekhraj Bhatt clarified that the secretariat explicitly stated the party had no involvement in directing or interfering with the process. “The Election Committee completed the set procedures and declared the party’s vice presidents and Ram Bahadur Thapa elected unopposed,” Bhatt explained. Furthermore, the meeting strongly opposed the government’s proposed hundred-point program, particularly the decision to dissolve student organizations, urging the government to revoke this move.

Chaitra 20, Salyan – A student who had come to take the SEE examination in Salyan has died after drowning in the Bheri River. The victim, 16-year-old Seturam Budhathoki, son of Haribhan Budhathoki from Aulbesi, Ward No. 3 of Banagad Kupinde Municipality, drowned while swimming in the river on Friday afternoon. According to the District Police Office of Salyan, Seturam was studying at Mukti Secondary School in Hilepokhari. He was taking his exam at Prabhakar Secondary School, Devsthal center, located in Ward No. 1 of Banagad Kupinde Municipality.

After finishing his examination on Friday, he went to swim in the Bheri River at approximately 4:30 PM. During the swim, he drowned. Locals and police jointly rescued him and took him to the municipal hospital. Following initial treatment, he was referred to Mehelkuna Hospital in Surkhet for further care. However, after reaching Surkhet, doctors declared him dead at 6 PM.

March 20, Kathmandu – Shankarlal Agrawal, chairman of Shankar Group, has been arrested. Following a request from the Anti-Money Laundering Department to investigate charges related to money laundering, the police took him into custody at the District Police Office on Friday. According to sources, Agrawal was detained Friday afternoon. Since then, the Anti-Money Laundering Department has been recording his statement from 4 PM onwards, and he is currently being held at the Lalitpur District Police Office.