Nepal

Kathmandu, November 5

Many of Kathmandu denizens complained of acrid smell last night, which they described as the odour emanating from incineration of human or animal hair and skin. Some people took to social media today to find out the cause of the smell.

But general public and police are clueless about the origin of the smell.

&We have heard people talking about charcoal-like smell wafting through the air last night. But, we have not been able to find out where that smell came from,& said Deputy Superintendent of Police Hobindra Bogati at Metropolitan Police Range, Teku.

Mysansar.com, a blog, reported that people of Kusunti, Manbhawan, Pulchowk, Chyasal, Ghachhen, Kumaripati, Satdobato, Chakupat and Sankhamul in Lalitpur district complained about the odour. As many as 97 people have complained about bad smell on Facebook page Rato Machhindranath-Bunga Dyo.

Lalitpur police had caught three persons, who were setting fire to animal bones in Nakkhu area last night.

&They told us owners of slaughter houses had paid them to dispose the animal remains. We have handed them over to Lalitpur Metropolitan City Office,& said DSP Gautam Mishra at Satdobato Police Circle.

But it is not only in Lalitpur where people complained of the odour. People in New Road, Dhobighat, Baneshwor and Thapa Gaun have also complained of the bad smell.

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KATHMANDU: The Public Service Commission (PSC) has submitted its 60th annual report to President Bidya Devi Bhandari.

PSC Chair Umesh Prasad Mainali presented the report of fiscal year 2075-76 BS (2018-19) to the head-of-the-state amidst a programme today at the Office of the President, Shital Niwas.

As per constitutional provision, the PSC presents the report — which mentions progress in execution of works during the period of one year — to the President. It had first presented its annual report in 2016 BS. PSC members were also present on the occasion.

The report features the organisationadministrative and fiscal status, audit technology, academic competency, and works carried out with regards to its curriculum, details about exams, interviews and recommendation and inclusive appointments.

Similarly, descriptions about decisions taken and responses carried out in connection with the complaints the PSC received, appointments at the local level, its role in the appointments at security bodies and other organisations, works of organisational reform, and innovative works are included in the document, according to PSC information officer Devi Prasad Subedi.

According to Subedi, PSC in the last fiscal year had organised 87 meetings which resulted in 297 decisions.

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Kathmandu, November 5

Protesting against exorbitant fees charged by medical colleges, students staged demonstration in the capital today demanding that the extra fees taken from them be returned at the earliest.

Agitating students have demanded governmentintervention to ensure that all the medical colleges returned the extra fees.

Students from Chitwan Medical College, Universal Medical College, Bhairahawa, and National Medical College, Birgunj, have jointly staged protest in the capital as medical colleges refused to return the extra fees. Government had given a monthultimatum to return the extra charges.

Protesting against exorbitant fees charged against the government rule, the Medical Education Struggle Committee had organised a demonstration earlier in Chitwan.

Students of Chitwan Medical College had ended their protest with the signing of an agreement with the college authorities on September 21, at District Administration Office, Chitwan.

A meeting was held at Chitwan District Administration Office between college students and college administrators.

The agreement stated that either the college would return the extra fees taken from students or adjusted the fees by November 4.

&But they have neither returned our money nor have they adjusted the fees yet. We are here to exert pressure on both the medical colleges and the government to address our demands,& said a student, who had arrived in the capital today morning from Chitwan to take part in the protest. &The government should ensure us that there is a rule of law in the country. Our protest is not targeted at any individual or any particular organisation, but it is against anomalies and irregularities in the medical education sector,& said Prakash Chand, co-ordinator of the Medical Education Struggle Committee.

Medical education and medical services should be accessible to all the Nepalis. Students living in remote areas have also the right to dream of being a doctor, Chand added.

&Decision taken by the government regarding medical fees should be implemented.

Then only we can feel that there is a rule of law in the country,& Chand added. Students also demanded that the life of Dr Govinda KC, besaved. Dr KC has begun his 17th hunger strike in Dadeldhura district from yesterday, demanding that anomalies and irregularities prevalent in medical colleges be stopped and the extra fees taken from the students be returned.

The government had fixed Rs 3.85 million for MBBS programme in Kathmandu valley and Rs 4.24 million for students pursuing MBBS studies outside Kathmandu valley, in the last fiscal.

Fees for Bachelorin Dental Surgery was fixed at Rs 1.93 million in the last fiscal. The colleges, however, had charged Rs 12 to 15 lakh extra from students.

The government, earlier, had increased the fees for MBBS and BDS programmes for this fiscal. As per the revised fee structure, a Nepali student pursuing MBBS inside Kathmandu valley will have to pay Rs 4.02 million for a five-and-a-half-year course and students pursuing MBBS outside Kathmandu valley will have to pay Rs 4.44 million.

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Kathmandu, November 4

Nepal will be using the forum of the British Parliament for publicity of Visit Nepal Year 2020.

Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation Yogesh Kumar Bhattarai has already reached the UK in this connection and he will make announcement about the Visit Year from the British House of Lords (Upper House) on November 7, the Visit Year Secretariat stated.

Officials from the Secretariat and Nepal Tourism Board are accompanying the tourism minister.

A special programme for promotion of Visit Nepal Year is scheduled to take place at the British Upper House on November 7 on the occasion of annual World Travel Market.

World Travel Market considered as the worldbiggest travel show formally kicked off today. The three-day event, Nepaltourism and Nepalese cuisine will be exhibited.

On the occasion, those British nationals with their contribution to the development and promotion of Nepaltourism will be honoured with the ‘The Himalayan Travel Award-2019& and it will be the major attraction of the event.

There is a schedule for appointing Joanna Lumley, noted British actress, author and activist, British politician Sandeep Kumar Verma of Indian origin and the Indian- born successful British businessman Gopichand Paramanand Hinduja the ‘goodwill ambassadors& for the Visit Nepal Year 2020.

British tour operators that have been sending highest number of tourists to Nepal for a long time will be awarded by Minister Bhattarai on the occasion.

Likewise, certificate of appreciation will be distributed to those contributing to tourism promotion of Nepal such as Steve Berry (Mountain Kingdom), Michael Wate (Aviara Travel) and Roberts Goodwin among others.

The ‘Himalayan Award& will be given to hotel entrepreneur Ramesh Arora, foreigners promoting Nepaltourism through their respective professions such as Marcus Cotton, Robin Marston and Colonel Jimmy Roberts.

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