- Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Kathmandu, May 2: The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said weather now is partly cloudy in the hilly areas and fair in remaining parts of the country.
The partial influence of westerly wind and local wind is still continuing in the country, the Department said, adding weather will witness partial changes in the hilly areas of Koshi, Bagmati and Gandaki provinces while it will be partly fair in remaining areas this afternoon.
There is a possibility of light rain with thunderstorm and lightning at one to two places of hilly areas in Koshi and Gandaki provinces.
There is a chance of light snowfall at one or two places of the high hilly and mountainous region of Koshi province. Likewise, gusty winds are predicted to occur at some places of Koshi, Madhes and Lumbini provinces.
The weather will be partly cloudy in the hilly region and fair in the rest of the country tonight. In the next 24 hours, there is a chance of light rain with thunder and lightning at one or two places of the hilly regions of Koshi and Gandaki provinces.
In view of thunderstorm in some places of Koshi, Madhes and Lumbini provinces and its possible impacts on daily life, the Department has urged the people to take necessary precautions in the areas.
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01- National ICT day being observed today
Kathmandu, May 2: The National Information and Communications Technology (ICT) day is being observed today by organizing various programmes.
Every year May 2 has been celebrated as the National ICT Day to push for development and promotion of information and communications technology in the country.
On the occasion, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is hosting a special function today featuring Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ as the chief guest.
On the same occasion, individuals and organizations having remarkable contributions to the enrichment of information and communications sector are to be honoured.
The government has been implementing several initiatives for the advancement and promotion of information technology by recognizing it as a prime basis of economic prosperity along with agriculture, tourism and energy.
Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma said the government has mooted a plan to advance socio-economic transformation of the country through the use and promotion of technology.
Minister Sharma told RSS that the government has focused its efforts for ICT sector development with confidence that it can create a solid foundation for prosperity.
‘Earlier we used to consider agriculture, tourism and energy as the base of prosperity. Lately, ICT has also been recognized. The young generation also has developed confidence and enthusiasm to utilize technology dividends to steer the country to the path of development”, she noted.
The Minister further said, “The government is effortful to facilitate the use and adoption of ICT”.
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03- Letters of Credence presented
Kathmandu, May 2: Ambassador of Nepal to Canada Bharat Raj Paudyal has presented the letters of credence to Governor General of Canada, Mary J. May Simon.
Ambassador Poudyal presented the credentials at a special ceremony held in Ottawa, Canada on Wednesday.
During the audience following the presentation of the credentials, Ambassador Poudyal conveyed greetings and best wishes from President Ramchandra Paudel and Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ to the Governor General for her personal health and happiness as well as for the continuous peace, progress and prosperity of the friendly people of Canada, the Nepali Embassy in Ottawa said today.
Ambassador Poudyal apprised the Governor General of friendly bilateral relations between Nepal and Canada and shared major priorities of the Nepal government, including the consolidation of democracy and accelerating the economic development efforts.
He also highlighted the efforts being made to ensure smooth and sustainable graduation from the Least Developed Country (LDC) status and attain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.
While appreciating Canada for its continued cooperation in times of the need, he expressed his commitment to work closely with the Canadian government and private sector to promote bilateral trade, tourism, investment and technology transfer, strengthen people to people relations and mutually beneficial economic partnerships.
According to the Embassy, the Governor General expressed her best wishes to the leadership of Nepal and expressed satisfaction on the excellent state of bilateral relations.
The Director General also assured him of full support of the Government of Canada to further strengthen the bilateral ties.
Also present on the occasion were high-ranking officials of the Canada government and the employees of the embassy.
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04- Government effortful for boosting investment in IT sector-Minister Sharma
Kathmandu, May 2: Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma has said the government was moving ahead with determination to develop necessary policies, laws and infrastructures to boost up investment in the information technology sector.
In her message of best wishes on the occasion of the 7th National Information and Communication Technology Day- 2081 BS today, she said the National Cyber Security Policy-2080 has been issued for the first time with the objective of securing and managing cyber space.
The National Cyber Security Centre has been established, Minister Sharma said, adding, “The task of reviewing the Information and Communications Technology Policy-2072, Telecommunications Policy-2060 and Broadband Policy-2071 BS and formulating an integrated policy is underway”.
The government is confident that good governance and prosperity can be achieved in the country only through ICT use. the message reads, adding it would help in fulfilling the aspiration of building a prosperous Nepal by developing and implementing relevant projects.
“The government has a clear goal to achieve prosperity through digital transformation by digitizing every sector and revisiting the ‘Digital Nepal Framework-2076’. It was put in place with the belief of transforming the economic and social sectors by using more and more information technology for rapid development and high economic growth”, the message noted.
Minister Sharma also appealed to all to make concrete contributions in establishing good governance and prosperity through the use of safe information technology.
According to the Minister, ICT use is expanding at a rapid pace and the services provided by the State to the citizens are becoming information technology-friendly.
“The use of electronic system in various public services has increased in today’s time”, Minister Sharma said, adding that the government has laid emphasis on expanding the reach of telecommunication services across the country as a basic digital infrastructure to make the development and use of digital payment system more rapid and effective.
With the theme ‘Information Technology and Communications, A Base for Prosperous Nepal’, the 7th National Information and Communication Technology is being observed today.
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05- Elderly couple die in fire
Malekhu (Dhading), May 2: An elderly couple died in a fire broke out at their house in Thakre rural municipality-5, Purandanda, Ghattekhola of Dhading.
Tej Bahadur Lama, 70, and his wife Thuli Lama were killed in a fire that broke out in the house last night, Dhading Police Chief Superintendent of Police Gautam KC told RSS.
All the food and clothes in the house have been destroyed. “At around 11.30 pm, we got information about the fire in the house. A team from Hapsechaur temporary police post and Area Police Office, Khanikhola reached the spot where the elderly couple were already dead”, SP KC informed.
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06- PM announces to institute innovation fund for IT sector expansion
Kathmandu, May 2: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ has pledged to provision the setup of innovation fund in the upcoming fiscal year’s policy, programme and budget for the expansion of information technology sector.
In his address to a programme organized on the occasion of the 7th National ICT Day here today, PM Dahal informed that groundwork was being done for the formulation of necessary laws for the establishment of the innovation fund.
“The government believes that economic and social transformation can be achieved only through the development, expansion and use of communications and information technology,” he said, adding, the young scientists will be encouraged to earn income through information technology at their own capacity and access.
He made it clear that the government was seriously working to integrate and effectively implement the ‘Startup Programme’ focusing on the youth.
Prosperity could be achieved through development, good governance and employment only by accepting information technology as the ‘leading factor’, the Prime Minister said while appealing to all concerned for rapid development in the field of communications and information technology for economic and social transformation of the common people through it.
“The government is committed to make necessary policy and legal arrangements to ensure the development, expansion and safe use of information technology,” he noted.
PM Dahal said the incidents related to cybercrime, which ware on the rise lately would be controlled through legal and policy measures.
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