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caPital editiOn l Printed SimultaneOuSly in kathmandu, biratnagar, bharatPur and nePalgunJ

Vol XXIV No 29 | 12+4 Pages FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016 (o5-12-2072)

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regional jamboree

n Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli with foreign ministers of Saarc member states during the inaugural session of Saarc Council of Ministers meeting in Pokhara on Thursday. The 37th session of Saarc Council of Ministers concluded on Thursday. Post PHoto: bHiM gHiMire

Swaraj enquires about progressROSHAN SEDHAI KATHMANDU, MARCH 17

Visiting Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj has enquired about the progress made on addressing the demands of the agitating Madhes-based parties. Swaraj showed interest over the pro-gress made by the high-level political mechanism, which was formed in February, to resolve the row over federal boundaries.

Swaraj on Wednesday dis-cussed the Madhes issue dur-ing her separate meetings with PM Oli and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Kamal Thapa in Pokhara on the sidelines of Saarc Conference of Ministers.

PM Oli’s Chief Political Adviser Bishnu Rimal refused to divulge the details of the meeting, saying it was a “one-on-one meeting”.

“All I can say is that bilater-al concerns were discussed during the meeting,” said

Rimal. Sources said both PM Oli and DPM and Foreign Minister Thapa told Swaraj that the government would give full shape to the mecha-nism at the earliest by taking the disgruntled Madhesi par-ties into confidence.

In a bid to address the con-cerns raised by the Madhes-based parties, Parliament on January 23 had voted to amend the constitution, bring-ing in major changes in the electoral laws and provision pertaining to proportional and inclusive representation of all communities in the state bodies.

Days before his visit to

India, PM Oli had told the House that the political mech-anism would be formed before he embarked on the visit to southern neighbour. As a result, the mechanism was hastily formed on February 18, a day before PM Oli left for India. But the Madhes-based parties have rejected the mechanism.

Reports of Swaraj’s con-cern over the political mecha-nism coincide with Indian statement on Nepal during Universal Periodic Review of Human Rights (UPR) session in Geneva on Wednesday, where New Delhi called for a “defined timeframe” to settle remaining issues. “We regard the two constitutional amend-ments passed by the Nepali Parliament in January 2016 as positive developments. We hope that other remaining issues will be similarly addressed in a constructive spirit in a defined timeframe,” read the statement.

Next Summit date confirmedANIL GIRI & LAL PRASAD SHARMAPoKHARA, MARCH 17

The Saarc Council of Ministers has endorsed the name of next Saarc Secretary General from Pakistan, while confirming the date for next Summit to be held in November this year.

Concluding the four-day meeting of Saarc Standing Committee at the foreign sec-retary level and Council of Ministers on Thursday, mem-bers approved Amjad Hussain B Sial, a career diplomat of Pakistani Foreign Service, as the of new Saarc secretary general.

The 19th Saarc Summit will be held in Pakistan on

November 9 and 10 this year, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Thapa, the current chair of the Council of Ministers announced after the meeting.

DPM and Foreign Minister Thapa also said that the mem-ber states are rethinking how to revisit the Saarc process which has been mired by slow implementation with prolifer-ations of commitments and announcements.

Before the meeting, there were fears of India-Pakistan dynamics overshadowing the gathering in Pokhara.

The meeting between

Indian Minster for External Affairs Sushma Swaraj and Foreign Affairs Adviser to Pakistani Prime Minister Sartaz Aziz was widely watched by the Indian and Pakistani media.

Perhaps mindful of the curiosity, DPM and Foreign Minister Thapa ruled out the rivalry between the two South Asian nuclear giants affecting the meeting.

“India and Pakistan are natural and important mem-bers of the Saarc but dynam-ics between the two countries were not reflected throughout the meeting,” he said.

“As a Saarc chair we have to

keep the Saarc agendas alive,” said Thapa, adding that fixing the calendar of Saarc Summit in November in every two years is one major achieve-ment. The meeting also endorsed the amendment to the Saarc Development Fund Charter by changing the requirement of three-member criteria in implementing pro-jects to one-member criteria with direct and indirect bene-fit to more than one member.

“The meeting stressed on effective and expeditious implementation of the exist-ing projects and programmes and also brought new vision in the Saarc process,” said a press statement issued after the meeting.

More problems likely to rain down on quake survivors this monsoon

BHADRA SHARMAKATHMANDU, MARCH 17

The National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) is consider-ing setting up what it calls “transitional shelters” for those whose houses were destroyed by the earth-quakes last year, in an indi-cation that quake survivors, who had to endure monsoon rains and biting cold last sea-son under flimsy makeshift shelters, have to suffer yet another monsoon under these transitional struc-tures. In addition, no details are available as to what kind of “transitional shelters” the NRA is going to build.

In an indirect admission of reconstruction delays, officials at the NRA have said they are rethinking their original plan of start-ing rebuilding homes.

“It is not possible to recon-struct all quake-destroyed houses before monsoon,” said NRA Spokesperson Suresh Adhikari. “So, the government may have to work on transitional housing.”

Adhikari insisted that the earthquake victims should not be left in the lurch if housing reconstruction fails to move ahead as planned.

The “transitional shel-ters” proposal from the rebuilding authority comes

at a time when very little progress has been made in accelerating post-quake reconstruction in all 14 worst affected districts.

At least 770,000 house-holds have been identified as quake-affected.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MoHA), the minis-try responsible for disaster relief and rescue works, had provide Rs 15,000 and Rs 10,000 to each household ren-dered homeless as immedi-ate cash relief and winter relief in the aftermath of the quakes.

MoHA officials say any further assistance to the earthquake victims now falls on the shoulder of NRA.

“We handled relief distri-bution and shelter construc-tion when the NRA was not there. From here on, it is up to the NRA to take life-saving measures,” said Joint-Secretary Rameshwor Dangal, who heads the disas-ter department at MoHA.

The NRA, which came into being months after the earthquake in April last year, first was mired in polit-ical wrangling over appoint-ment of chief executive officers. In December last year, the NRA got its chief executive, but it still lacks staff.

“The NRA is clueless about how to move ahead. We have started work in Singati of Dolakha, but have not been able to perform well in other districts in the absence of sub-regional offices,” said Spokesperson Adhikari.

Except a few junior level

officers, almost all senior level officers deputed by the Ministry of General Administration have refused to join the NRA.

Out of 41 staffers recently deputed to the NRA, only six junior level officers have joined the office so far, according to details provided by the NRA.

The NRA is currently functioning with the help of 51 civil servants. An Organisation and Management Survey had estimated that at least 208 officials will be required to operate the NRA, but offi-cials say that is not enough.

madhes crisisIn Geneva, Indian mission calls for ‘definite timeframe’

India, during the UPR session in Geneva, said it

hopes that remaining issues will be addressed in

a constructive spirit

see editorial

Pakistan’s Amjad Hussain B Sial named new secy gen of regional blocsaarc mini summit

NRA mulling ‘transitional shelters’ as rebuilding work fails to take off

post-quake

ReconstRuction

POST REPORTKATHMANDU, MARCH 17

The Singati Resource Centre of the National Reconstruction Authority in Dolakha has received more complaints from beneficiaries than the number of aid agreements the reconstruction body has signed with the earth-quake survivors in the past three days.

“We have signed aid agreements with 156 quake-affected households in the last three days, and the number of complaints has already reached 159,” said Labraj Joshi, focal person at NRA’s Singati Resource Centre.

As part of NRA’s plan to distribute the govern-ment-announced aid to earthquake victims to reconstruct damaged

houses, the NRA began signing aid agreements with them on Sunday.

Two commercial banks and six Village Development Committees under the Singati Resource Centre had reached an agreement to distribute Rs 260 million as first install-ment to the quake-hit households.

A total of 5,300 house-holds were recognised as genuine quake victims, but people in large num-bers have complained that they were left out.

Out of total households identified as earthquake victims, 3,000 households have opened accounts with Nepal Investment Bank and Rastriya Banijya Bank. The NRA plans to distribute Rs 50,000 to each household as the first installment.

Complaints outnumber aid deals

It is not possible to reconstruct all quake-destroyed houses before monsoon. So the government may have to work on

transitional housing planSUReSH AdHIkARI, SPokeSPeRSoN, NRA

[ ]

Pre-sCHool/sCHool annual suPPleMent

Page 8, 9, 10 & 11

thekathmandu postnews 02Friday, March 18, 2016

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‘Power from organic waste in 3 months’POST REPORTKATHMANDU, MARCH 17

The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has joined hands with private companies to generate electricity from the organic waste.

The KMC has signed an agreement with three compa-nies--Raj and Riwaz, Nepalese Waste and Xeon—to produce 14 kilowatt electricity from the organic waste.

As per the agreement, 80 percent of the Rs 18.2 million

project will be founded by European Union and the rest by the KMC. The project is expected to be completed in three months.

“It is a small project and the electricity generated will be used for street lights in Teku area and operation of the KMC office,” said Rabin Man

Shrestha, chief of KMC Environment Division.

According to him, around 300 tonnes of organic waste is produced in the Valley daily. Organic waste includes green waste, human excrements and waste from kitchen and other biodegradable wastes.

“We have been talking about converting solid waste into electricity for a long time. Now, it gives us a great relief that this is going to be materi-alised. This can be emulated in other parts of the country

as well,” said KMC Chief and Executive Officer Rudra Singh Tamang. According to Shrestha, the energy plant which is being brought in from Pune, India will be estab-lished in Teku. “The plant will

start generating power once it is set up in a month’s time,” said Shrestha. If all the organ-ic waste of the Kathmandu valley is treated, it can pro-duce enough power to light more than 1,000 houses.

POST REPORTKATHMANDU, MARCH 17

The Bagmati corridor is going to be lit by solar power. Rameshwor Phuyal, CPN-UML lawmaker elect-ed from Kathmandu Constituency No 3, has released Rs700,000 for the project from the Constituency Special Infrastructure Develop-ment Programme.

The project is being implemented as a campaign to install solar lamps on either side of the Bagmati river from Guheshwori to Gokarna in northeastern part of Kathmandu. A 19-member Bagmati Corridor Solar Light Programme Consumers’ Committee has been formed under the chairmanship of Govinda Dhungel.

“Publicity and coordina-tion programmes will be organised to install solar lamps in streets, public places, temples, schools, neighbourhoods and facto-ries in the area,” said Phuyal. “The street lamps will make it easier for peo-ple to travel at night and check the growing tendency to dump solid waste into the Bagmati at night.”

Executive Director of the government’s Alternative Energy Promotion Centre Ram Prasad Dhital said that using solar lamps will help reduce load-shedding in the country.

Chiefs of Gokarneshwor and Kageshwori Manohara municipalities and repre-sentatives of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City have pledged support to the public initiative.

