SLC examination begins 

The School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination has begun from Friday morning at 7.30 with 3,17,001 students appearing for the examination throughout the country. 

Students participating in the SLC examinations... (More)

“Examinations across the country are running very smoothly, we do not yet have any reports of any sort of hindrances,” Virendra Kumar Singh, Controller at the Office of the Controller of Examination (OCE) told  Nepalnews at 9:30 in the morning.

“The OCE is on high alert for any untoward incidences that may occur in the country,” Singh added. The OCE has allocated 905 centers for the examination. Most of the exam centers are in the district headquarters due to the security reasons.

Some 10,000 security personnel across the country have been deployed countrywide to ensure security and conduct the examinations in a peaceful manner.

Guardian Association Nepal, issuing a statement Thursday urged all the political parties, intellectuals and civic society to help on creating a peaceful environment for the exams.

The Office of the Controller of Examination revised all question papers meant for the western region following the leakage of question papers during Beni Bazzar attack by the Maoists last weekend.

The exams will end on 5 April. nepalnews.com pd Mar 26 04

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Nepali Congress resurrects unification bid

A meeting of the Central Working Committee of the Nepali Congress discussed, among other issues, the near-failed unification bid with the Nepali Congress (Democratic) on Thursday. 

NC sources said that majority of the central committee members were critical of the party leadership for not taking concrete steps to bring the unification process to a logical end. They maintained the leadership made unnecessary hype at first but reached nowhere. 

Confirming the same, senior NC leader Ram Chandra Poudel told reporters that the unification process would be restarted. He informed that the central committee has left it to party president Girija Prasad Koirala and general secretary Sushil Koirala to see to the unification issue. 

Poudel explained that the party has taken positively the recent statement of UN secretary general Kofi Annan calling on the government and the Maoists to start peace process. 

The CWC also decided to mobilize party workers for the demonstration slated for April 1 in the capital. nepalnews.com mbk March 25 04

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Two bomb blasts in Thamel (7:30 PM)

Two bombs exploded in Thamel at 7 in the evening, eyewitnesses said. 

The bombs went off inside the Sanchaya Kosh building premises at the back of the building, in the area leading to the under ground parking lot, an eyewitness said. 

The bombs were thrown over the wall from outside, an employee who works in the building said. A road runs parallel to the back wall of the building on the outside from where the bombs were thrown, the eyewitness added. 

No casualties were reported. The blast caused damage to the wall and side of the building. nepalnews.com dr Mar. 25 04

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Government considering Annan’s appeal: PM

Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa Thursday said the government is ‘considering’ the appeal of United Nations’ secretary general Kofi Annan on the warring sides to start peace process.

Responding to the queries of journalists at his office this afternoon, Thapa said the government has taken Annan’s statement seriously. 

“Government is considering a formal response on the UN secretary general appeal,” the PM said speaking to a delegation of Reporter’s Club Nepal. He added: “We too are serious about the peace process.”

On whether the government was mulling to announce ceasefire in consideration of the growing international pressure for the same, the prime minister, however, remained tightlipped.

On the occasion, the Reporter’s Club presented a 9-point memorandum to the prime minister seeking his attention to the growing persecution against journalists. 

The club, in its memorandum, demanded the government to release journalists arrested in various times. The delegation also asked the prime minister to introduce the act on working journalists at the earliest. nepalnews.com mbk March 25 04

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Social Security campaign launched

The International Labor Organization Nepal has officially launched its National Campaign on Social Security and Coverage for All amidst a national conference in the capital on Thursday. Nepal is the first nation in South Asia to launch such a program.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Bimal Prasad Koirala, the chief secretary of His Majesty’s Government stressed that the basic thrust of the program should be on the very poor people of the country. ‘There is no choice for us but to opt for a social security system,’ chief guest Dr. Koirala expressed on the occasion.

March Socquet from ILO/Sub-Regional Office in New Delhi pointed out that only 20 percent of the world population enjoys social security. He added that 95 percent of the population in Nepal and Bangladesh is not included in any sort of social security system.

