Author: space4knews

Gajala Samim Mikrani, a member of the National Independent Party, emphasized that education is a fundamental right and should be equally accessible to everyone. She highlighted that the quality of education remains weak in the Madhesh and rural regions, with the Muslim community particularly lagging behind. (24 Chaitra, Kathmandu)

Speaking during the House of Representatives session on Tuesday, she stated, “Education is a fundamental right. However, the quality of education in Madhesh and rural areas is quite poor. The Muslim community remains disadvantaged.” According to her, education must be provided equally to all. Article 31 of the Constitution of Nepal guarantees every citizen the right to free basic education.

Subsection 2 of Article 31 states, “Every citizen shall have the right to compulsory and free education up to the basic level provided by the state and free education up to the secondary level.” Citizens with disabilities and economically disadvantaged individuals have the legal right to free higher education. The Constitution also ensures that visually impaired citizens receive education through Braille, while hearing-impaired and speech-disabled citizens receive education through sign language, as mandated by law. Furthermore, the Constitution guarantees every Nepali community the right to education in their mother tongue and the right to establish and operate schools and educational institutions for that purpose.

The government has indicated that an odd-even traffic system could be implemented if issues persist in the petroleum supply. Following a cabinet meeting, Minister Pratibha Rawal informed that measures such as wholesale sales control and fuel rationing for senior officials have already been enacted to conserve energy. Kathmandu, 24 Chaitra – Taking note of the problems in petroleum product supply, the government stated it could enforce an odd-even system if deemed necessary. Presenting the decisions of Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, Federal Affairs and General Administration Minister Pratibha Rawal highlighted the government’s call for energy conservation. She also mentioned restrictions on wholesale fuel sales and reductions in fuel usage by senior government officials. “Wholesale sales control and fuel cuts by senior officials are already in place. If necessary, the government will also introduce the odd-even system,” Minister Rawal said. “The government urges citizens to increase ‘work from home’ practices and use electric vehicles.” She added that legal provisions for long-term vehicle conversion are progressing, and preparations for an ethanol policy are underway. “Legal frameworks for long-term vehicle conversion are advancing, and preparations for the ethanol policy are ongoing. The government is also committed to expanding electric vehicle infrastructure,” she emphasized. Furthermore, Minister Rawal noted that the government aims to understand public difficulties and operate with transparency. “The government is transparent and does not hide the truth. It listens to the people’s hardships. Let us conserve energy and exercise restraint. Thank you,” she concluded.

On Monday, 11 members of the House of Representatives participated in congratulating the newly elected Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal. RSWP MP Manish Jha emphasized that Parliament should function as a Gurukul and a university, with the Speaker maintaining a neutral role. Nepali Congress MP Arjun Narasingh KC elaborated on the significance of the Speaker’s neutrality and privileges, citing the 1642 events in the United Kingdom. Kathmandu, 24 Chaitra.

The House of Representatives spent an hour in a special session on Monday, with 11 MPs speaking. All had already extended their congratulations to the newly elected Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal. They also offered suggestions for the Speaker to play a neutral role in the coming days. While wishing Speaker Aryal well, lawmakers expressed concerns about the potential weakening of Parliament, urging that the government heed Parliament’s voice and that the concerns of a weak opposition should not be ignored. Discussions began on what the Speaker’s role should be to prevent such issues.

Members from the ruling party, the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSWP), also participated. RSWP MPs Manish Jha and Ganesh Parajuli, along with Nepali Congress MP Arjun Narasingh KC, discussed the privileges of MPs and the Speaker. They explained the role of Parliament members using examples from international practices and Nepal’s past experiences.

Speaker Aryal has repeatedly expressed his commitment to maintaining neutrality. Before the session began on Monday, he also pledged to serve as an impartial coordinator. Nepali Congress MP Arjun Narasingh KC underscored the importance of a neutral Speaker, stating, “The Speaker must guard their privileges and be prepared to face any circumstance; only then does neutrality hold true.”