Bagmati corridor to get solar lamps

Woman murders daughter in cold bloodRAUTAHAT: A 22-year-old woman killed her one and a half-year-old daughter in cold blood at Pachrukhi in the dis-trict on Wednesday night.

Sunita Devi slammed her daughter Reena to the ground behind the VDC building, police said. The motive behind the crime is not immediately

known. Sunita, a resident of Bairiya Chhotaul VDC in Sarlahi district, has been stay-ing at her maternal home in Pachrukhi. (PR)

MASTER PLAN ON WATER RESOURCES ‘READY’POST REPORT KATHMANDU, MARCH 17

The government has prepared a water resources master plan incorporating sustainable management of water resources of Nepal, according to Minister for Energy Top Bahadur Raymajhi.

Nepal has been reeling under energy crisis for a dec-ade now, as the country has failed to tap the water resourc-es. Only 18 percent arable land receives irrigation round the year, according to an Agriculture Development Strategy report.

Inaugurating an annual Nepal National Water Week on Thursday, Rayamajhi claimed that the effective implementation of the plan was vital to the country’s water resource management. The campaign, observed since 2008, aims to raise awareness about various aspects of water resources and its sus-tainable management.

The Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECs), along with other gov-ernmental agencies, non-gov-ernment organisations, aca-demic institutes and profes-sional societies are engaged in various activities in organis-ing series of events focusing on water and climate.

International World Water Day is observed every year on March 22.

Fishtail helicopter crashes in LangtangKRISHNA THAPARASUWA, MARCH 17

A Fishtail Air helicopter crashed at Langtang in Rasuwa district on Thursday afternoon. There was no human casualty in the incident.

The accident occurred at around 3pm as it was about to take off for Dhunche, the district headquarters of Rasuwa, the helicopter com-pany said. The aircraft was being used to ferry construc-

tion materials to earth-quake-ravaged Langtang. Chopper pilot Nicholas Tard, a Swede, is said to be in nor-mal condition.

“There was a bang soon after the pilot started the chopper. It caught fire but that was immediately extin-guished itself. We smashed windshield and took the him out,” said Suppa Tamang, an eye witness of the incident. The pilot was the only one on board the aircraft when the accident happened.

MISSING KALAIYA MAN FOUND DEADBARA: A 26-year-old man miss-ing since Tuesday has been found murdered, police said on Thursday.

The body of Santosh Sah Kalawar of Kalaiya-6 was found dumped in a field in Kalaiya-1, said to Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Binod Sharma, adding that the victim was strangled to death. The motive behind the crime is not immediately known. (PR)

Around 300 tonnes of organic waste is produced

in the Valley daily

thekathmandu post news03 Friday, March 18, 2016

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Poverty major enemy of South Asia: PM OliPOST REPORTKATHMANDU, MARCH 17

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that poverty is the common enemy of South Asia.

“An enemy that is draining our potentials, an enemy that is ridiculing our collective efforts, an enemy that is threatening the whole of South Asia and an enemy that is testing our abilities and intentions,” he said in his inaugural address to the 37th Saarc ministerial meeting in Pokhara on Thursday. The one-day conclave discussed a wide range of issues and agendas.

“We need to work together to conquer this enemy. We need to intensify our coopera-tion to wipe out the very trac-es of this enemy. We need to act collectively to annihilate this common enemy,” the PM said, adding that the region has the capacity and resourc-es to do so.

Touching upon connectivi-ty and integration, Nepal’s

foremost priority in South Asia, the PM said connectivi-ty remains a key enabler for robust regional cooperation.

Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Thapa said the Saarc’s progress has not matched its promises. “We must confess that we have not been able to fulfil the expectations that the people of the region had aspired during the inception of Saarc.”

Saarc Secretary General Arjun Bahadur Thapa high-lighted the progress made by the regional grouping in the last three decades.

India, Pakistan to host Saarc disaster, environment centresPOKHARA: The Saarc Environment and Disaster Management Centre will be set up in Indian and Pakistan as a split entity.

According to an agreement reached in Pokhara during the 37th meeting of the Saarc Council of Ministers, India will host the Disaster

Management Centre while Pakistan will house the offices for the Environment and Energy Centre. Earlier, both the countries had laid claims

to host the headquarters of the new body. Climate change, degradation of environment and natural disasters have taken a toll in the region with

the member countries not fully prepared to combat the menace. Member states had agreed to merge Disaster Management, Forest

Management, Coastal Area Management Centre and Environment centres into the environment and disaster management centre. (PR)

n Pakistani Adviser to the PM on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz hands over a letter to India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Pakistan, in Pokhara on Thursday. POST PHOTO: BHIM GHIMIRE

n KP Sharma Oli

thekathmandu postvariety 04Friday, March 18, 2016

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YESTERDAY’S SOLUTION

RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOTDILBERT

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE

GARFIELD

GRAFFITI WORD GAME

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As a professional photographer, Judy took a lot of pride in her pictures. Wherever she went, she brought her pictures with her, to show off her work. Once when she was invited to a dinner party, without any delay, she showed the pictures to her host, Sandra. “Wow,” said Sandra, “These are really nice pictures; you must have a great camera.” Fuming mad at the implication that her whole talent came from her camera, Judy waited until the end of the meal and then thanked her host, “Thank you. The meal was delicious,” annoyingly adding, “You must have great pots.”

nnn

A couple got into a big fight and decided to take a drive to cool off a bit. They drove several miles, not saying a word. As they passed by a zoo, the husband couldn’t resist and sarcastically asked, “Are those animals any relatives of yours?” “Yes”, his wife replied. “I married into the family!”

KANTIPURTV

LAUGH OUT LOUD

5:00 Bhaktisur/ Amritbani

6:00 Jeevanbigyan/Jyotishmanthan

6:40 Sky Shop7:00 Kantipur Samachar8:00 Kantipur News8:30 Rise N Shine9:00 Headline News9:05 Margadarshan10:00 Kantipur Samachar10:30 Market Updates11:00 Headline News11: 05 Music Galaxy11:30 Infoplus12:00 Kantipur Samachar12:30 Kilo Tango Mike

1:00 Headline News1:05 Quiz Mania Season 41:30 Kantipur Samachar2:30 Rise N Shine3:00 Headline News3:05 Sajhasawal4:00 Kantipur Samachar4:30 New Entry 5:00 Headline News5:05 Call Kantipur

Reloaded 6:00 Kantipur News 6:30 Score Board7:00 Kantipur Samachar7:30 Market Updates8:00 Kantipur Samachar9:00 Samkon 2

10:00 Mns10:30 Kantipur News 11:00 Kantipur

Samachar11:30 Market Updates12:00 Call Kantipur

Repeated 1:00 Kantipur News

Repeated 1:30 Mns2:00 Kantipur Samachar

Repeat 12:30 Score Board3:00 Kantipur Samachar

Repeat 2 3:30 Samkon 2 4:30 Mns

00:00 Non - Stop Hindi Songs

02:00 Non - Stop Nepali Pop/Adhunik Songs

04:00 Non - Stop Bhajan05:00 Bhakti Anusthan06:30 Kantipur Diary07:00 The Headliners07:30 Radio Magzine08:00 Kantipur Diary08:05 The Good

Morning Show09:00 Traffic Update09:30 Kickstart

10:00 Kantipur Diary10:05 New Releases11:00 Kantipur Diary11:05 Femina12:00 Kantipur Diary12:10 Brunch With

Bhumika01:00 Kantipur Diary01:05 Ke Chha Nepal02:00 Kantipur Diary02:05 Ke Chha Nepal03:00 Kantipur Diary03:15 Saurai04:00 Kantipur Diary

04:05 Cine Quiz 05:00 Kantipur Diary05:05 Fanatic Friday06:00 Happy Life06:30 Kantipur Diary06:55 Khoj07:00 Playtronix08:00 Kantipur Diary08:05 Wheel No

Tension09:00 Kantipur Diary09:30 Club Mix 11:00 Aaja Dheki Arko

Aaja Saamas

KANTIPUR FM

ARIES (March 21-April 19)****Your popularity is on a rapid upswing, and your charm will be in high demand by a wide array of people. All you have to do is make sure that you take advantage of all the invitations that will be coming your way. Now that you’ve made a connection, never let it go again.TAURUS (April 20-May 20)***Someone from your past might pop back into your life today. Be friendly and show them that you don’t hold any grudges or expectations. No matter how things were left between the two of you, think the best of them, and they will think the best of you.

GEMINI (May 21-June 21)*****You don’t have to choose between feeding your mind and feeding your heart today—you can have it both ways! This means you’ll be feeling popular and feeling smart—it’s an unbeatable combination that will leave you smiling.

CANCER (June 22-July 22)****If you get snared in an argument with a friend today, make sure you don’t miss the point of the exchange. Keep your emotions in check and stay focused on what you really need to accomplish with this person. Try to convince them to open up too.

LEO (July 23-August 22) *****Teamwork is going to be a powerful force in your life today, and it’s lucky for you that you will be dealing with so many people who share your way of looking at life! You can expect a lot of harmony and cooperation which will leave a smile on your face all day.

VIRGO (August 23-September 22)*****If you need to score some big points with some big and powerful people, today is the day to do it! You’ve got an unbeatable combination working in your favour—your cold logic, softened by your warm smile. All eyes are on you, and you are not going to disappoint.

LIBRA (September 23-October 22)****You are in the midst of a strong phase of power and compassion. This wonderful combination could enable you to make some major changes in the life of someone you love by pointing out the great possibilities ahead of them. So take the time to do so today.

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21)***You understand that money cannot buy happiness—despite the fact that you might get a charge when you find a long forgotten twenty dollar bill in a winter coat pocket. A small gamble isn’t such a bad idea, as long as you are comfortable with losing your initial bet.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21)***Wake up! It’s time for you to realize that you control the outcome of whatever test you take today, so stop looking to others for results. As long as you’re prepared and feeling positive, things will go your way.

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19)**A flighty friend is suddenly very serious about their upcoming plans—and they’re giving you some guilt trips about not getting involved. Today, for better tomorrow, you might have to remind them that they have let you down when you were count-ing on them.

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18)****Your style is inspiring quite a few followers right now! So today, if you find someone dressed like you or acting like you, take this as flattery. They can’t create nearly the type of energy you create when you walk in, but won’t it be adorable watching them try?

PISCES (February 19-March 20)**It’s not a great day for throwing caution to the wind—there is far too much up in the air right now for you to barrel ahead on a project you’re excited about without nailing down all the details. It’s better if you try to curb your enthusiasm right now and cool your jets.

