THE HIMALAYAN UNIVERSE

GIS Society of Nepal organized a one day work shop on the occasion of International GIS Day on November 19, 2008. About 150 persons attended the workshop. Nepal GIS Society had also completed a one week GIS training for the beginners, and the trainees were given their certificates on this day. On this GIS Day, five papers were presented (please see the program at the end). These were interesting topics. After the brief introductory remarks and official nomination of program chair, by the NEGISS President Dr. Krishna Prasad Paudel, the paper presentation session began. Prof. Dr. Upendra Man Malla former Department Head of Geography, Tribhuwan University, and also a former member of National Planning Commission, chaired the program. Dr Krishna Paudel, the NEGISS President is a Professor at the Tribhuwan University. Dr. Narendra Khanal's paper outlined the role of Remote Sensing and GIS in disaster management, especially in flood hazards. He is a well known TU Geography Professor. Dr ...

ADB grant in millions to boost local govt bodies Himalayan News Service Kathmandu, October 22: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has come forward to help Nepal improve local governance and promote community development. The international body has pledged a grant worth $106.3 million. The aid will be disbursed in three phases. It will support the active engagement of communities in local governance, improve resource management and dispensation of service. Local government agencies will play a key role in implementation of the much-needed project. Perhaps, the ADB grant could not have come at an opportune time for the Maoist-led government, which is gradually veering towards a federal structure. In fact, the Three-Year Interim Plan (fiscal 2008-2010) has put forth decentralisation as the primary means for good governance. “It will support the government’s move. Local bodies can be strengthened as it will prompt them to take several community initiatives. There is a greater focus on inclu...

In a recent Nepali Congress Central Working Committee Meeting, Former PM Girija Prasad Prasad Koirala sated that they should be ready for the formation of next government as the Maoist lead government is going to come down soon. Many people thought at some point as usual, Girija without power is a real danger. Nepali congress has ruled country for more than 80% of the time since the first democratic move that established a multiparty system of government in 1990. However, there are persons, who think that Maoists should be given oportunity to implement people centric policies, because no other parties are so clear as they are in this - be it the state structuring, federalism or abolishment of monarcy in Nepal. Dr Sundar Mani Dixit, a medical doctor spoke on this recently. The following news is taken from telegraphnepal.com Nepal: Let Maoist implement people centric polices, Dr. Dixit TGW Dr. Sundarmani Dixit, a renowned civil society member has said that the Maoists were the last hope ...

Nepal's Constituency Assembly elected Puspa Kamal Dahal "Prachanda" as the Primeminister of Nepal on August 15, 2008. His background: 10 years revolution (February, 1996-February 2006) that saw 13000 Nepalese lives lost and many disappeared and unknown against the 240 years old Feudal Monarchy and failed parliament. Nepal is already declared a Democratic Republic of Nepal on 26 May, 2008. King moved to a secluded residence in the forest. The Maoists who fought from the Forest have entered the city. With Prachanda's election as Primeminister, a new era in Nepal begins. Many people still fear that the Maoists may begin a communist republic type of governance in Nepal. But there are others who say that the Maoists are well aware of the 21st century reality - the globalization, humanrights and respect for plurality. There was the doubt about what would happen in the peace process if the maoists were denied the power that they were chosen by the people. With the election o...

Nepal has more than 100 castes and similar number of languages. The homegeniety of a caste exists only at community level. There are a mix of communities of different castes interspersed. At a larger say a smallest planning unit level, the castes are mixed to form a very heteregenous society. Newest Republic, Nepal now faces a plethora of demands from each caste/ethnic group. IRIN, a UN news Agency has covered some essence. This is given below as it is. Thanks to IRIN News. NEPAL: Analysts warn of rising ethnic tensions KATHMANDU, 14 August 2008 (IRIN) - Failure to address the grievances of Nepal’s various indigenous and ethnic groups may result in further ethnic tension, warn analysts. Photo: Naresh Newar/IRIN Thousands of Pahade families have been displaced over the past year due to commnal tensions between the Madhesi and Pahade Speaking to IRIN in the capital, Kathmandu, they said the country’s top political parties in the Constituent Assembly (CA) must prioritise the formation of...

Yesterday's post consisted of an interesting article from a political analyst of India from their website www.indiareacts.com. Today another interesting story woven by a Nepali political analyst from www.telegraphnepal.com . It is hard to believe in some of the articles in this portal. However, it is interesting to read. All that said, will there be Nepali politicians standing on their own feet, ever? The old genre of Nepali politicians is experienced without much academic hardwork in their lives. However, the new ones are definitely the ones who at least had been to the college and university - most of them. May be this is the reason the government should be run by new and young ones with the support from the senior peers. Here is the thought provoking article from the Telegraph Nepal US scanner TGW Analyst Kathmandu: If what the analysts have understood of Nepal’s Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala, the politics of consensus that have been agreed upon by the Nepali Congress, t...

Sometimes it is very interesting to ponder over the fate of Nepal. So many forces are interested in her, reigning a chaos making difficult to navigate the political quagmires. The following article is copy-pasted from IndiaReacts Midwifing Nepal India must assist the Maoists into the mainstream, says N.V.Subramanian. 24 July 2008: India should beware that the Maoists' defeat in Nepal's presidential election has not been to China's liking. The Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist chairman, Prachanda, has been published by Xinhua in a tilted commentary saying, "There is a big reactionary conspiracy of foreign powers after we won the faith and belief of (a) large crowd of people. Nepal's politics has clearly signified a great danger of anti-revolution." Prachanda did not name the foreign powers allegedly conspiring against the Maoists, but India would figure prominently in them, preceded or followed by the United States. Even if the Chinese were meddling, Prachanda wo...

