Their Royal Highnesses in Dhankuta

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HEELEY, Feb. 8: Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Paras Bir Bikram Shah Dev and Crown Princess Himani Rajya Laxmi Devi Shah visited the Shree No. 2 Brigade of the Royal Nepal Army (RNA) in Dhankuta today.

In connection with their Royal Highnesses' unofficial visit to the Eastern Region, Their Royal Highnesses the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess travelled by road from Damak to the No. 2 Brigade at Heeley via Bhedetar and Dhankuta Bazaar.

PM stresses on enlarged choices for education

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb. 8: Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand said that the dream of building the nation would fall behind without appropriate development of practical and quality education for all.
Inaugurating the seventh national convention of the Private & Boarding Schools Organisations of Nepal (PABSON) here today, Prime Minister Chand said that there should be equal opportunity for school education. School education is the foundation for the development of the country.

Considering the need of time, the government has, in the 10th Plan, adopted policy of launching literacy and income generating programmes and non-formal education, which would be of practical use in life to empower and integrate women and backward communities in the development mainstream, PM Chand, said.To produce basic and mid-level technical manpower are needed for the country the government has aimed to provide education opportunities for women, disabled and for all, he said.

For the progressive implementation of compulsory education for all by 2015 as per the government policy and international commitment the government has adopted a policy to develop the institutional, managerial and physical infrastructure, he informed.

"Higher Secondary education will be developed as the final level of school education and institutional arrangement will be carried out to improve the quality of school education," he said.

"The significant role of private sectors in providing quality education and employment opportunities are encouraging as they are helping to prevent a massive outflow of the country's resources," he said.
"Rather than being satisfied with the current achievement, our activities should focus on making access to education easy for ordinary people," he said.

The government was ready to remove the weaknesses in the education sector by reforming the prevailing rules and regulations, he said.

Talking about the current political situation, PM Chand said, "The recent political developments have given a new rays of hope in the otherwise dark tunnel." As it was the outcome of the joint efforts made by people from every walk of life, the entire nation should join hands to give a successful outlet to the crisis. He appealed to all to work to build and rehabilitate the country by forgetting the bitter experiences of the past.

Minister of Education and Sports, Devi Prasad Ojha said that the academic sector was also influenced by the prevailing political turmoil. However, new hopes have been generated after the announcement of the truce, he said. "These hopes should be changed into confidence and in practical life."

"As there have been a great disparity in the standard of education, our effort should be directed for a balanced development of the education sector and also to meet the global challenge," he said.
He also asked the private boarding schools to credible environment by providing adequate facilities and job security to the teachers to achieve quality education.

Assistant Minister for Education and Sports, Rabindra Khanal urged the need for participatory approach for the development of education.

Acting Secretary at the Education Ministry Chuman Singh Basnet said that the government was ready to correct errors in the education policy.

Rajesh Khadka the central chairman of PABSON talked about the condition of private boarding schools saying that that were severely affected by political disturbances.

He also said that the 700 plus private schools that were forced to remain close causing losses to the schools and teachers, the government should think of providing them compensations.

Good governance top national agenda: DPM

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BIRGUNJ, Feb. 8: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Agriculture and Cooperatives and Local Development Badri Prasad Mandal has directed public servants to render their services promptly, impartially, with austerity and in a manner that is free of aberrations.

Speaking at a function organised in the course of inspecting the District Development Committee Parsa, Deputy Prime Minister Mandal said the present government has come up with the national agenda of good governance, transparency, rule of law and freedom from corruption, adding that it expects cooperation from all quarters to make this agenda a success.

At a time when the country is beset by all manner of distortions and a state of crisis, it is the common responsibility of all to impart forward impetus to the country, he said and called on the general public, the government and employees to work hand in hand for national development.
Remarking that the concept of decentralisation and local autonomy have added to the importance of District Development Committees, the Deputy Prime Minister said in order to make such entities more oriented towards service, development and the people, all concerned should rise above political prejudice .

As there are no people's representatives at present the DDC offices should be even better organised, more effective and relevant to the people, he said and spoke of the need to develop Parsa DDC as a model.

On the occasion, Parsa Local Development Officer Khadga Bahadur Rana spoke about various programmes under implementation in the district.