TODAY’SHOROSCOPE

DREAMSQFX Kumari: 12:00 PM

QFX Civil Mall: 8:30 AM/11:30 AM/2:15 PM/8:00 PM

ZOOTOPIA 3DQFX Civil Mall: 5:30 PM

LONDON HAS FALLENQFX Civil Mall: 11:45 AM

KAPOOR AND SONSQFX Kumari: 8:30 AM/11:30 AM/6:00 PM

QFX Civil Mall: 9:00 AM/12:00 PM/3:15 PM/6:30 PM/8:15 PMQFX Jai Nepal: 9:15 AM/12:15 PM/3:30 PM/6:45 PM

BHAAG SANI BHAAGQFX Civil Mall: 8:45 AM/5:15 PMQFX Kumari: 9:00 AM/3:00 PM

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Revolution Cafe, AmritMarg, Thamel, away from busy crowed street, offers great music, fast wi-fi and wide menu with rea-sonable prices. Operation hours: 7 am to 10 pm, contact: 4433630

Enjoy Gourmet Saturday Brunch with your family and friends at the Sunrise Restaurant , Hotel Yak & Yeti from 12-7 pm every Saturday. Contact: 4248999

Escape, relax and get in shape @ Hyatt Regency. Embark on a personal well-being at Club Oasis. Remember us for Tennis, sauna, Jacuzzi, swimming, fitness centre and Beauty Salon. Contact: 4491234

Learn cardio, gym, aerobics, zumba, spa, boxing, kick-boxing, b-boying, bollywood dance at Oyster Spa and Fitness Club, Sinamangal. Time: Sunday to Friday from 5 am to 8 pm. Contact: 4110554

Jasmine Fitness Club and Spa, Fully equipped gym and spa; Zumba, aerobics and cardio classes; therapeutic massage; beauty parlour and men’s salon. Tripureshwor; Contact: 4117120

Ayurveda Health Home has been providing ayurvedic treatments/ massages, sirodhara & counseling for stress, detox & rehabilitation. Dhapasi, Kathmandu: 01-4358761, Lakeside Pokhara 061-463205

Yoga detox and Ayurveda treatments and retreats every day at Himalayan Peace & Wellness Centre, Park Village Hotel. Get 10% discount on all Ayurvedic treatments. Contact: 980106661

Krishnarpan—a specialty Nepali Restaurant at Dwarika’s, 6 courses to 22 courses Nepali meal served. Opening Time: 6 pm-11 pm. Prior reservations required, contact: 4479448

The Italian restaurant serves authentic Italian cuisines in an elegant ambience for both lunch and dinner. Timings: Lunch: 1230-1445 hrs, Dinner: 1900-2245 hrs, Contact: 427399, at Soaltee Crowne Plaza

Every Friday evening enjoy Starry Night BBQ from 7 pm onwards at Shambala Garden Café at Hotel Shangri La with live musical performance by Ciney Gurung. Contact: 4412999

Enjoy Bubbly Brunch every Saturday from 11 am to 3 pm at Shambala Gardena and Club Sundhara. Contact: 4412999

Savour the cardamom and saffron spice, slow-cooked kebabs and kormas at Indian restaurant serving Awadhi cuisine. contact: 427399, at Soaltee Crowne Plaza

China Garden offers delectable dishes from across Asia, including Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese. Timings: Lunch: 1230-1445 hrs, Dinner: 1900-2245 hrs, contact: 427399 at Soaltee Crowne Plaza

Garden Terrace offers an authentic world cuisine, providing diners with the unique experience of observing their selected dish-es being prepared by chefs. Contact: 427399 at Soaltee Crowne Plaza

Kaiser Cafe Restaurant & Bar at The Garden of Dreams, opening time: 9 am till 9 pm, offers an international cafe menu serv-ing breakfast, lunch, dinner, specialty tea’s, coffees and pastries, contact: 4425341

Embers Bar, Pulchowk, in all its sophistica-tion and glory is happy to announce Happy Hours every 6-7pm. It will be hosting a Barbeque night every Friday from 6:30-9:30pm

Mako’s offers traditional Japanese food served. Don’t miss out on Mako’s special Tempuras, and green tea ice cream, Time: 11: 30-14:30 & 19:00-22:00, contact: 4479448

Manny’s Eatery and bar introduces a spe-cial lunch package that is affordable, tasty, nutritious and quick enough to fit your lunch break, Jawalakhel, Shaligram complex, 5536919

The Toran, an ideal location for all day loung-ing and informal dining offers multi-cuisines. Contact: Dwarika’s Hotel, 4479488

Weekends brunch @ Hyatt Regency—treat yourself with a lavish buffet lunch, splash by the swimming pool or laze around outdoor, Jacuzzi, all for just Rs 2300 plus taxes per person. Contact: 4491234

Special Saturday Brunch at The Café & Garden, The Everest Hotel 1200-1600 hrs; Ph 4780100

We serve nothing but the finest Arabica coffees at great value prices at Barista Lavazza Coffee Restaurant, Lazimpat, Contact: 4005123/4005124

Bourbon Room, Lal Durbar Marg is open for lunch from 12 noon. Enjoy affordable and deli-cious meals starting from Rs 99! We are cur-rently offering Indian & chinese combos along with momos. Call: 4441703

Enjoy a Barbecue Buffet at the Radisson Hotel, wide selection of mixed fresh grills and vegetables together with a choice of salads and a delicious dessert buffet at a rate of Rs. 1,350 plus taxes per person. Contact: 4411818

Latin—Gypsy Jazz at The Corner Bar, Radisson Hotel, Kathmandu with Hari Maharjan feat Monsif Mzibiri, 7 pm onwards, Wednesdays & Fridays. Contact: 4411818

Sandwich and Crepes: Taste the sandwich-es and crepes at The Lounge from 11 am to 6 pm everyday. For further details call Hyatt Regency at 4491234.

Rosemary Kitchen and Coffee shop, Thamel, opening hours: 7:00 am to 10:00 pm offers an International cuisine in reason-able prices. Contact 01-4267554

Out-of-Africa Lunch amid rural splendor: Sat & Sun from 1130 to 1630 hours at The Watering Hole, Indrawati River Valley. For prior reservation contact: indrawatire-sort@gmail.com

Tibetan Gyakok for Lunch & Dinner every day at The Mandarin, The Everest Hotel ph: 4780100 ext: 7811

Make your weekend more exciting with family and friends with sumptuous Satey, Dimsums, Mangolian Barbecue and Pasta at The Cafe from 12:30 noon to 4:00 pm. Call: Hyatt Regency, at 4491234

The most delightfully awesome chicken momos & yummy rich chocolate cake on this part of the planet @ Just Baked Bakery & Cafe, Battisputali, offering much more spe-cialties at affordable price.

Enjoy snacks and drinks from 4:00 pm to 11:00 pm every day and nightly live music from “The Corner Band” except Tuesday and Saturday from 7 pm to 11:00 pm at Corner Bar, Radisson Hotel. Contact: 4411818

Every Friday BBQ from 7:00 pm at Fusion Bar & Pool side at Dwarika’s Hotel with live band “Dinesh Rai and Sound of Mind”. Price Rs 1600/ includes BBQ dinner and a can of beer or a soft drink. Contact: 4479448

Hotel Narayani Complex, Pulchowk, Lalitpur presents Shabnam & Cannabiz Band every Wednesday and Rashmi & Kitcha Band every Friday, 7:30 PM onwards @ Absolute bar P Ltd; Contact: 5521408

Starry Night BBQ—every Friday Evening from 7:00 pm at Shambala Garden Café, Hotel, Shangri~La only @ Rs 1799 net per person and live performance by Ciney Gurung. Contact: 4412999

Enjoy live DJ nights, on every Sunday chill out/ ambient, Wednesday tech/ funk house & Friday psy/ proggy/ full on from 6:00 pm to 10 pm at garden and 7:00 pm onwards at club at Funky Buddha Resturant & Bar, contact: 4700091

Set within the historic Garden of Dreams, the Kaiser Cafe Restaurant and Bar, Thamel, offers a continental menu and serves as an atmospheric venue for anything from a quiet coffee or intimate meal. Contact: 442534

Trisara offers food and drinks along with good music and great times. Sunday- Live Music by Barbeque Night, Monday, Wednesday-by Positive vibes, Tuesday, Saturday-By Jyovan Bhuju, Friday-Live Music by Dexterous

Experience The Last Resort, the perfect place for family fun adventure and relaxation. Special packages for residents. Contact: 4700525/ 4701247 or mail us at info@thelastresort.com.np

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Jungle Safari Lodge, Sauraha Chitwan offers 2 Nights 3 Days package only for Rs 6500 per person. Suman 9851008399

Much needed getaway—1 night/2 day package @ Hyatt Regency. Enjoy luxury stay of a five star hotel for a couple with breakfast and access to spa facilities for just Rs 9999 plus taxes per person only. Contact: 4491234

Experience the Gyakok @ Shambala Garden, Hotel Shangri~la only @ Nrs.1700 Nett per person and Nrs.3000 Nett for cou-ple. For more details and reservation: 4412999

C M Y K

thekathmandu post sports05 Friday, March 18, 2016

Bayern leave it late to stun JuveASSOCIATED PRESSMUNICH, MARCH 17

Thomas Mueller equalised in the first minute of injury time and Bayern Munich scored two more goals in extra time to complete a thrilling 4-2 vic-tory over Juventus on Wednesday that sent them into the Champions League quarter-finals.

Thiago Alcantara scored in the 108th minute to put Bayern ahead for good in the second leg match of the last 16 and Kingsley Coman, on loan from Juventus, added the hosts’ fourth goal just two minutes later to seal a 6-4 victory on aggregate. Bayern trailed 2-0 at halftime after goals from Paul Pogba and Juan Cuadrado put Juventus firmly in charge. The home side looked to be on the way out until Robert Lewandowski scored in the 73rd and Mueller’s late header changed everything.

“To score four goals against an Italian side, wow, compli-ments to my team,” Bayern coach Pep Guardiola said. The match was nearly a replica of the first leg in Turin, where

Bayern dominated and led 2-0 before Juventus struck back with two late goals.

With Bayern besieging the Italians’ goal, Douglas Costa sent a cross from the right corner and Lewandowski headed home at the far post from close range to put Bayern back into the match. Bayern’s perseverance paid off in the

first minute of added time. Patrice Evra lost the ball near the penalty area and Coman crossed to the far post for Mueller to head home.

Alcantara, a substitute in extra time for Franck Ribery, swapped passes and beat Neuer, before Coman made sure of victory by curling a shot past Gianluigi Buffon. Juventus went ahead when Pogba scored his first Champions League goal since November 2014.

They doubled the lead in the 28th after a great run by

Morata. The forward picked up the ball in his half and slalomed past four defenders before passing to Cuadrado, who fired inside the near post.

Buffon parried an effort from Mueller in the 42nd and the attempted clearance by the Juventus defense bounced off Lewandowski and flew just wide. Immediately after, Neuer did well to save a close-range shot by Cuadrado.

Morata had two chances early in the second half after counterattacks but finished

poorly. Mandzukic came in for Morata in the 71st

but Juventus missed Morata’s speed.