Ex-King’s dinner diplomacy, President Yadav invited TGW Nepal’s last monarch Gyanendra Shah has sent a congratulatory message to the First President of the Republic of Nepal, His Excellency Dr. Ram Baran Yadav. As per the reports, Gyanendra Shah’s message to the President was delivered by Pashupati Bhakta Maharjan-ex-King’s Chief Secretary. Upon meeting President Yadav, Maharjan extended ex-King Gyanendra’s invitation for an exclusive dinner with Dr. Yadav. To add, latest reports have it that Gyanendra Shah has begun holding Business Consultations with some Indian businessmen. “Ex-King Gyanendra mainly discussed how to smoothly run his business ventures in Nepal”, writes the Samacharpatra Daily today, July 28, 2008. Excerpts of Ex-King’s message to the President follows: “I would like to congratulate you for being elected as the first president of Nepal by the Constituent Assembly...” “I hope that during your tenure as the president of Nepal, you will work towards strengthening Nepali ...

Are Christian evangelists worst that all the terror outfits? A beautiful review by Allen Carr on the controversial book "Peoples of the Buddhist World" by Paul Hattaway et. al. The following is taken from LankaWeb.com .. But this interesting reading is also available at Wisdon Quarterly: American Buddhist Journal Planning the Demise of Buddhism Peoples of the Buddhist World by Paul Hattaway, Piquant Editions, Carlisle, 2004. Reviewed by Allen Carr Some Western drug companies spend millions of dollars developing and marketing a new drug only to have the health authorities later discover that it has dangerous side-effects and then ban it. Needing to recover their investment and unable to sell their drug in the West some of these companies try to market their dangerous products in the Third World where public awareness of health issues is low and indifferent governments can be brought off. Some might say that Christianity is a bit like this. Having lost much of their following i...

There is a new interesting story that surfaced in Kathmandu recently. Charles Shobhraj, the convicted one, serving the 20 years jail term is 'seriously' in love with a 20 years St. Mary's student Nihita Thapa, daughter of a well connected, senior Nepali Lawyer Shakultala Thapa. The following text is copied from the www.newendpress.com . It is interesting why a lawyer's daughter should find love in Charles Shobhraj, known for his notority. Luck, perhaps! You can also see the young spirited lady's pictures at link called Email Bookmarking Blog Here is also another link at cbsnews.com . Mother of Sobhraj's fiancée defending him against bigamy charges Monday July 7 2008 11:02 IST Sudeshna Sarkar KATHMANDU, NEPAL: In the latest twist to the drama that started in Nepal and abroad after it became public that criminal mastermind Charles Sobhraj had become engaged to a Nepali woman 44 years his junior, the mother of his fiancée Nihita Biswas entered the fray in a bid to ...

On Tuesday, June 24 afternoon a child of 2.5 years age fell into the crevices of Seti River in Pokhara, valley famous for its Annapurna Range of Himalayas and the Lakes. Despite all efforts by different specialized rescue teams, including Nepal Army and Police squads, the child could not be brought out from the death trap. The crevice was simply too narrow and it was not possible for big guys to adventure any further from 20 ft. The child was believed to have rested at 65 feet from the surface outside. So, Kamal Nepali, 12 years old school boy, who liked gymnastics in his school, agreed to go down to take the child, up on his brother's request. Kamal's brother told him - that there is a child like our own sister, who needs help. After the rescue team's briefing on him and preparations with a bag, walki-talkie and torch, the boy descended, negotiated the narrow hole, reached the child, lifted her, put her in the bag, signalled the team he was ready and was pulled up. The b...

The following paragraphs have some more info on the context of Decentralization Support Programme in Nepal, taken from this link . Region: Asia Thematic Focus: Constitutional Reform, Popular Participation Country: Nepal Context UNDP has been supporting the process of decentralization in Nepal since 1982, initially supporting the formulation of the Decentralization Act. In 1989, UNDP project entitled "Strengthening Decentralization Planning" assisted the government in preparing the currently existing local government laws and national policies related to decentralization, rural development, and NGOs, including the District Development Act, Village Development Act, and the Municipal Act. The "Supporting Decentralization in Nepal" project, funded by UNDP and executed by the government through its national planning commission secretariat, was approved in January 1993 and is now completed. The "Supporting Decentralization in Nepal" project was formulated to add...

The following email note is publicly available. Here is a good discussion on the definition of governance. The information is taken from this link . From::::: paul.lundberg@un.org.pk To::::: magnet@undp.org Date::::: Fri, 19 Sep 1997 21:20:42 PKT Subject :: Re: Food for Thought - A Definition of Governance Dear Magnet, Some of our colleagues have argued, vociferously in one case, that defining governance is an academic exercise that should not concern us practitioners. I disagree with that view. I believe that it is essential that we understand what we are talking about and agree among ourselves about the nature of our subject. To start my comment, I would like to submit an alternate definition of governance. This definition was created by Dr. Elinor Ostrom, a professor of political science and a lifelong student of common property resource management issues. She defines governance quite simply as the "regularized ways of ordering human societies at all levels of organization...

The following number of articles have some insights in Decentralization. The link is here . Commune Councils By Molly Ball The Cambodia Daily The Feb 3 commune council elections were widely hailed as a major step toward grassroots democracy in Cambodia. But that goal won't happen overnight. "If people really think they're going to get 100 percent of local governments functioning right away that's never happened anywhere," said Scott Leiper, a UN adviser to the government on decentralization. The massive amount of work that must be done to get 1,621 commune councils up and running will be complicated by the fact that many details of how the councils will proceed are still unclear. "On election day, Cambodians went to vote for a system of government that has yet to be fully defined," said Eric Kessler of the National Democratic Institute. Critics say this uncertainty is ripe for exploitation by the central government. Participants in the process say the go...