Prime Minister Balendra Shah has convened an urgent cabinet meeting on 24 Chaitra. The meeting has been ongoing for some time at the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers office. A cabinet meeting was also held earlier on Sunday. The meeting today has been called unexpectedly by Prime Minister Balendra Shah (Balen). No information has been provided regarding the agenda of the meeting.

The list of Nepal’s ‘50 Influential Women 2082’ has been released, featuring women from politics, society, arts, youth, science, entrepreneurship, and diaspora. The ceremony was held at The Plaza in Lalitpur, where Acting Chief Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla unveiled the list and honored the 50 women. Dharma Raj Bhusal, chairman of the organizing committee, has announced the formation of an alumni network for the women named on the list.

Typically, the list is unveiled on the eve of International Women’s Day (March 8), but this year its publication was delayed due to the general elections held on Falgun 21 (early March). On Monday evening, at a special event in Lalitpur’s The Plaza, Acting Chief Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla formally announced the list of 50 influential women and presented them with awards.

Chairman Bhusal highlighted that each story within the list represents a university of its own and stated that such impactful contributions will be remembered forever by history. He remarked, “For a long time, our society attempted to portray women merely as victims, passive or supportive figures. However, the 50 faces present here today have completely shattered that perception.”

Chief Editor Basant Basnet of the organizing body described the 50 influential women as symbols of dedication and struggle, as well as authentic creators of success. He further added that efforts will continue in coming years to include more women in this list.

An emergency meeting of the Cabinet is scheduled to convene today at 1 PM. Home Minister Sudan Gurung was prevented from proceeding to the Roshi River tour and plans to visit there after the meeting concludes. The agenda for the meeting has not been disclosed yet. Kathmandu, 24 Chaitra. According to the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, this meeting was called at short notice. Home Minister Sudan Gurung was preparing to visit the Roshi River area in Kavre this morning. However, due to the sudden scheduling of the Cabinet meeting, Minister Gurung was stopped from starting that trip and has stated he will proceed to Kavre once the meeting ends.

Following an editorial review of the summary sourced from news reports, the National Youth Union of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) has demanded the release of party Chairman KP Sharma Oli and detained party activists. The UML Secretariat has resolved to focus on updating the voter lists and hold a protest rally on April 25. After Oli’s arrest, the party expressed confidence in the legal process and the Supreme Court, deciding to stage a concentrated power demonstration in the capital on April 20.

On March 24 in Kathmandu, the National Youth Union of Nepal, affiliated with CPN-UML, convened a meeting of office bearers. The meeting demanded the release of Chairman KP Sharma Oli and other UML activists in custody. “The party chairman has been arrested. When we protested demanding his release, other activists were also detained,” said Maharaj Gurung, President of the Youth Union. “We have raised the demand with the government to release all leaders and activists who were detained unlawfully.”

The statement issued after the meeting extended demands beyond the release of Oli and detained leaders, including controlling fuel price hikes, releasing individuals arrested on charges of hooliganism, and stopping cyberbullying targeting party supporters. Gurung also criticized the Home Minister, who is embroiled in land-related controversies, and highlighted numerous other irregularities as points of objection.

The meeting resolved to prepare for a protest rally on April 25. “Currently, no protests are being planned to prevent further public distress,” he added. Following Oli’s arrest from his residence on April 6, UML activists, including the Youth Union, staged protests for three days. On the day of the arrest, Secretary Mahesh Basnet announced ongoing agitation. As a trusted ally of Oli, Basnet’s statements were closely observed. However, contrary to his warning, the protests did not continue consistently. Minor demonstrations occurred on April 6 and 7, but on April 8, a street protest was held under the banner of the Bagmati Province Committee.

Subsequently, the party leadership appeared to shift focus from demanding Oli’s release to expressing dissatisfaction with government decisions and attempting to resolve internal disputes. The circular issued by General Secretary Shankar Pokhrel on April 24 also reflected internal instability within UML. He directed all provincial and district chairpersons to give attention to updating voter lists. The party’s internal decisions demonstrate a complicated situation.