In the other match on Wednesday, Barcelona’s big three of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar all scored to beat Arsenal 3-1, sending the defending champions into the Champions League quar-ter-finals for a ninth consecu-tive season with a 5-1 victory on aggregate.

Friday’s draw will feature Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Benfica, Manchester City, PSG, Real Madrid and Wolfsburg.

No 1 Shrestha lifts trophy

POST REPORTKATHMANDU, MARCH 17

Top ranked Shivaram Shrestha clinched the Surya Nepal NPGA Match Play golf tournament here at the par-67 Royal Nepal Golf Club (RNGC) on Thursday.

The RNGC pro beat second ranked Sanjay Lama of Tribhuvan Army Officers Golf Club 3&1 in the final played over 36 holes. The Nepal No 1 Shrestha earned Rs 50,000 and Lama received Rs 30,000. It was Shrestha’s 19th domestic career title and the first of the season. Of the last four events held under the Surya Nepal Golf Tour 2015-

16, Shrestha had runner-up finishes on all occasions.

Earlier, Bhuwan Nagarkoti of Gokarna Golf Club defeat-ed defending champion Rabi Khadka of RNGC 4&2 in the third-place match played over 18 holes. Nagarkoti received Rs 22,000 and Khadka received Rs 18,000.

Four losing quarter-final-ists Rame Magar, Deepak Thapa Magar, Dhana Thapa and Surya Prasad Sharma got Rs 10,000 each.

Eight other golfers who crashed out from the first round earned Rs 5,000 each. Sixteen top ranked players participated in the tourna-ment played over three days.

Attariya, Royals winMOHAN BUDHAYERDHANGADI, MARCH 17

Attariya stunned table top-pers Campus Road by six wickets, while Hasanpur Royals shocked Chauraha in the Super Over of the Dhangadi Cricket League-3 here on Thursday.

Campus Road still remain at the top of the table on better run rate after they were tied on six points from five games with Royals. Chauraha, tied on five points with Attariya, are third. Santoshi Tole (four points) are at the bottom of the five-team tournament.

Campus Road were 107 all

out in 19.2 overs. Santosh Bhatta was the lone fighter for them with a 37-ball 39 that included three fours and a six.

Opener Surendra Chand dealt with the target sensibly with a composed half century as Attariya reached 108-4 in 19.4 overs. Man-of-the-match Chand made a match-winning

50 not out off 59 with five fours and a six.

In the second match of the day, Hasanpur managed a challenging 145-7 before Chauraha were restricted to 145-9 in their 20. The defeat was heartbreak for Sonu Tamang who put a brilliant all round display picking up four wickets and smashed 43 runs.

APF to hold 3 eventsPOST REPORTKATHMANDU, MARCH 17

Nepal Armed Police Force (APF) is organising three dif-ferent national tournaments beginning with the APF AIG third National Open Women’s Volleyball Tournament from March 28.

The volleyball tourney will be followed by 12th Nationwide Krishna Mohan Memorial Op en B adminton Championships and eighth Sahabir Memorial Open Lawn Tennis Championships. Both the event will be held from April 3-8.

Women’s volleyball champi-ons will get Rs 250,000 with the first and second runners-up taking home Rs 125,000. The best player of the tournament will ride a scooter.

Badminton tournament includes men’s and women’s singles and doubles along with u-17 boys and girls’. Also included are mixed doubles, veterans’ doubles (above-45

and 55) apart from masters doubles (above-35 and 45). The top three finishers in the men’s singles will get Rs 60,000, Rs 30,000 and Rs 25,000. Likewise, women’s winner will pocket Rs 50,000 with the second and third place finish-ers taking Rs 25,000 each.

Cash prizes are also set aside in all other categories. Likewise, lawn tennis includes men’s, women’s and masters singles and doubles along with mixed doubles vet-eran (above-35 years) singles and doubles. The men’s sin-gles winner will get Rs 60,000 with second and third place finishers pocketing Rs 30,000 and Rs 20,000.

The top three in women’s category will earn Rs 60,000, Rs 30, 000 and Rs 10,000. APF AIG Singha Bahadur Shrestha said: “We wanted to hold the tournaments according to our usual schedule but couldn’t manage them due to earth-quake and blockade. We are hopeful of successful events.”

uefa champions league

n Fight back to win 4-2 n Barca outgun Arsenal 3-1

npga match play golf

dcl-3

ResultsBarca 3-1 Arsenal (Barca advance 5-1 on agg)Bayern 4-2 Juve (Bayern advance 6-4 on agg)

n Shiva Ram Shrestha lifts the Surya Nepal NPGA Match Play trophy at the RNGC in Kathmandu on Thursday. POST PHOTO: KAUSHAL ADHIKARI

For many Nepalis, the water resource issue instantly comes to the forefront as far as Nepal-India relations are con-cerned. They say the white gold that gushes down Nepal’s mountains and gorges—making up to 70 percent of the

Ganga’s lean season flow—is what interests India the most in their country. Feeding this deep-seated belief is the worsening scarcity of water in many Indian states. And yet, water is one issue the two countries have not talked about in recent decades. Or, at least, it is not public knowledge.

“There wasn’t any talk on water separate-ly,” Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar said at a press briefing during Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s Delhi visit last month. “There were talks on why there was no progress on Upper Karnali and Arun hydropower projects and they (the two prime ministers) discussed about Pancheswor as well,” he said when one journalist asked if anything was discussed on the sharing of water resources between the two countries.

The Tehri projectAfter the controversial Koshi, Gandak and Mahakali water treaties of the past, New Delhi has noticeably limited its ‘engage-ment’ largely to hydropower in recent times. And yet, Nepal is increasingly becoming dependent on its southern neighbour for electricity supply.

While India’s policy on Nepal’s water resources remains a matter of speculation for many, one project it has always been keen to show Nepali leaders is the Tehri hydro-power dam in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. Former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal was taken to the site during his visit in 2008 and so was Oli during his recent official trip. “Our PM (Modi) spoke (to his counterpart Oli) about Tehri project and its relevance because we are developing a number of hydropower projects with Nepal,” Jaishankar said at the press briefing.

It is a multi-purpose project generating power for the northern region of India, pro-viding irrigation benefits to the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and supplying drinking water to the state as well as New Delhi. “Due to regulated releases from the Tehri storage reservoir, the existing downstream hydro

projects of the state are also benefiting by way of augmentation in generation at no additional cost to them,” reads the website of Tehri Hydro Development Corporation India Limited (THDCIL).

With a 260.5 metres high dam, one of the highest of its type in the world, the Tehri project has an installed capacity of 1,000 MW. After its commissioning in 2006, it has grown into a multi-project complex with 400 MW Koteshwar Hydroelectric project and 1,000 MW Tehri Pumped Storage Plant added in later years.

Dahal and Oli surely must have been briefed on all these when they were on the ground. But there is more to that. With an initial mandate to develop, operate and maintain the 2,400 MW Tehri Hydro Power Complex, over the years the THDCIL has grown into a multi-project organisation. It has 16 projects with a total installed capacity of nearly 8,800 MW in different states of India and also in Bhutan. “Under India-Bhutan Cooperation in hydro sector develop-ment, THDCIL is implementing 180 MW Bunakha and has taken up updation of DPR of Sankosh hydro electric project (2585 MW) in Bhutan,” THDCIL website states.

Regulating the flowDoes the Tehri project provide any clue what India might have in mind, particularly when

it has wanted to show Nepali prime minis-ters the project and its ‘relevance’ time and again? Let us not forget that India still has huge untapped hydro potentials in its own states like Arunachal Pradesh. This means Nepal’s hydropower resources is not neces-sarily its ultimate objective for now.

And to add to that, it is doubling its coal production to one billion tonnes in the next couple of years, which will significantly increase its electricity generation from coal-fired power plants. The boost in coal mining has already plugged power into an increas-ing number of villages—something the Modi government has been boasting about.

Thus, where does all this leave the issue of water between Nepal and India? A layper-son’s understanding can be that it is a non-is-sue because all the rivers and rivulets flow-ing through Nepal end up joining India’s Ganges river system eventually. That is abso-lutely true when it comes to the unregulated flow of water. But if the flow is regulated by the means of dams, barrages, reservoirs and storage, the downstream party can benefit by getting more than the usual water during the dry season. Water is collected in these huge structures during the wet season and stored before releasing it during the lean season. The same dams and barrages can also be helpful in terms of controlling flood waters. Regulated flow of water is thus of

immense value to any downstream country in the world.

Understandably, if there are hydropower structures in upstream Nepal, it can auto-matically pave way for regulated water ben-efiting downstream India. And it was this benefit for which the Nepali technocrats and bureaucrats in the past have argued that India should pay for. Several Nepali officials have even said that the issue of downstream benefits had stonewalled water resource negotiations in the past between the two countries. Some experts even suggested that the water crisis in India would reach such level that New Delhi will itself come asking for the sharing of regulated water benefits.

Time to ponderThat has not happened so far despite reports showing that five of the 20 most water-stressed cities in the world are in India and its capital, Delhi, is second on the list. Satellite images have shown that India’s underground water tables have depleted to dangerously low levels. And the above-ground situation is not good either. Only last week, figures released by the Central Water Commission in New Delhi showed that total water storage in 91 reservoirs in India has dropped to 29 percent of their actual capaci-ty. These reservoirs are supposed to hold more than 60 percent of India’s total storage.

Despite all these, India has not approached Nepal on the issue of water, so far. Instead, it seems to be gradually pushing for hydropow-er development. This also comes just when the BJP government has been trying to advance the gigantic river-linking project that aims at joining 30 rivers. The idea, orig-inally initiated by the same party when it was in power in the late 90s, is to transfer water from surplus areas to regions where there is a deficit. The Himalayan component of the scheme has 15 linking plans and three of them—Mechi-Kosi, Kosi-Ghagra and Gandak-Ganga—have to do with Nepal. The transfer of water would require huge infra-structure including storage, diversion canals, among others—something hydro-power development would require as well.

The question now is whether the Nepali establishment gets the picture. The ‘old’ Nepal dreamt of demanding monetary pay-ments from India for downstream benefits arising even out of hydropower projects the Nepali side planned to develop on its own. Can the ‘new’ Nepal now raise the issue for hydel-projects to be built on Nepali rivers by India or Indian companies? It is a wait and watch game. Or, is it?

Khadka is a BBC journalist based in London

Nearly a year after the Gorkha Earthquake, the gov-ernment is waking up to the fact that it may have underestimated the tasks ahead and may have per-haps gone the wrong way about reconstruction,

particularly about the more than 700,000 houses that need rebuilding. As the prospects of any meaningful reconstruction before the second monsoon since the earthquake appear bleak, the National Reconstruction Authority (NRA) has started considering a Plan B to help thousands of victims get through the rainy season by building transitional shelters.

