- Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Kathmandu, May 13: Light rain is occurring at some places of Gandaki, Koshi and Bagmati provinces now.
Presently Nepal is under the influence of local wind, westerly wind as well as a low pressure system formed around Bihar, India.
According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, the weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly regions and partly cloudy in the rest of the country today.
The weather will be partly to generally cloudy throughout the country during the day. Light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is likely to occur at a few places of the hilly region and at a few places of the Tarai region, the Division said.
There is a possibility of light snowfall in some places of the high hilly and mountainous region of the country. The weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly regions of Koshi, Bagmati, Gandaki, Lumbini and Karnali provinces and partly cloudy in the rest of the country tonight.
According to the Division, light rain accompanied by thunder and lightning is likely to occur at one or two places of the hilly regions of Bagmati, Gandaki and Lumbini provinces.
—
02- Chief Minister Karki to take vote of confidence today
Biratnagar, May 13: Chief Minister of Koshi Province Hikmat Kumar Karki is set to take vote of confidence today. Province Chief Parshuram Khapung has called the fifth session of the Koshi Province Assembly for 11.00 am today.
He made the call in accordance with the Article 183 (1) of the Constitution on the recommendation of the Koshi province government (Council of Ministers) on May 9.
Karki who was appointed the Chief Minister on May 9 took oath of office and secrecy the same evening.
He has the support from 52 province assembly members, including 39 from CPN (UML) and 13 from CPN (Maoist Centre).
According to the Article 168 (4) of the Constitution and Rule 128 of the Koshi Province Assembly Regulations, 2074 (including the First Amendment), an arrangement has been made for the Chief Minister to take the vote of confidence.
—
03- Experts call for reforms in TVET design and implementation
Kathmandu, May 13: Various experts and advocates have called for meticulous reforms in the design and implementation of the Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes.
At a sharing of findings of four different studies undertaken by the Kathmandu University School of Education (KUSOED) on Sunday, the researchers highlighted reform needs in financing, investment, technical and non-technical skills enhancement, shared incentives and good governance in the operation of the sector.
Presenting the findings of the research ‘Household Financing in TVET in Nepal’, Prof Dr Mahesh Nath Parajuli highlighted that households with limited earning have been bearing higher financial burden for TVET education.
The research according to him revealed that households shared 49 percent of TVET education expenditure followed by government (37 percent), external donors (7 percent) and others (7 percent)
The research recommended measures to reduce structural inequalities prohibiting access to TVET; lower household burden to TVET; find cost partners and collaborators in the sector.
Likewise, sharing the findings of another research ‘Skills Gap: Exploring Education-to-Work Transition in Nepal’s Construction Sector’, Associate Prof Dr Prakash Chandra Bhattarai said skills gap have created multi-fold issues such as widening unemployment, creating difficulties for employees to obtain a skilled workforce and need for evidence-based policy/ practice.
The study found that graduate employees entered the job market with minimal competencies, including technical and non-technical in the construction sector. The research called for the enhanced role of educational institutions in terms of curricula, pedagogy, assessment; linkage and collaboration with industry sectors and reforms in policy to match the demand side and supply sides of the sector.
KUSOED Head of the Department, Dr Suresh Gautam in his research ‘Youth Employment and Income: insights from the 2022 Youth Survey’ underlined the need of skill-based education with quality, relevance, and good governance and realizing and enhancing the social/ cultural capital of the trainees.
The research recommended developing an approach, drawing from socio-educational political, economic dynamics, to enhance youth employment and addressing social structure for developing role models of aspirant youth for TVET.
Delivering his presentation to share the findings of his research entitled ‘Local Governments Financing in TVET: A Study of Gandaki Province’, Dr Prakash Kumar Paudel highlighted that TVET budget has been steadily increasing with volume but largely financed with external sources.
According to the research findings, informal/non-formal TVET was found an area of priority; local governments yet to give a priority attention to take role on financing of TVET
Commenting on the research papers, education reform advocate Dr Bishnu Karki suggested that they should impart a candid message that TVET involves certain costs but there are opportunities for higher returns rate.
He advocated for the need of adopting the Swiss dual model (both general and technical & vocational education) in Nepal with careful design on incentives for attracting students.
It demands engagement of multiple stakeholders, including technical training providers, employers and trainees to promote skill-based employment adopting apprenticeship approach.
Likewise, Principal Social Sector Specialist of Asian Development Bank, Rudi Van Dael lauded emerging research on TVET in Nepal highlighting that the broader society needs to think towards lowering cost burden in its education in Nepal.
The research was undertaken by KUSOED with support from the Linking Education and Labour Markets (LELAM) project financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF).
—
04- ‘Economic policy of social-democratic concept a must’
Kathmandu, May 13: Janamat Party’s senior vice-president Abdul Khan has highlighted the need of economic policy of social-democratic concept in the country.
He shared the information that the party is preparing to organize a grand public gathering in Kathmandu on May 28 on the occasion of the Republic Day this year.
Khan, also the chairperson of the Industry, Commerce, Labour and Consumer Welfare Committee under the House of Representatives, said the public gathering would mark the future course of new republic and social democracy in the country.
“The new republic is to correct the shortcomings surfaced during the practice within the Constitution and the system in a timely manner,” he said. Noting that socialism has been enshrined in the Constitution as part of economic policy, Khan said that the provision shows the State would run, control and take ownership of all factories and industries.
“Socialism is a very broad issue. There has been no capitalism and no capitalist revolution in Nepal so far. How is socialism possible without that?” he asked.
Senior vice-president Khan said that there is a need to bring socio-democratic concept by changing the economic policy related to socialism which is currently in practice. A mixed economy of socialism and capitalism adopted by the US and some European countries could be suitable for Nepal, he argued that the country could go through that path to achieve economic development and prosperity.
Talking to RSS, Khan claimed that foreign investment would increase if the social democratic economic policy was adopted. He stressed the need for direct election of people to all important positions in the country, including the Prime Minister, to end the political instability that is a major challenge to the development of the country.
—
05- Special programme for production growth and job creation through budget-PM
Chitwan, May 13: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ said a special programme would be announced for boosting production and creating job opportunities through upcoming fiscal year’s policy, programme and budget.
Laying the foundation stone of the ‘signature bridge’ to be constructed over the Narayani River today, PM Dahal said the government was doing ground work to run integrated projects associated to employment and productivity.
“It is today’s national need to run projects of integrated nature related to infrastructure development, rural economic empowerment, production growth and employment generation”, he further said.
The government would lay emphasis on quality and sustainability aspects of road network across the country, the PM shared, adding attention would be paid on bringing reforms in infrastructure, vehiles and traffic systems in order to ease transport service and reduce road accidents.
He highlighted the need to create positive narrative that the country itself can execute the projects in an appropriate manner based on evidence-based study and analysis.
Nepal has made good shifts in infrastructure, education, health, communications, drinking water and electrification as well as social security and service delivery, the PM claimed.
It may be noted that the Department of Roads is constructing over 149 bridges in different parts of the country now. “The tunnel way of the Nagdhunga road section has seen a breakthrough”, PM shared, adding other several developments taking place in game changing projects would contribute Nepal to graduate to developing country by 2026″.
—
