Nepal

• Government and parties are deliberately delaying the process as per their strategy of delay, dilute and deny justice

Kathmandu, November 8

Itbeen seven months since the formation of the recommendation committee to pick new members of two transitional justice bodies, but the independent panel has not been able to take a decision.

The committee has so far collected 57 applications for the post of members and chairpersons of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission on Investigation of Enforced Disappearances. Thatjust what it has done over the past seven months, besides calling and postponing meetings.

The committee was supposed to meet yesterday too, but it was postponed by its Chairperson Om Prakash Misha, according to the panelSpokesperson Sharmila Karki. Karki said they would hold a meeting in next two or three days, to give final shape to the list of aspiring candidates, for publication.

This is not the first time the committee has said so. Stakeholders say the independent committee is doing nothing, but awaiting political signal for appointments in the commissions that have remained vacant since their members retired in April.

Political parties had on August 21 reached an understanding whereby the CIEDP would have the same old team, while the TRC would be led by former attorney general Raman Shrestha. Conflict victims and the National Human Rights Commission, which is represented in committee, are opposed to the idea of repeating the members. The victims have warned that they would withdraw all of their 63,000 complaints if old members are brought back.

The government on September 16 presented a modality for holding broad-based consultations in all seven provinces and Kathmandu, to gather inputs for amendment to the Enforced Disappearances Inquiry, Truth and Reconciliation Commission Act-2014.

Conflict victims have also demanded that the processes appointing TRC, CIEDP members and act amendment should be taken ahead simultaneously. Both these processes have been halted thanks to the government and political parties according least priority to these issues.

Suman Adhikari, former chairperson of Conflict Victims Common Platform, said the government and parties were deliberately delaying the process under their strategy of ‘delay, dilute and deny justice&. He also said the victims had nothing to expect for the ‘rubber-stamp& recommendation committee.

&We are also wondering what the government and parties are up to,& he said.

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Kathmandu, November 8

Metropolitan Traffic Police Division has warned against rough and reckless driving with loud exhaust terrorising pedestrians in Kathmandu valley.

An urgent public notice issued by the MTPD said on-duty traffic cops were allowed to slap maximum penalty on the offenders in accordance with the Motor Vehicle and Transport Management Act-1993.

Traffic police may impose a fine of up to Rs 5,000 in case of customisation of a motorcycle whereas reckless driving is punishable with a fine not exceeding Rs 5,000.

Senior Superintendent of Police Bhim Prasad Dhakal said reckless riders, who caused noised pollution, were under close surveillance of traffic police and would be booked under the existing law. A section of motorcyclists enjoy revving on the streets and add to noise pollution against legal provisions. Noise pollution in commercial places, residential areas and tourist spots of the valley exceeds the Guidelines for Community Noise set by the World Health Organisation.

Earlier, the Commerce, Industry and Consumer Welfare Relations Committee of the Parliament had directed Nepal Police to rein in movement of fancy and modified motorcycles.

Nepal Police has put into effect Valley Traffic Management and Pollution Control Improvement Action Plan. Though traffic police have effectively enforced the ban on honking, they seem to be reluctant to take action against motorcyclists who get silencers of their bikes mechanically modified resulting in noise pollution.

Number of youths using fancy bikes has increased in recent years. Some fancy bikes have factory-made exhaust sound, while others are mechanically modified. The law prohibits mechanical modification of vehicles for any purpose. According to the MTPD, it usually receives complaints against such two-wheelers for terrorising road users.

Traffic police detain such motorcycles to ascertain if their silencers were factory-made or modified. They can bring to book the modified bikes, but cannot do anything about the persons riding two-wheelers whose silencers are fixed by the company as per their cubic capacity. Traffic police don&t have exact data of such fancy bikes. More than 2.6 million bikes were registered with the Department of Transport Management as of last fiscal.

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Kathmandu, November 8

Ministry of Education, Science and Technology has started process of scrapping academic programmes of foreign universities run by colleges which have not renewed their permission to run the programmes.

The ministry is planning to scrap the programmes of 15 such colleges that offer courses of foreign universities.

Issuing a notice today, the ministry has sought clarification from all the 15 colleges. Heads of these colleges have been called in the ministry in person, along with a clarification letter stating why the foreign academic programmes should not be scrapped. The ministry has given them a deadline of 15 days.

The ministry has issued the notice in the name of A J Wild Institute of Advanced Studies, Bridgewater International College, Malpi International College, Capital College and Research Centre, Everest Education Foundation, Kathmandu Valley School, Orient College, Pentagon Education Network, Sarin Valley School (Apex Life School), South Western State College for cancellation of their programmes. All these colleges have been running A Level of Cambridge University, UK.

Sky International College, which has been running masterprogramme in Information Technology and Masterin Business Administration and is affiliated with Asia Pacific University of Technology and Innovation, Malaysia, has failed to pay renewal fees to run the programmes. The last date for submitting renewal fees was 12 February 2018.

Western Mega College, Butwal and Western International Business School Pvt Ltd, Dhangadi that are affiliated with foreign universities have also failed to pay the renewal fees to the ministry.

Cosmos International College, Pokhara, and Gadaki Boarding Higher Secondary School, Pokhara, that offer A-Level programme of Cambridge University, UK, are also on the list of colleges that have not renewed their permission to run the programmes.

&Foreign programmes of these colleges will be scrapped if the ministry does not find their answers satisfactory. They should abide by the rules and regulations of the ministry,& said Joint Secretary at the ministry Ram Sharan Sapkota,

Educational institutions, which are given permission to run foreign academic programmes, must deposit the prescribed amount at the ministry every year by February 12. Institutions that fail to apply for renewal should submit Rs 10,000 per month, for each academic programmes within February 12.

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KATHMANDU: Students of Pashupati Multiple Campus in Chabahil organised a protest rally against the depiction of Nepalterritory — Lipulekh Pass and Kalapani — as Indiaterritory in the new political map that was made public recently.

The students have demanded corrections in Indianew map that has incorporated the Nepali territory as India&s.

The rally was led by Kathmandu District Committee of Nepal Students Union, the student wing of leading opposition Nepali Congress.

The protesters chanted slogans like &Our Border, Our Country is Dearer than Heart&. They also warned that encroachment of an inch of Nepalland would not be tolerable.

More than 150 students participated in the rally that started from Mitrapark and converged into a corner meet at Pashupati Campus after going through Chabahil Chok.

Addressing the assembly, student leaders Raj Kumar Tamang and Prem Shahi demanded corrections in Indianew map and Nepal governmentdiplomatic initiatives to sort out the problem.

Nepal Communist Party (NCP)-aligned student union — All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) — stage sit-in outside the Embassy of India at Kapurdhara Marga, Kathmandu, on Friday, November 8, 2019. Photo courtesy: Mahesh Shrestha

Likewise, Nepal Communist Party (NCP)-aligned student union — All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU) — staged a sit-in outside the Embassy of India at Kapurdhara Marga, Kathmandu, this morning.

According to ANNFSU Central Committee Chair Ain Mahar, the students demanded correction in the new political map of India.

(With inputs from Rastriya Samachar Samiti)

• New map accurately depicts sovereign Indian territory, claims Indiaforeign ministry
• EDITOTIAL: Use diplomacy
• Kalapani Nepali territory: Govt

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