After wasting three precious months on strategising and developing a recovery framework, the NRA now suddenly feels that it has to be more pragmatic. The concept of transitional shelters in a post-disaster envi-ronment is not new. It was first used after the Indian Ocean Tsunami of 2004. It supports an incremental process of rebuilding homes that can support affected communities over a longer term. In fact the idea was floated by humanitarian agencies in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, but then the government felt that it was more realistic to hand out cash for tem-porary shelters than to be involved in construction.

No thought was put into incremental improvement of the temporary shelters to become transitional homes. The Rs15,000 in cash for temporary shelters that the government doled out to each family did offer some protection against the monsoon, but was ineffective against the winter as the shelters were made of nothing more than a few zinc sheets and bamboo poles. The difference between a temporary home and a transition-al home may appear semantic in nature. However, the real difference lies in how thought out the initial shel-ter design is for incrementally improving the shelters and making them habitable for a longer period before the permanent reconstruction.

The lack of foresight here appears staggering. Despite the abundance of literature on how post-disas-ter reconstruction takes longer than anticipated, the government failed to take up the idea of transitional shelters last summer after the earthquake. As a result, more of precious time and cash will be wasted in imple-menting a Plan B, which should have been Plan A in the first place. A lot of jargons like ‘winterisation’ and ‘rain proofing’ of temporary shelters were thrown around, but little was done on the ground to actually improve those shelters to guard against the harsh weather.

The current delays stem from two reasons—the NRA’s inability to hire staff and timely verification of the damaged homes. In both instances, there is clear evidence that the cart has been put before the horse. Instead of solely relying on government deputation, the NRA should have gone for competitive hiring for over half of the positions, while drawing current govern-ment employees for liaison and coordination roles. On verification of homes, the NRA could have begun dis-bursing conditional instalment of cash assistance to begin home reconstruction with a caveat of strong legal actions against those making fraudulent claims. Donors may have disagreed but if there was assurance that money would be accounted for within the next fiscal year, they would have consented. The whole reconstruction approach has been botched from the start and the NRA needs to change it before the second monsoon strikes.

Cart before the horseThe lack of foresight in planning the reconstruction has been staggering

Watered downIs water no more one of the key issues between Nepal and India?

EDITORIAL

NAVIN SINGH KHADKA

thekathmandu posteditorial 06Friday, March 18, 2016

Since 1993

Parents of the bride

KRIPA DEVKOTA

Many organisations marked International Women’s Day by hold-ing a variety of programmes in the Capital. However, a majority of

women in the city and rural areas were unaware about the celebrations being held in their honour. They are also in a vulnerable condition. We can easily find examples of wrong practices in rural areas of Nepal which make a girl’s future more pitiable. Early marriage is one of the wrong traditions that makes a daughter’s life dependent and chaotic. A few days ago, when I heard about the

marriage ceremony of a 16-year-old girl, an SLC graduate, I felt so uncom-fortable. A girl of her age, we can easily guess that she is under 18 years of age and that her marriage can be declared null and void if anyone files a case in court. But no one would do so because her parents had made the decision for her. And the reasons for this early marriage is that their daugh-ter is very beautiful, weak in her studies and a marriage proposal came from a wealthy family.

Usually, uneducated parents come to such a decision. However, educated par-ents are not exceptions regarding this

practice. They wish to formalise their relation with a well-off family even though their daughter is underage. I wonder if this is a right decision for their little princess. Is marriage the sole solution to every problem regarding girls, or is it an example of a wrong way of par-enting? However, if we examine our legal pro-vision, we see that it is illegal to get married at such an early age. It has also been proven scientifically that early marriage is not desirable.

It is natural that during the teenage years, boys and girls are attracted to

each other. But the gender problem in Nepali society is that if a boy becomes attracted to a girl at this age, it is seen to be normal. But if a girl is attracted to a boy, she becomes the subject of an inves-tigation. This often ends with the wrong

decision of marrying her off. While making such a decision, the par-ents seem to be unaware

of the fact that an early marriage prevents their daughter from thinking independently about her future career. As a result, she becomes more depend-ent and hesitant.

Every culture and tradition is dynam-

ic, and Nepali society too is evolving slowly. The thinking about daughters and marriage is also changing, but we are still far behind when we talk about issues related to girls. So, I would like to convey the message that we should teach them, before sending our baby girls out into the world, that their body belongs to them and no other, and that she should be her own master and decide for herself. Teach them to be a girl with a dream, independent and the creator of her own happiness. Such advice from parents will help to make our society more inclusive, better and happier.

postplatform

The vicious circle at work on the Korean Peninsula, whereby each side blames the other for being provocative while speaking and acting provocatively, is dangerous. Not

just because the spiral is proving hard to break, but because the saber-rattling and verbal spar-ring are pushing it to ever greater extremes.

Washington has told Pyongyang that the larg-est-ever war drills being conducted by the United States and the Republic of Korea are not meant to provoke the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In return, an irate Pyongyang keeps raising the pitch of its threats. After ini-tially vowing to launch “preemptive attacks”, it is now threatening nuclear annihilation of Seoul and Washington D.C. Kim might not be serious. Yet the underlying truth is he has been steadily pressing ahead with his country’s nuclear weapons program.

While the latest United Nations sanctions are said to be “beginning to bite”, they are yet to curb Kim’s nuclear ambitions. The standoff is fragile and inflammable.

Seoul and Washington are betting Pyongyang will not follow through on its threats, because that would be suicidal. Despite all the rhetoric about preemptive attacks, both sides appear to believe the other is bluffing. That is where the real danger lurks. With the UN sanctions start-ing to pinch the DPRK, its economic conditions continuing to deteriorate, and tensions mount-ing and escalating on the peninsula, there is no guarantee either will retain a cool head. Going back to the negotiating table is the only formula for an all-win scenario, not only for the three at loggerheads, but also beyond. Since neither party has excluded the prospect of talks, the relevant parties should heed Beijing and help to make that happen.

Korean PeninsulaThe relevant parties need to negotiate

WORLDVIEW

Recently the news about the increase in Nepal’s forest cover circulated widely, as did the scepticism about the report that stated it. According to the Forest Resource Assessment (FRA) report, sup-

ported by Finland and led by Nepal’s Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, the forest area has increased by 5.15 percent within the last 21 years. While this appears optimistic, there are some contradictions concerning the report’s scientific merit and reliability for policy decisions.

The particularly contentious fact is that the FRA’s results contradict the findings of the highly regarded report of the Global Forest Watch (GFW). The FRA report states that Nepal has lost 25,100 hectares of tree cover from 2001 to 2014, whereas the FRA report asserts a gain of 290,000 hectares.

GFW is an open source web application to monitor every forest in the world in near real time and in a high resolution. This global data-set has been used to evaluate forest cover change by governmental and other agencies globally, including those in Indonesia, China and Amazonia.

With a strong research methodology, the reliability of FRA findings would have improved further had those been reconciled with the results of other reports. We are liv-ing in an era with remote sensing and spa-tial analysis capabilities that are improving dramatically in recent years. Despite inten-sive research effort, the FRA project should have verified its findings with publicly available data such as GFW.

Methodological weaknessOne of the reasons for such a significant

variance in the results is the difference in defining the forest area. Unfortunately, there is no shared definition of forests glob-ally. Three common criteria for defining for-ests are canopy cover, intact area and the height of the trees, but they are not uni-formly used by different agencies. The thresholds for canopy cover used by FRA (10 percent or more) and by GFW (30 per-cent or more) might have led to the differ-ence in results. Nevertheless, capturing higher tree density and larger forested units, the GFW can be considered more robust than the FRA in assessing forest area changes.

Another contradiction in the FRA report is related to its analytical approach. It is reported that the ‘hybrid approach’ using automated image classification and exten-sive visual interpretation was used to clas-sify forests from satellite data. However, as

recent research shows, visual interpreta-tion is highly subjective and hence a less reliable approach to analyse large volumes of data.

It is surprising that the analysis was based on visual interpretation, despite the fact that there is no dearth of computing and analytical capacities these days due to technological advancement. A better analyt-ical tool for visual interpretation is, for example, Google Earth. This cloud comput-ing platform has been used by governments, NGOs and independent researchers to ana-lyse a large volume of satellite imagery.

Replicability is one of the key pillars of any scientific research. However, the data used in the FRA report is hardly accessible to other researchers if they wish to analyse it. FRA has used the satellite image from the commercial company Rapid Eye. Indeed, it provides images of a 25 meter

higher spatial resolution than the freely available Landsat data operated by NASA and United States Geological Survey. But the question is whether such a high-resolu-tion data is worth the investment. The com-mercially purchased data to assess forest condition, as done in the case of FRA, is too expensive for Nepal and Nepali researchers.

Weak inferencesThe FRA report also leaves some meas-

urement gaps. The report measures forest cover change, but not the factors that may have caused this change. We cannot plan right interventions unless we know the proximate and underlying causes of deforestation. The report identifies two con-tributing factors of forest gain and 15 differ-ent drivers of forest disturbances. How these factors interacted and contributed to the net reported gain of the forest area is not mentioned.

Studies indicate community forestry as a contributor to forest cover gain, but large-scale studies to assess the causes of this relation are missing. The generic evidence presented in the report and anecdotal cases of specific community forests are insuffi-cient for the kind of causal inference made on forest area improvement.

Reconciling resultsDespite these contradictions, the FRA report is a major contribution to quantita-tive measurements of the condition of Nepal’s forests after two decades. This can stimulate crucial discussions about forest cover change and policy. Yet, several caveats of the report need to be considered before it can contribute as a robust scientific study. In doing such assessments, research agen-cies and researchers should look out for open data on the internet. Finally, future forest assessment must also include meas-urement of potential drivers of forest change so that the analysis becomes more relevant to policy making.

Shrestha is an environmental scientist; Ojha is public policy expert

Doubtful prognosisThe FRA project should have verified its findings with publicly available data

UTTAM B SHRESTHA & HEMANT R OJHA

C M Y K

LONDONCALLING

MANIL SURI

Each time I visit Mumbai, I make a pilgrimage to an old five-story building with crumbling balconies on Nepean Sea Road. It’s where I lived during the ’60s and ’70s—the

first two decades of my life. I went back a few weeks ago. Standing out-side, I thought about the diverse, cos-mopolitan city I knew, and how it has changed.

We lived in a single room. Our flat was shared by four families: We were Hindu, the other three Muslim. Our landlord, who lived in the room next to ours, had a kitchen in common with us; down the hall were two communal toilets. Muslim families lived on the two floors above us, but the top floor family was Hindu, as were the shop-keepers below.

Our differing religions almost never caused friction. Once in a while, my mother might complain about the smell of beef being cooked by the land-lady. We’d occasionally grill tiny pork sausages over the toaster in our room, in secret retaliation. Usually, though, religion came up only in the context of festivals: The neighbors gave us fresh meat each time they slaughtered a lamb for Eid; we invited their children to light firecrackers with us to cele-brate Diwali.

