Author: space4knews

April 20, Kathmandu – The Nepali Congress has commenced its work through a committee tasked with collecting suggestions for constitutional amendments starting Tuesday. The 17-member committee, chaired by party Vice President Pushpa Bhusal, held its inaugural meeting to advance its agenda. The meeting was also attended by party President Gagan Thapa, General Secretary Pradeep Paudel, Deputy General Secretaries Uday Shamsher Rana and Yogendra Chaudhary.
During the meeting, Party President Thapa provided insights on the necessity of constitutional amendments and outlined the committee’s responsibilities.
Thapa noted that since the constitution has been in effect for over ten years, certain provisions that have shown deficiencies in practice should be amended. He urged the committee’s officials to anchor their discussions on democracy, civil rights, nationalism, and prosperity while considering amendments.
According to the committee’s member secretary Raju Kutuwal, the committee plans to conduct a thorough review of the constitution, prepare a draft of the proposed amendments, and engage in extensive consultations with stakeholders, experts, and citizens at all levels. Additionally, the committee was informed that the government has requested the Nepali Congress to submit the names of representatives to prepare a discussion paper on constitutional amendments by Friday.
The committee includes senior advocates Radheshyam Adhikari, Harihar Dahal, Prem Bahadur Khadka, Upendrekeshari Nyaupane, Sher Bahadur KC, Yadunath Khanal, Gopal Krishna Ghimire, Yogendra Bahadur Adhikari, Dinesh Tripathi, Sitaram KC, Lalit Bahadur Basnet, as well as advocates Ran Bahadur Thewe, Sharmila Shrestha, Jhalmaya Bik, and Niraj Gupta.

The Nepal Student Union has called for the resignation of Home Minister Sudhan Gurung and urged the unconditional release of student leaders who were arrested. The union has warned that if the peacefully protesting students are not immediately released, they will escalate their movement. April 20, Kathmandu.

During peaceful demonstrations demanding the resignation of Home Minister Sudhan Gurung, several student leaders were taken into custody. The Nepal Student Union (NESU) has demanded their unconditional release. Acting Chairperson Navin Paudel issued a statement emphasizing that protest is the spirit of democracy and calling for the immediate release of student leaders participating in the peaceful movement.

The union warned that failure to release the detained students promptly would lead to stronger and more organized protests. Additionally, NESU has demanded that Minister Gurung publicly disclose the sources of his wealth, clarify the facts, resign immediately, and cooperate with impartial investigations. During the protests demanding the home minister’s resignation, NESU reported that central member Bhuvan Bhatt, CTEVT Chairman Kummaroj Deuba, and student leaders Naveen Bisht, Akash Devkota, Sushil Adhikari, and Bisal Bisi were arrested.

The Nepal Banana Producers Federation has clarified that farmers have not raised banana prices, asserting that intermediaries in the market have excessively increased prices. Federation President Bishnu Hari Pant stated that farmers sell Malbhog bananas for NPR 70 to 85 per dozen and hybrid bananas at NPR 50 to 60 per dozen. The federation has appealed to the government for market monitoring, determination of a minimum support price, and improvements in the agricultural insurance system. Kathmandu, 8 Baisakh.

The federation emphasized that banana-producing farmers have not increased prices despite surges in market rates, attributing the situation to middlemen exploiting the market. Both farmers and consumers are being defrauded due to intermediaries’ malpractices. While farmers sell bananas for NPR 50 to 85 per dozen, consumers are compelled to pay up to NPR 400 at retail markets, prompting widespread complaints and leading the federation to demand immediate market regulation from the government.

According to Bishnu Hari Pant, chairman of the federation’s interim committee, over the past 15–16 years, the price received by farmers per dozen has increased by only NPR 6 to 8, whereas consumer prices have surged sharply. “We sell Malbhog bananas from our orchards at NPR 70 to 85 per dozen and hybrid bananas at NPR 50 to 60, but due to artificial scarcity created in the market, prices reach NPR 350 to 400,” Mr. Pant explained.

The federation reports that although the annual demand for bananas in Nepal is around 900,000 tons, domestic production is currently only about 700,000 tons. The shortfall of approximately 200,000 tons leads to banana shortages in the market, particularly during the months of Baisakh, Jestha, and Asar. “Though production is somewhat lower this season, from Shrawan to Poush, Nepali bananas will fully meet market demand,” Mr. Pant asserted.

Currently, banana cultivation covers 15,700 hectares nationwide. He noted that expanding cultivation by an additional 6,000 to 7,000 hectares could make Nepal fully self-reliant in bananas. Considering the threat posed by the dangerous Panama TR4 disease, the government has banned the import of Indian bananas to ensure biosecurity.