Disengage from politics, civil servants told

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DHANGADHI, Feb. 8: Minister for Home, and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Dharma Bahadur Thapa, addressing a gathering of the employees at the District Administration Office, Kailali, today said that the country needs the services of each and every person at present.

Stating that those in civil services should not be involved in politics, he emphasised the need to provide services and facilities to the people without hindrance.

Minister Thapa said that the present government will not discriminate against any employee.
Home secretary Tika Dutta Niraula, officiating CDO Mathur Prasad Yadav and other speakers also expressed their views on the occasion.

Also today, Minister Thapa acquired information on the law and order situation from the chiefs of the concerned security agencies and gave necessary directives to them.

Minister Thapa has already visited Achham, Bajhang, Bajura and Doti districts and acquired information on the law and order situation there.

Polio drops administered to 4.1 M children

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KATHMANDU, Feb. 8: Polio drops were administered to about 4.1 million children up to the age of five in 69 districts of the Kingdom under the second phase of the Seventh Intensive National Polio Immunisation Day today.

Also under the programme, the health workers and volunteers will visit each and every house and administer the polio drops to the children left out in administering it while the ward level immunisation committee will certify the matter.

As per the information received until 3 P.M. at the child health division of the Department of Health Services, polio drops have already been administered to 80 per cent of the targeted children.
About 75 children volunteers and ten thousand health workers have been mobilised today at around thirty-eight thousand immunisation centres.

The numbers of health institutions and VDCs of 68 districts where polio drops were administered today are 3,821 and 3,682 respectively and that of the metropolis, submetropolis and municipalities taken together is 58.

The division has also stated that polio drops were administered to 4,006,103 children in the first phase of the programme conducted more than a month back and the achievement in this case was 98 per cent.

The data of Doti, Achham, Bajura, Bardiya and Kalikot are awaited, it is learnt.

The child health division has expressed gratitude to all the donor agencies, HMG organisations, civil servants, teachers, Nepal Police, Royal Nepal Army, other institutions and organisations, social workers, volunteers, health workers and office bearers of the cooperating agencies for their support in conducting the programme successfully.

Nepal-India talks on direct transport

By A Staff Reporter

KATHMANDU, Feb 8: Talks between Nepal and India on direct transport between the two countries began here today. The third round of the joint secretary level talks focussed on the issue of operating direct transport between two countries.

According to Chabi Raj Pant, Director at the Department of Transport, said that officials of both the countries discussed on topics relating to transport for economic development.

The discussion will continue tomorrow, he said. However, the Federation of Nepalese Transport Enterprenueurs (FNTE) has shown concern over the direct transport between Nepal and India.

The FNTE issuing a press release stated that free flow of transport from India would cause rampage in the country's transport business affecting its trade and economic activities.

Khapangi calls for efforts to foster social change

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RATNANAGAR, Feb. 8: Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Gore Bahadur Khapangi has said that the community that is unable to recognise its own rights cannot recognise the nation and the state power.

Inaugurating the 20th Chitwan district level conference and 11th convention of Nepal Magar Association at Narayangadh today, he said that the backward communities should launch social revolution for the sake of their rights and interest.

Stating that the country was being not progressing because the people handed over their sovereignty rights unknowingly to the wrong person, he said that as the democracy at present was at stake, everyone should strive for its protection.On the occasion, he also inaugurated the DDC office building of the association.National Assembly member Rishi Babu Pariyar and a host of other speakers expressed their views at the programme chaired by president of Chitwan district committee of the association Keshar Punmagar.Various dances and songs depicting the Magar culture were presented at the programme.

Closed session will be held and new leadership elected tomorrow, the association has stated.

Pacific fish may adapt in Nepali rivers

By Bhimsen Thapaliya

KATHMANDU, Feb. 8: The Rainbow Trout, a native to the North American Pacific can be naturalised and cultured in the Nepalese running waters, research has shown.

An adaptability research conducted in a cold water river in western Nepal has shown that the exotic fish species are capable of doing well in the natural habitat. "The study showed adequate growth and proper condition of the Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)," says a research report written by Dr. Jiwan Shrestha and Bhaba Amatya, published in the latest issue of the Journal of the Natural History Museum, Tribhuvan University.