Which is not to say we lived in bliss-ful harmony. There were frequent (often spectacular) altercations—over kitchen counter space, the limited water supply in the flat’s storage tanks, a common electricity bill, a shared doorbell. Surprises left unflushed in the toilets elicited particular rancor.

The compensation was our South Bombay address. We were in the most cosmopolitan part of the city.

Although money was always tight, my parents could have probably scraped together enough to buy a small flat in the suburbs. But these seemed impossibly remote and provincial back then: Visiting our relatives in the sub-urbs required long commutes on crowded trains, and I always returned covered with mosquito bites.

Now, when even distant suburbs boast malls and multiplexes, our disdain seems quaint. In 1971, the pop-ulation of South Bombay and the sub-urbs stood at about three million each. By 2011, the suburbs had tripled, while the population of the South remained stable.

Old problems remain. Over half of the population lives in slums. The sub-urban rail system has become even more dehumanizing: About 800 passen-gers die annually in falls from over-crowded compartments. Major invest-ment in road projects, skewed heavily toward the interests of the affluent, has resulted in booming car ownership and multiple choke points.

More alarming to me, though, is how

the inter-communal mix of my forma-tive years has been lost. As the writer Naresh Fernandes describes in his book, “City Adrift: A Short Biography of Bombay,” some suburban areas are acquiring the feel of religious ghettos. Mumbra, one of the largest, is over 90 percent Muslim. It suffers daily power failures much worse than those in neighboring Hindu localities. To the west, the clearly demarcated Muslim parts of Jogeshwari are snide-ly called “mini Pakistan” by Hindus across the “border.”

It is not difficult to find Internet listings specifying whether a property lies in the Hindu or Muslim area of an outer suburb, or even, in the case of a half-million dollar flat in the closer-in suburb Andheri, saying explicitly, “All communities allowed EXCEPT Muslims.”

Such intolerance exists at all price points. In a TV interview, Shabana Azmi, one of India’s most celebrated actresses and a former member of Parliament, described how she and her equally famous screenwriter husband couldn’t buy the flat they wanted because they were Muslim.

On my own street, beyond the long-razed grand mansions I used to bicycle by, wealthy Jains have turned their modern apartment blocks into mili-tantly meat-free zones, around which few markets dare carry non-vegetarian offerings. The world I knew is gone. So it seemed symbolic that on my latest visit, I found my building looking like

a mausoleum: windows plastered up, ornamentation stripped clean, top three floors entombed, as if in con-crete. A developer has been buying off the residential tenants—presumably, renovations have begun.

I wondered what exorbitant price our refurbished flat would command. Certainly, the socioeconomic range the building once fostered can never be restored. The grocers who lived in cramped quarters attached to their downstairs shops have long given way to gratuitous fashion and elec-tronic boutiques. The men and women who slept on our staircase landings at night are now barred by a metal grate. I suppose you would call those people homeless today. Back then, they were poor, but they were our neighbors.

Will the entire area become a sprawl-ing gated community one day, designed to filter out the city’s diversity?

In 1958, my father, newly arrived in the city, sublet the room for 150 rupees a month (about $31 then). He did not know that he would live there until his death in 2002, and my mother until 2005. He came from Rawalpindi, in what was once India and is now Pakistan. Even though he’d lost his family home to Muslims in the coun-try’s bloody partition only 11 years earlier, when he arrived in Bombay it seemed perfectly reasonable to live in their midst. That’s what increasingly amazes me about the bygone city I grew up in.

—© THE NEW YORK TIMES

Segregation of Indiathekathmandu post op-ed07 Friday, March 18, 2016

HANNAH HENDERSON

Brandon Stanton started the photo blog Humans of New York in 2010 after losing his job as a financial trader. He walks around the city and takes portraits of the people

he meets. These pictures are then loaded onto social media platforms with a witty caption.

His pictures are very popular, often being shared by thousands of people and several blogs which imitate his style have also appeared on social media. He has also helped raise more than one million dollars for a Brooklyn school after photographing one of its students for his blog - an achievement which resulted in an invitation to meet President Barack Obama at the White House.

In the last 12 months Brandon has expanded his project, taking portraits of refugees who are trying to travel to Europe, as well as visiting Iraq, Iran and Pakistan.

These overseas trips, combined with the extensive interviews Stanton conducts on a daily basis appear to have inspired him to a publish an open letter to Trump on Facebook. “I try my hardest not to be political” he started in the post which has been shared more than one million times.

Referencing his own work with ref-ugees, Stanton then went on to accuse Trump of whipping up hatred against Muslims and others in order to make political capital. “You are a man who has encouraged prejudice and vio-lence in the pursuit of personal power,” he concluded.

His controversial claims that Donald Trump’s Twitter account has retweeted both racist and fascist com-ments are not new.

Over the course of the race for the Republican nomination Trump has been accused of promoting violence and has had to distance his campaign from comments made by a leading member of the KKK. There have been violent clashes at Trump rallies, and after a demonstrator disrupted one of his speeches he said that he wanted to “punch him in the face”.

Controversially he has advocated the use of torture, told inaccurate sto-ries about Muslims being shot with bullets dipped in pig’s blood, com-pared refugees to ‘snakes’ and claimed that ‘Islam hates us’. None of these claims have disrupted his campaign, despite repeated efforts to paint him as a bigot.

Trump has yet to publically respond to the open letter, but in recent weeks he has replied to similar criticism by

calling himself a “unifier” and “the least racist person”.

However, Stanton’s letter has struck a chord with the tycoon’s opponents.

“I am a Muslim a Pakistani and I want every single person on earth to know that I do not hate you” wrote one commentator on Facebook. “ I am white. I am a man. I am from the south. I am a Christian. And I am a conservative republican....but it is still BEYOND ME how anybody is in support of Donald Trump” added another.

The letter has been retweeted more than 30,000 times on Twitter, where it is not without its critics. “I’m not a journalist but I see you stated facts without showing references/proof ” tweeted the photographer Chuck Madden, something Democratic supporters rapidly made efforts to provide.

Its popularity was boosted by the fact that Hillary Clinton shared the post to her two million Facebook fol-lowers as did the former astronaut Colonel Chris Hadfield.

Their support meant that the letter received more than two million likes.

But Trump supporters have dis-missed the open letter as left-wing propaganda.

— BBC TRENDING

Humans of New York on Trump

COMMUNITY FORESTRY READY TO FLOURISHAfter 1990, the legal basis to hand over identified areas of forests as commu-nity forest was created by implement-ing the Forest Act 1993. People were given ownership and opportunity to manage, utilise and protect forests themselves. Moreover, community for-estry in some places has been helping in infrastructure development like building bridges, schools and learning centres. Picnic spots, recreational places and parks are the evolving con-cepts that are being adopted in com-munity forests to generate revenues. In Nepal, 25 percent of forest is under community forestry through which about 32 percent of the population has been benefitting, although 60 percent of total forest is reported as suitable

for handover as community forest. Enthusiastic participation of women, marginalised and backward communi-ties in decision-making and manage-ment of community forest had made this model successful in the socio-eco-nomic upliftment of Nepali communi-ties. Community forestry has been drawing global attention for carbon sequestration and carbon trade, which is beneficial for Nepal and is a means to mitigate climate change induced effects.

Community forestry, after its suc-cess in forest conservation, needs to be practised in other nations too (‘Nepal seeks to spread community forestry programme across Sasia’, March 16,Page 1), particularly in South Asia where we share identical geography, forest species management strategies, economy and settlement in forest vicinity. But Nepal’s community

forestry is affected by a dwindling budget, political intervention and cor-ruption, all of which have made it far less effective.

Tilak Neupane, Hetauda

THE FATE OF BILLIONAIRESNot all countries love their dollar bil-lionaires (‘Iran billionaire sen-tenced to death’, March 7, Page 5) (‘Mallya slapped with money laun-dering case’, March 8, Money II). At the end of the day, in many demo-cratic and non-democratic countries, it seems that how and what means, conduits and routes were applied to make the billions matter most to their regulators.

Iran’s Babak Zanjani faces the death penalty for making himself a billion-aire by allegedly withholding billions of state oil revenues channelled through his companies during the sanction years.

Mallya, who in the past repeatedly and famously proclaimed that he made his billions outside India, faces

seditious charge of money laundering and a possible foreign exchange viola-tion accusation from India’s powerful Enforcement Directorate. Apart from the prospect of losing all of $75 mil-lion payout from the transaction of his spirit company to his creditors for arrears of $1.4 billion, the poster boy

of the good times seems to be fully entrenched in various charges and conspiracies including forex vio-lation. The way things are going, it could well be that ‘some’ one put the money in his account to make him a billionaire for business and political exigencies or to evade taxes. At least,

this seems to be true in Babak’s case, although that ‘some’ one seems to be himself. But he could not have done this, that is withheld state money, without the collaboration of his ‘well wishers’.

Manohar Shresthavia email

ERRORSThe text printed in the Kathmandu Post (Photo caption, March 8, Page 2) was incorrect. The details ran as: Chief of Army Staff Gaurav SJB Rana, who actually is the ex-Chief of Army Staff, while the photo was of present Chief of Army Staff Rajendra Chhetri. It is a very big error for a reputed news daily. The other griev-ance with the paper is that every sec-ond day on page no. 10, ‘RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT’ comes with very unclear and unreadable text, which strains the readers’ eyes. Why does the Post not give importance to such details?

Ajeshpal Singh, Birgunj

VOICE OF THE PEOPLEKantipur Publications Pvt. Ltd., Kantipur Complex, Subidhanagar P. B. No. 8559, Kathmandu; Nepal

Phone: 5135000, Fax: 977-1-5135057, e-mail: kpost@kmg.com.np

C M Y K

Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) is one of the many ways compa-nies do restructuring. Companies pursue M&A for one of the two major reasons; either when their organic growth appears stalled

or when they find synergistic advan-tage from a potential merger or acqui-sition which can possibly reach out to new markets or introduce complemen-tary products and services. Increasing mobility of human capital, innovation in science and technology, and advanc-es in social media continue to impact how companies run their business and connect with customers, compelling firms to design products and services that best meet customers’ continually changing needs. Also, when a product matures in its lifecycle, companies must launch new products to satisfy customers’ new preferences, and the cycle goes on. By acquiring new compa-nies or merging with already more successful ones, firms can thrive and continue to create and maximise share-holders value, the ultimate objective of any firm.

Majority failDespite the prospect of large gains from M&As, research suggests that the majority of restructuring efforts have been a fiasco. Especially when the firms directly serve a large base of customers such as retail banking or hospitality operations, a merger or acquisition becomes an Achilles heel. When two companies merge, an air of uncertainty and potential doom looms over people, processes and systems. Employees fret in the first place about their job security, and customers try to defect. Customers of a retail bank may resort to deposit withdrawals in mass-es while a clothing store may see lower sales and smaller crowds. Customer defections are a major reason why more than half of all mergers fail to deliver the intended improvement in shareholder value. The trouble is that merged companies tend to focus pri-

marily on quickly capturing synergies and avoiding major technology disas-ters losing sight of customers at the time when they are most likely to bail.