The federation has called on the government to quickly implement effective market monitoring to curb excessive interference by middlemen. They have submitted various demands, including establishing a minimum support price for bananas, simplifying and enhancing the agricultural insurance system, and ensuring easy access to quality tissue-cultured plants and chemical fertilizers. These measures aim to protect both farmers and consumers from exploitation.

April 20, Kathmandu – Pokhara University has initiated teaching Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Data Science at the undergraduate level. This program is conducted at the Shramik Shanti Campus located in Chyasal, Lalitpur, which is the university’s first affiliated campus. According to Buddhi Raj Joshi, Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology, the first semester of the four-year program has already been completed. Following the completion of the first semester, the university has reviewed and finalized the curriculum for the second through eighth semesters.

Dean Joshi explained that the program covers topics including the use of AI, application development, security, and ethical considerations. Data analysis instruction is also integral to the curriculum. The four-year course comprises a total of 122 credit hours, including 105 theoretical hours, 36 tutorial sessions, and 91 practical hours. Upon completing their studies, students will have the opportunity to undertake internships where they can work as data analysts at companies utilizing AI technology as well as within government agencies in Nepal.

Dean Joshi noted that this is the first time AI and Data Science are being taught at the undergraduate level within the university. Students wishing to enroll are not required to have studied science during their higher secondary education (plus two), but must have taken mathematics or computer science in grades 11 and 12. So far, the university has set a quota of 48 students for admission, including 9 scholarship recipients. The total cost of the four-year program is estimated at NPR 478,200.

To ensure the program’s effectiveness, the university has also been organizing workshops involving domain experts. In a recently completed workshop aimed at enhancing the curriculum, feedback was collected from more than 50 IT professionals. The workshop, organized by the Curriculum Development Center and coordinated by the Faculty of Science and Technology, was attended by Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Bedraj KC, who extended his best wishes for the success of the program.

The decisive phase of removing political party-affiliated organizations from various universities and institutions is about to commence. This initiative was set in motion following a meeting between Prime Minister Balendra Shah and vice-chancellors on Monday. During the meeting, the Prime Minister instructed the immediate and unconditional removal of the structures of student and staff organizations linked to political parties within universities and health educational institutions.

Student organizations have expressed doubts about the government’s intentions and have voiced strong opposition, with some even warning of resistance. Consequently, there are concerns that confrontations could erupt particularly in educational institutions. According to Achyut Wagle, Vice-Chancellor of Kathmandu University and a participant in the meeting, the Prime Minister emphasized creating an environment that prevents institution shutdowns.

The regulations specify that only one staff union can be formed to safeguard employee professional rights and promote institutional development. Vice-Chancellor Dilip Subba stated that internal discussions have already begun, adding, “We must proceed according to the government’s administrative reform plans, but no concrete steps have been taken yet.”

According to Hemraj Pant, Vice-Chancellor of Sudurpashchim University, there are currently no political party organizations, boards, or offices at that university. He remarked, “There has been minimal political party interference for the past five to seven months. Currently, everything is normal.” At Kathmandu University, elections are held for the Student Welfare Council. The Vice-Chancellor noted that as Chancellor, the Prime Minister has not indicated any pathway to facilitate government changes.

Japan has enacted the most significant changes to its defense export regulations in decades, completely lifting longstanding restrictions on arms sales. Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi emphasized the importance of meeting the defense needs of partner countries. China has condemned Japan’s move as a “new form of militarization” and warned of increased vigilance.

On Tuesday, Japan announced the sweeping revision to its defense export rules, removing all previous bans on arms sales. This decision paves the way for Japan to export warships, missiles, and other advanced military equipment to the global market. By modifying its post-World War II pacifist policies, Japan is taking a firm step to strengthen its defense industry and maintain a regional power balance.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stated on social media that in today’s world, no country can ensure its security alone; cooperation among partner nations in defense equipment is essential. This strategic shift is largely seen as Japan’s effort to balance China’s increasing military activities in Asia. Additionally, heightened demand pressures on US arms production due to ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and West Asia have created new opportunities for Japan in the international market.

Amid uncertainty surrounding American security commitments under former US President Donald Trump, many countries in Europe and Asia have sought reliable alternative arms suppliers—a gap that Japan aims to fill. Previously, Japan’s rules permitted military equipment exports in only five limited categories: rescue, transportation, warning, surveillance, and mine-sweeping. These restrictions have now been fully removed. Japan maintains its long-held principle of not selling weapons to countries at war and enforcing strict controls on third-party transfers, although the government is clear that exceptions can be made based on national security requirements.