AN ESTIMATED 1.34 MILLION LANDLESS laborers working in agricultural sector are deprived of appropriate wages in Nepal. According to a study conducted by a researcher, Dinesh Chapagain for International Labor Organization (ILO),  8.5 million people in Nepal are active in agricultural sector. Participants at a one-day workshop on fixation of minimum wage of agriculture laborer on Tuesday suggested that the government should set the minimum wage of agriculture laborers at Rs 70 per day. A study conducted by Ministry of Agriculture last year, however, said that the agricultural laborers were earning around Rs 50 per day in different parts of the country.

THE LITERACY RATE OF WOMEN in Nepal is the lowest in the entire South Asian region, experts  said . Only 25 percent of women in Nepal can read and write as against the national literacy rate of nearly 50 percent. Addressing a workshop organized to formulate a national plan of action on the Convention of Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Resident Representative of the United Nations in Kathmandu, Dr. Henning Karcher said that 75 percent of all the pregnant women in Nepal suffer from anemia and more than 50 percent of all women between age 15 and 49 are anemic. Nepal is a signatory to the CEDAW convention.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS FORMED a high-level task force under the convernorship of Home Minister Purna Bahadur Khadka to assist families of people who have been killed or injured or property destroyed by the Maoist rebels under the Ganesh Man Singh Peace Campaign. The Campaign, named after senior democratic leader late Singh, was announced during this year's annual budget presentation.  A recent meeting of the task force has decided to provide scholarship to children of those killed by Maoists from primary to University level through district education offices. According to the Home Ministry, the widows of those killed by Maoists will be provided with widow allowance without putting any age bar. Similarly, those injured in terrorist attacks and those whose property have been looted or destroyed will also get assistance under the campaign.

THE GOVERNMENT OF SWITZERLAND has agreed to provide a grant assistance of Swiss Franc 1.295 million (equivalent to approximately Rs 57.9 million) for implementation of the third phase of the Training Institute for Technical Instruction (TITI) project. Since 1991, the government of Switzerland has been providing assistance to TITI project, which is designed to meet the training needs of technical instructors, vocational trainers and technical managers.

IDE, THE NORTH AMERICAL INT'L DEVLOPMENT Organization, is to help Nepal in the implementation of about US$ one million Technology Development and Dissemination Program in Eastern and Central Terai and Western and Mid-Western hill districts over the next three years. The Agriculture Development Bank, on behalf of the Finance Ministry and IDE signed on the agreement here on Monday. The program includes human-powered treadle pump-marketing project in the Terai and low-cost trip irrigation system and micro-sprinkler dissemination project in Western and Mid-western hill districts.

A GROUP OF NINE LEFT PARTIES have announced first round of nationwide agitation programs against the hike in price of diesel, kerosene and electricity tariff beginning November 30. At a press meet organized here last week, leaders of the nine left parties said that they had decided to take to streets with a view to compel the government to withdraw its "anti-people" decisions. The programs announced by the left outfits include erecting black flags, interaction and public dialogues, protest rallies in district headquarters and torch rallies. The group has called nationwide shutdown strike, Nepal bandh, on February 1 next year.

THE VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS OF Electric Vehicle (Safa Tempo) have developed a consensus over forming a federation-like  umbrella organization of  the Electric Vehicle entrepreneurs and concerned organizations. After a series of meetings a seven-member committee has been formed under the chairmanship of D. B. Limbu. The committee will prepare by-laws within a month and work for registering the proposed organization.

The half-hour long daily international news program of the BBC Nepali Service can now be heard live on the Internet. BBC and the Mercantile Communications, Kathmandu have entered into a partnership for this purpose. The program is now available at the website (www.nepalnews.com)  in audio at 10.15 P. M. (16.50 GMT) in Nepal. It will also carry a unique archive of BBC Nepali programs enabling listeners to trace previous news reports covered by the BBC.

The Australian ambassador hosted a cocktail reception to meet Bobby Simpson the noted cricketer. Simpson said that the Nepalese boys have lots of potential. He was in Nepal for two weeks to assess the cricketing talents of Nepalese youths.