The fact that globally only about eight percent of the companies under-going mergers and acquisitions have had true success explains a lot about the hiccups of firm restructuring. Firms typically perform extensive due diligence about synergies, cost savings, cultural intricacies and technological challenges before they decide to ven-ture into restructuring, but still fail. It is often the case that customer base becomes the last piece of the puzzle and never gets as much scrutiny before-hand, which only highlights the core of the problem. History is littered with examples of companies that have expe-rienced mass customer defections when undergoing a merger. In banking, for example, the average customer attrition rate of around 15 percent can double following a merger, and remain that high for an extended period of time before returning to normal.

Customers watch carefully if the level of service delivery erodes after a merger and to what extent. This means that early signals of improved service carry a lot of weight. Some businesses identify and accelerate actions to improve the customer experience. When two companies merge, they embark on seemingly minor changes that can make a big difference to cus-tomers, causing even the most loyal to reevaluate their relationship with the company.

Importance of communicationMergers often involve changes to prod-uct structure, fees, personnel and branch locations. But the way these changes are communicated can make a big difference in how customers per-ceive and accept them. This means doing more than sending out standard, dry, legalistic account notifications. Communication that is easy to under-stand, respectful and thoroughly

addressing customer concerns and explaining what new changes mean for them can be a key to alleviate the clien-tele’s worries. Most important of all, both the acquiring entity and to-be-ac-quired entity should send uniform communication assuring their patrons that they will not be impacted by changes and they should expect contin-ued services and products. Both com-panies should also state that potential internal changes, if any, will only benefit customers.

However, before an organisation can create an effective customer communi-cation plan, it needs a well-developed employee communication plan. To ensure that interactions with custom-ers are positive and consistent with outgoing organisational messages, employees must understand how the transition will occur and how they will be a part of the process.

Communication needs to begin well in advance to combat negative atmos-phere as portrayed through ‘layoffs’ and ‘cost-cutting’ rumours. Firms should make employees feel that they are true partners by hosting open meet-ings where they are encouraged to express their concerns. Honesty is the best policy when it comes to communi-cation, especially if it negatively impacts certain employees. It is also important that mid-level managers are not just communicated but also con-sulted in potential organisational changes including policy and process improvement as without their buy-in, firms will face an uphill battle to effec-tively implement the change.

If employees feel management is keeping information from them, quite understandably they start feeling anx-ious. When people are uncertain, they start speculating about the clues in front of them. Productivity starts to drop as staff waste time in circulating rumours, develop unfounded theories and become disgruntled. This in turn reduces employee morale and perfor-mance, which can lead to customer dissatisfaction and withdrawal, and ultimately to the failure of the organi-sation. So organisations should have a robust communication structure and information flow to increase the chanc-es of the M&A’s success.

Pant is head of Corporate Affairs and Business Planning Officer at

Prabhu Bank, Kathmandu

RASHMI PANT

Partly cloudyHistory is littered with examples of companies that have experienced

mass customer defections when undergoing a merger

The fact that globally only about eight percent of the companies

undergoing mergers and acquisitions have had true success explains a lot about the hiccups of restructuring

C M Y K

PG 08 | FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2016 kathmandupost.ekantipur.com

kathmandupostthe

classroomPRE-SCHOOL/SCHOOL ANNUAL SUPPLEMENT

BINOD GHIMIRE

While 90 percent of students from private schools passed the School Leaving Certificate examination last year, two-thirds of those who

took the board exam from public schools could not get through it. The success rate of private schools has never come down the 90 per-cent, but public schools have never been able to cross the 40 percent mark. In lack of proper evaluation method, SLC results are taken as the only indicator to analyse the quality of education. This has remained to be the pull factor for both parents and students to join private schools.

This has resulted in a significant rise in the numbers of private schools but the numbers of public schools have started decreasing they are either merged or being shut without enough number of students. Though there is no ade-quate research in place, the umbrel-la bodies of private schools claim that the private sector has made an investment of more than Rs120 bil-lion in school-level education and it is increasing by 10 percent every year.

The boom in the investment of the private sector has two aspects; first, it reflects the government’s failure to make government and community-based educational institutions competent and, sec-ond, the lucrative economic dynam-ics associated with it. The private sector has tapped into the field of education, where the government has failed to score.

Private education institutions in the past have not just focused on teaching and learning but also in infrastructure development. From a startling ambience to play-grounds, library and laboratories, experts say these schools offer ser-

vices that are at par with western standards. This trend is slowly shifting to other regions of the country, apart from Kathmandu Valley. Millions of rupees have been injected to do so and the trend is likely to continue in the near future.

Former Chairperson of Private and Boarding Schools Association and lawmaker Babu Ram Pokharel says that the investment in private school will likely increase as there is a need of converging the way of teaching and learning methodolo-gy so as to match with the global education trend in the 21st century.

Even though the role of private schools has remained instrumental in the development of the country’s education sector, these institutions are not free from several charges. The past decade has witnessed sig-

nificant increment in costs of attending schools. Education, one of the most basic and essential necessities, has become very expen-sive. This has compelled those hav-ing financial constraints to com-promise heavily. Once considered as a service sector, private schools now seem to be more profit orient-ed now. Chairman of Pabson Lachhe Bahadur KC, however, says all private schools should not be blamed. He claimed that some of the schools put the future of their students before profits. He says that apart from two dozens of schools from the Capital a majority of the private schools are affordable to a majority of the people.

According to Pabson, there are private education institutions teaching students at as low as Rs 150 per month, while some charge

around Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000. Some of the schools having foreign asso-ciates have been charging even up to Rs 60,000 a month for school level education. KC claimed that the expensive schools are tapping those who otherwise used to study in India. “Private schools have saved millions of rupees from being spent abroad,” he said.

Private sector promoters are of the view that the government should come up with a long term action plan for flourishing the school level education. According to them, Nepal has the potential to attract foreign students if the qual-ity improves. “We should not just limit within theoretical approach-es. We need to adopt dual education model where students are offered with vocational education as well,” KC said.

PRIVATE SECTOR LEADS SCHOOL EDUCATION

GAURAV THAPA

Schools can be considered the locus of any educational system. They epitomise the basic founda-tion of education and are deemed as a mandatory pre-requisite of

civilised living. Growing industriali-sation and globalisation have result-ed in a massive commercialisation in the educational fraternity and schools have certainly not gone unaf-fected by the global overhaul. It is almost inexplicable to distinguish the fine line between heavy commer-cialisation and the core ethical teach-ing practices in schools these days. It certainly is a big ask for the parents to make a credible decision when it comes to selecting a good school for their children. The selection could very well be a headache as one can easily get overwhelmed by the multi-tudes of schools, and ofcourse the promises they bring with them.

So, if you’re a responsible parent and truly committed to selecting a good school for your child, these should strike you:

In this fast growing economy, schools and colleges are often suscep-tible to black money. If you’ve set

Choosing school for kidsyour heart on admitting your child to a certain school, you must know about the financial history of the school and those running it.

The conundrums between choos-ing public and private schools can be another headache for parents. The notion of private schools being more competitive and qualitative com-pared to the public ones has spread across the society. But for mid-dle-class parents who simply cannot afford the syndicate of private schools, public schools have taken initiative by including intensive English medium teaching, hiring qualified teachers and improving school infrastructure and are invit-ing parents to join them in creating a new wave of schooling in the country.

Private schools nowadays are emphasising more on infrastructural improvements. The infrastructural panache pulls students and parents towards the schools. Parents natural-ly want a sound, clean and safe envi-ronment in the school. Parents need to consider all the mentioned points before committing their children.

With all the advertisements flock-ing television channels and radios of the schools and their facilities, par-ents may easily get deceived. A good school needs quality teachers and an inspiring operator whose incentive is not only to make money but create a sound environment. Shebak Bahjgain, principal of Pole Star National Secondary Boarding School in Biratnagar, feels schools are aca-demic families that function well

only with the contribution of each and every member associated with it. He adds, “The modus-operandi on how schools operate nowadays has changed nowadays. There is more and more participation between teachers and students. The academic result is no longer the most impor-tant quality of a school as parents tend to focus on extracurricular activities. They want to see their chil-dren as a leader and motivator more than a parrot learner when he/she walks out of school.”

Despite all the marketing of aca-demic results and their achieve-ments, nothing beats a well qualified and experienced teacher. Parents nat-urally look for teachers when choos-ing a school for their children. Morally obliged, creative, conscious and an interactive teacher is what parents would like to see in a good school, apart from all the other basic requirements. The accessibility of a school is another factor to be consid-ered. A school that is close to home gives a sense of security to parents.

As times are changing, schools that have adapted modern day tech-nologically usually get the nod. However, the use of technology can sometimes be a pain in the head for parents as they may not be aware of their kids activities on the internet. Buddhi Poudel, a businessmen and a parent, puts it this way, “Children have grown with technology, we haven’t. To balance the shift in tech-nological knowledge, I would prefer a school that prefers a partici-

patory education system that would allow us to know the things that our children are learning.” Another impor-tant facet parents look into is its financial costs. C o n s i d e r i n g everything, testi-monies of the alumni should help a lot during the deci-sion-making pro-cess.

Parents should have a clearer idea if they consult the alumni in detail about the envi-ronment, teach-ers, quality of education, extra-curricular activi-ties and their academic achievements.

C M Y K

classroom09 Friday, March 18, 2016school supplement

Post RePoRt

With the commencement of admissions in private schools, the never ending tus-sle between the government authorities and private

schools operators over the setting of tuition fees have begun once more. Two weeks ago, the Ministry of Education endorsed the Private

Schools Directive which aims to regulate tuition fees with the provi-sion that every school has to get their fee approved by two-third majority of an assembly made up of the guardians of the students.

A fee structure that has not been approved by guardians will not be endorsed by the government authority, and schools are required to receive an endorsement of the fee structure from the District Education Office a month before admissions start. The directive also enforces that the salary of private

schools teachers are on par with the government standard, admis-sion fees not more than a month of tuition and that the fees for are publicly printed for all concerned through a citizen charter.

It has set five categories of expenses, of which 60 percent are segregated for the salary of teach-ers, 9.5 percent towards the cost of scholarships, 14 percent towards

rent and bank interests, 9.5 percent to be had as profit and 7 percent for the cost for equipments. The Directive has made it mandatory for all schools to have separate labs, meeting halls, computer halls and teacher’s rooms and that the school building is earthquake resistant. Schools must have their own land, and if not, should have at least five years of a lease-agreement with the land owners. As per the Directive all the private schools should meet the criteria within three years. “Those schools which cannot meet

the criteria can go for mergers or closure,” says the Directive.