The Campaign on Social Security and Coverage for All aims at providing access to health insurance and other benefits to all Nepalese. The campaign, which is the first in Asia, aims at raising awareness on social protection among stake holders which include government, employers organizations, workers organizations, international and national development organizations, civil society, and donor agencies. nepalnews.com rbk Mar 25 04

Jeffrey meets UML general secretary

British special envoy to Nepal Sir Jeffrey James met CPN-UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal Thursday morning. 

The UML general secretary told reporters after the meeting that he and the British special envoy discussed the current political situation in the country and possible ways to end the deadlock. During the meeting, Sir Jeffrey urged that major political parties and the King should come closer to solve the Maoist problem. 

Nepal informed Jeffrey about the growing human rights violation in the country as the result of escalation of military activities from warring sides. “James expressed serious concern about the human rights situation in Nepal,” Nepal said.

The meeting that lasted nearly an hour was held at UML headquarters at Balkhu.

On Wednesday, Jeffrey had met Nepali Congress president Girija Prasad Koirala, Rashtriya Prajatantra Party chairman Pashupati SJB Rana and president of Nepali Congress (Democratic) Sher Bahadur Deuba. nepalnews.com mbk March 25 04 

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Dalit activists criticize NDC 

Dalit activists on Wednesday criticized the lack in progress and achievements of the National Dalit Commission (NDC), various dailies reported.

"The NDC officials are busier for personal benefit than making policy to safeguard the entire Dalit community. This tendency is injurious to the entire community," The Himalayan Times quoted the editor of Nepali Manch, Binod Pahadi, as saying.

He said the commission was a total failure in terms of breaking the chains of untouchability and inhuman racial discrimination and shattering suppression suffered by the Dalits, the daily reported.

The former chairman of NDC Padam Singh Bishwakarma, hoped the new panel will carry on the work in a better way, the daily further said. nepalnews.com pd Mar 25 04

MoFSC suspends DFO officials

The Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation (MoFSC) has suspended two seniors officials at the District Forest Office (DFO) of Makwanpur district on charges of their involvement in timber smuggling, a daily reported Thursday.

Ganesh Jha, the chief at the DFO and its Deputy Chief, Ram Babu Shah were suspended on March 16 on being involved in smuggling some 280 saal trees, The Kathmandu Post reported Thursday. nepalnews.com pd Mar 25 04

Anti-terrorist act to be revived

The government has started process to reintroduce the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Control and Punishment Act as its duration ends by the end of this month.

According to a Spacetime Dainik report, the draft of the act has been approved by the Central Security Committee (CSC) and will soon be presented to the Council of Ministers for approval. 

The act was bought into force in November 26, 2001 to be effective for two years. Quoting Home Ministry sources, the report said the government is set to give continuity to the act through an ordinance.

A meeting of the CSC chaired by Home Minister Kamal Thapa took the decision on Wednesday. The report further said the Home Ministry is learnt to have completed necessary process to implement the act. 

With the reintroduction of the act, the government aims to reinforce its drive against Maoist insurgents. nepalnews.com mbk March 25 04

Revised SLC examination papers dispatched

The Office of the Controller of Examinations canceling all questions papers of the School Leaving Certificates (SLC) meant for Western Region, air-lifted new sets of questions to all the districts of the Western development Region, an official said. 

“Following the reports of leakage of the question papers, the new question papers were prepared immediately and dispatched to different districts of the Western Region via helicopter,” an official at the Exams Controller’s office told Nepalnews Thursday. “Now, the exams will run smoothly as scheduled earlier,” he added.

The SLC question papers meant for the Western Region had to be scraped as they were found half burnt following the Maoists attack in Beni Bazaar on Saturday and Sunday. There are 16 districts in the West Development Region.

A total of 3,17,001 students are appearing the SLC exams in the country. The exams will begin from Friday.   nepalnews.com pd Mar 25 04

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