The research was conducted by Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC) in the Modi Khola river, 42 kilometres west of Pokhara along the Pokhara-Baglung Highway. The river was selected as it has abundant supply of cold and clean water, a condition ideal for the trouts.

Five thousand trout fingerlings were released in the river to see how the alien species adapted and grew in the natural habitat where 32 indigenous fish species also live. The sample fish were caught for growth monitoring and analysis after three and nine months of their release.

After analysing the duration, body length, weight of the sample fish and water condition, the growth result was found to be satisfactory. "The study suggests that the trouts are in good health and have achieved sufficient growth in this river," the report said.

Similar trout growth studies were carried out also in the Armabi Khola, Tatopani and Kharidhunga rivers. They also produced findings similar to the one in the Modi Khola. According to the research paper, trout culture is possible in these rivers as well, should the results of other supportive investigations be positive.

The finding opens the possibility for Rainbow Trout culture in natural running water, which is a low cost source of protein. Talking about the objective of the Modi Khola research, one of the researchers Dr. Shrestha said that running water trout culture may be an economical alternative to artificial farming of this species of fish which is very expensive.

In artificial trout farming, the young fingerlings need highly proteinous feed whose ingredients consist of dry shrimp, soybean, wheat, oilcake and vitamins, says Ms. Shrestha who is a zoology professor at Tribhuvan University. "Dry shrimps must be imported and are very expensive," she added.
However, possible threats that the exotic fish may pose to the local species and environment have not been seriously considered. The world of honeybee offers a burning instance of what negative impact imported species may have on the indigenous counterparts.

Honeybee experts have lately advised the promotion of indigenous species for better environmental results. They contend that the alien honeybees not only face survival challenge in extreme weather conditions but also bring diseases and parasites with them.

"Possible environmental impacts of the Rainbow Trout on the local habitat is yet to be assessed," said Dr. Shrestha.

Out of the 5,000 fingerlings released in the Modi Khola, only about a dozen could be collected for monitoring. The low catch indicates the possibility of the considerable survival battle they face. This hints to the need of further research works.

"It is possible that the trouts released had to struggle for existence with the indigenous fishes, during which many might have been killed initially," the report suspects.

Rainbow Trout fish were introduced to Nepal from Japan and the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. Since the fish did not survive, they were reintroduced in 1988. Since then the species are being artificially cultured in the NARC's fishery research centres in Godavari and Trishuli. The Japanese brought the fish from its native waters of the North American Pacific in 1827.

Philatelic exhibition to kick off

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KATHMANDU, Feb. 8: On the occasion of the 53rd National Democracy Day, a National Philatelic Exhibition 'Nephil-2003' is being held here from 18-23 February under the joint aegis of His Majesty's Government Department of Postal Services and Nepal Philatelic Society.

It was disclosed at a press conference here today that 24 stamp collectors will be taking part in the competitive group and 12 in the invitee group in the philatelic exhibition to be organised at the Royal Nepal Academy.

The aim of the philatelic exhibition is to promote philately in Nepal in its different aspects, foster friendly relations and mutual co-operation among the collectors and inform the students, teachers and the general people on the importance of philately.

The exhibition will be held in seven different categories namely, traditional philately, postal history, postal stationery, thematic, revenue, youth philately and postal literature.

Similarly, seven kinds of medals namely, gold, large vermeil, vermeil, large silver, silver, silver bronze and bronze will be given to the winners of the competition.

It is said entry to the exhibition would be free and each day of the exhibition period would be observed as a special day and commemorative envelope and seal issued on the day.

Director-General of the Department of Postal Services Sreedhar Gautam said stamp collection benefits the collectors and the country and stressed the exhibition was being held to promote philately.

President of Nepal Philatelic Society Subarna Ram Joshi said co-operation from all sides was essential to make Nephil-2003 successful.

The first stamp in the country was issued in 1938 Bikram Sambat (BS) year and so far about 800 different types of postage stamps have been issued.

The first philatelic exhibition was held in 2016 BS and a South Asia Regional Level International Philatelic Exhibition was organised in 2057 BS on the occasion of 50 years of democracy in Nepal.