At the secretariat meeting held on April 9, revisions to statements made by parliamentary party leader Ram Bahadur Thapa, expressing objections to government decisions, and other resolutions were adopted. Particularly, Thapa’s remarks during the parliamentary session on April 8, alleging that Nepal’s army, government employees, the administration led by Sushila Karki, and foreign powers were colluding to defeat UML, had damaged the party’s image and prompted an emergency secretariat meeting. The meeting not only addressed the crisis caused by Thapa’s comments but also discussed questions raised within the parliamentary party.

Further, the party’s decision to block Suhang Nembang’s nomination as the parliamentary party leader reportedly increased dissatisfaction within the party. Youth factions have been demanding General Secretary Pokhrel’s resignation and calling for leadership restructuring through demonstrations. This indicates a softening stance of UML towards the younger generation.

Appeals made to the general public to join street protests against Oli’s arrest have had limited effectiveness. Without broad public support, most UML leaders and activists are confined to statements and social media reactions. The post-meeting statement clearly appealed: “All party ranks are called upon to respect decisions made by democratic processes and refrain from making contrary comments. The party has taken seriously the constructive suggestions that have come from youth factions.”

Similarly, the activities of the student organization ANNFSU appear weak. On April 8, ANNFSU issued a statement wishing well to SEE examinees, and another statement signed by President Deepak Dhami condemned the government’s decision to dissolve student organizations at universities.

Party leaders acknowledge that UML did not capitalize on the wave of societal reaction following Chairman Oli’s arrest. “We used to warn that touching KP Oli would paralyze the country, but after his arrest, we failed to apply sufficient pressure,” a leader admitted. However, Media Coordinator Min Bahadur Shahi stated that party activities are continuing as per schedule. “We are not silent; programs are ongoing according to the circular,” he said. “The matter is in court, and meetings are being held inside the party.”

After three secretariat meetings, the leadership’s approach since Oli’s arrest has leaned towards soft and broad-based programs, with confidence placed more in legal processes and the Supreme Court than street protests. This indication was evident from the first meeting’s decisions. Despite warnings from some leaders about nationwide disruptions, the secretariat resolved to submit memorandums through district administrations and assign demonstrations to affiliated mass organizations. On April 7, the memorandum was submitted nationwide through senior administrative offices.

Additional decisions included seeking cooperation with other political parties, raising objections in Parliament, and pursuing legal battles. Responsibilities for coordination and communication were assigned to Bishnu Prasad Paudel, parliamentary opposition to Ram Bahadur Thapa, and legal coordination to Gokarna Bista. However, these efforts have produced no concrete results. The Supreme Court has not issued any orders regarding habeas corpus petitions, and statements have seen continuous extensions. The Congress Party’s internal conflicts and the lack of a joint front with other parties have weakened these efforts. Thapa’s controversial statements have further compounded the crisis.

Due to lacking public support, appeals for street protests have yielded limited participation. The party’s institutional decisions also show diminished confidence in public demonstrations. At the secretariat meeting on April 9, a decision was made to stage a power demonstration on April 25. According to the plan, district-level worker gatherings and training will take place on April 12, municipal-level meetings on April 15, and ward-level meetings on April 17. Province-level demonstrations will be held on April 20, culminating in a centralized power rally in the capital.

This will be UML’s first high-level power demonstration a month after Oli’s detention. “We are facing the greatest crisis in the party’s history. The public has largely lost faith in us. At such a time, self-reflection rather than fiery rhetoric is necessary. The only option is to regain the people’s trust and move forward,” a leader said.

In the February 4 elections, UML suffered unprecedented losses. Oli’s arrest has deepened the crisis, and inconsistencies in party decisions have also become apparent. Meanwhile, a signature campaign demanding a special general convention has been initiated. Advocates argue, “Secretariat or Central Committee alone cannot resolve UML’s crisis; a special general convention must be called.”