While the Department of Education remains adamant that the Directive has to be implement-ed at any cost, the umbrella bodies of the private schools argue that they will have to shutter up their schools if it is implemented. Further, Private and Boarding Schools Association (Pabson) and

N-Pabsan have been strongly lobby-ing against the directive, claiming the DoE did not consult with them while finalising it. “We were invit-ed for the discussion in the initial days but the final draft was made without our consultation,” said Karna Bahadur Shahi, chairperson of N-Pabsan.

The private school operators claim that it is not possible to endorse the tuition fee through the two-third majority as finding con-sensus among hundreds of guardi-ans is not possible. They say they

are ready to endorse the fee struc-ture from the School Management Committee which has representa-tives from the DoE, parents, teach-ers and the owner. “To make it inclusive we can nominate the rep-resentatives of the guardians from the voting process,” said Pabsan chair Lachhe Bahadur KC. The gov-ernment officials however, claim that the DoE has no intention to trap private schools, saying the Directive was endorsed after having thorough discussions with the representatives of Pabson and N-Pabsan along with guardians, teachers and students organisations.

“The directive aims at con-trolling the malpractice in the pri-vate education sector. Those who are working fairly need not fear from it,” said Baikuntha Aryal spokesperson at DoE, adding the state has every right to curb the malpractice.

This is not the first time that such a dispute has erupted. Back in 2013, the Pabson and N-Pabsan refused to implement the Private and Institutional Schools Directives 2012 though it was signed by their representatives. That directive had also set standards for classrooms, ceilings on advertisements and the number of schools in a particular area. It had barred more than 15 basic and 10 secondary schools from operating in one ward in the metropolitan city, a maximum of 10 basic and 5 secondary schools in each ward of a sub-metropolitan city. Yet, with private school opera-tors not on board, the Directive could not be implemented as desired.

“The private schools are saying the directive is not practical with-out even implementing it,” said Suprabhat Bhandari, Chairperson of Guardian Association Nepal, asking the private schools to first go in implementation before reject-ing it. He says that the indicators set by the present directive are sci-entific as it ensures around 10 per-cent profit for the school operators.

“DoE is the facilitator for both private and public schools,” said Aryal. “We can go for revisions if there are genuine problems, but it has to be taken into implementa-tion first.”

Scientific SyStem key to reSolving fee diSpute

What kind of education does DAV focus on?

DAV is a Vedic missionary school and here we focus on an education which converts students lifelong learners. We blend the values and knowledge taught by Eastern philosophy with technological and scientific develop-

ment of the West so that we raise children who are not just successful in the job market but also become good human beings. For exam-ple, in our class-rooms children practise medita-tion and then make a Powerpoint presentation right after.

How are children taught in the classroom?

We use both the CBSE and the local curriculum and adjust them as per the need of the learners, as we have children who come from diverse backgrounds. We have students not only from Nepal but also from India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as well, and due to this huge diversity, children get to learn from each other. Students are also required to actively partici-pate in co-scholas-tic activities for their holistic development.

What type of infrastructure

does the school have?

DAV has 21st century infrastructures to cater to present technological requirements of the world. We have well-equipped classrooms and laboratories where students learn to apply their knowledge practically.

How are the teachers in the school?

We have very experienced and enthu-siastic teachers who are very much into research-oriented teaching methods. They focus on holistic development of children to give them a comprehensive global outlook.

‘We nurture holistic growth’

Bhuvaneswari raoPrincipal, DAV School, Jawalakhel

C M Y K

10Friday, March 18, 2016 school supplement classroom

Anju BhattaraiFounder Principal, Aksharaa School

The philosophy of Aksharaa School lies in constructivism, a theory that emphasises on exploration and

involvement for developing competitive, resilient, critical thinkers through inculcating a value based education in a diverse environment. We inte-grate core values of child development and philosophy and then blend them with every possible resource well enough to foster knowledge,

understanding, and skills through our school curriculum’s objective which is centred on activity based instructions. Our highly trained and qualified teachers enable a better teaching-learning environment. The focus on extra activities also supports academics of the students.

Milan KC LopchanPrincipal, Ace School

Ace School’s claim to make a differ-ence in the Nepali education sector is backed by its deep-rooted history

of providing transformation-al learning environment for the last 16 years at higher sec-ondary, undergraduate and graduate levels.

Known to be more than just a school, Ace is a happy and vibrant community where students are at the very heart of everything they do. A for-

ward thinking school with some reas-suringly traditional values enables Ace to help children achieve and suc-ceed not only academically, but also to become well-versed, responsible citizens who have skills, resourceful-ness and resilience.

Bunu Karki ThapaDirector, Ullens Kindergarten

Ullens Kindergarten, a programme of Ullens Education Foundation, offers a progressive, play-based

early childhood education for 2½ - 5½ year-olds. Following a constructivist teaching approach from Bank Street College’s Developmental-Interaction Approach and Caltech’s science-based cur-riculum, we deliver a curricu-lum of planned and spontane-ous activities by an outstand-

ing team of early childhood teachers. We promote a variety of choices for play designed to encourage physical skills, cognitive learning, literacy acquisition, problem solving and independent thought.

Neera PradhanPrincipal, Tungram International Academy

Education helps build around mind in a sound body. We are trying to con-

nect students with the society. For that we focus first on building a healthy body and then intellectually smart and socially acceptable people. We focus on mak-

ing them emotionally stable so that they can become asset for the society. This also helps them overcome chal-lenges without getting disturbed. We nurture students who are self direct-ed and motivated.

Prakash RegmiPrincipal, NIC Academy

We established the school five years back in Dillibazar with the motto, “a school with a difference”.

Initially we began our class from one to six and now our first School Leaving Certificate batch is ready to

leave the school. We focus more on multimedia-based teaching learning activities while also addressing personal problems of the students. We have qualified human resources;

the teachers are friendly with mod-ern teaching methodology. After the earthquake, we are now planning to shift to Sano Bharyang.

Kanchan Mary PradhanIBPYP Coordinator/Vice Principal Genius School

Genius School is a candidate for IB Primary Years Programme and being part of IB World School, we

value the diversity of cultures and perspectives that exist in local, national and global communities at

Genius. A school that implement the IBPYP com-mits itself to work towards develop-ing internation-al-mindedness in the whole school c o m m u n i t y —among students,

parents and staff. IBPYP is a curricu-lum framework that is based on the ‘best practices’ and findings that have come from extensive research.

Lok Raj GiriCEO, Api School

Api School has become more secure than ever before with its newly built prefabricated buildings on 14

ropanis of land to withstand the tremors of earthquake. Api School currently offers the highest level of academic excellence in all spheres of its schooling—ranging from

Playgroup to Grade Eight. Api’s mission is to cre-ate an inclusive community of life-long learners in which each individual is val-ued and respected.

Our charge, then, is to strengthen minds, ensure equity, and honour individuality.

Subash NeupanePrincipal, Apex Life School

Apex Life School focuses in compre-hensive schooling programmes from pre-school to class 10. The

programmes help children realise their academic, creative and physical

strength and pro-mote students to become lifelong learners in the global community. Honing the life skills of the chil-dren, we inculcate in them the habit of living in a soci-ety with tolerance

and cooperation. We believe that good schooling is the foundation for trans-forming a child into a global citizen. They are equipped with life skills that will endure in the 21st century. We not only specialise in imparting education but also give special priori-ty to all forms of art and extracurric-ular activities.

Ranjana PradhanAdministration Head, Nightingale HS School

Nightingale HS School is a leading A-grade school located on the bank of Bagmati river which was estab-

lished in 1992 AD. We aim to make our students life-long learners, and

their years at school are the beginning of this journey. Academic excellence has been our prime objective over the years. In 2061 BS, students from this school secured the position of 2nd

and 3rd Board Toppers among girls. For this achievement, Nightingale was awarded with the SLC Excellence Award by Everest Foundation Nepal.

Baburam PokhrelFounding Principal, VS Niketan

Maintaining the glorious history of academic excellence, VS Niketan has, over the years, proved to be

the best institution for children with prime focus on quality of education. Recognising its academic perfor-mance in general and the result of the SLC examinations in particular,

the Government of Nepal, Ministry of Education had honoured the con-tribution of the school by award-ing it with the title of the ‘Best Private School’ in

2064 BS.

Kamana RegmiDirector, Nisarga Batika School

Nisarga Batika School is an initia-tive of a group of educators who wish to bring about a meaningful

change in the lives of students and teachers and promote a culture of

vibrant and engaging learning in schools across Nepal.

Nisarga offers an ideal environ-ment for learners who wish to engage in an edu-cation that is rele-vant, holistic and

meaningful. Each individual at Nisarga understands and values self-motivated learning as a way of life. All members of our community are in the process of becoming their natural selves, with respect for self, others and the environment.

Shailaja AdhikariManaging Director, Euro School

Euro School is one of the premium schools in Nepal. GCPL has been globally recognised as one of the

most advanced teaching methodolo-gies for school-go-ing children.

At Euro School, we strive to achieve a balance between academ-ics and co-curricu-lar activities, between theoreti-cal and practical learning, between

traditional teaching methods and new generation teaching aids, and more importantly: shaping a child to be a responsible global citizen while retaining the rich Nepali ethos. Euro School adopts a forward-thinking approach to learning.

EuroKids

EuroKids, the preschool specialist and largest education service pro-vider in the preschool segment with

more than 1325 pre schools through-out the world. We look at education as an inviting journey into the world of intellectual, emotional and spiritual learning. We understand that chil-dren need to explore, be engaged, have fun and be empowered to discov-er new worlds of learning. Our cur-riculum is focused on the develop-

ment of Executive Function Skills, which is critical for citizens in the 21st century.

Dhurba Prasad PokhrelPrincipal, Valley View English School

Valley View English School (VVES) is a leading ‘A’ grade secondary level English medium cum

Montessori School in Nepal managed by Professional Educators Limited, a

public incorpora-tion. It is commit-ted in imparting quality education for personality development in an affordable and conducive envi-ronment. It pro-vides a carefully selected balance

of informal learning exploration and formal teacher directed activities. All students have opportunities to work individually or in small and large groups in a wide variety of play, socialisation and learning tasks.

Rabindra Jung ThapaChairman, Reliance Public School

Reliance Public School (RPS) firmly stands for academic excellence right since its inception. We have

programmed our academics into three basic coun-terparts: the pri-mary block, the lower secondary block and the sec-ondary block. With the sole objectives of instilling the best in our students, we have allocated

grade teaching up to class three. From class eight, the academics is typically organised in a way that is primarily focused on helping stu-dents culminate their knowledge and experience to help them prepare a foundation for their multidimension-al development.

Beena KainiDirector, Himalayan Whitehouse World School

Himalayan Whitehouse World School is an innovative new addi-tion to the Himalayan White House

Education Community with an excit-ing future. Our objective is to not only prepare stu-dents to excel in examinations, but also to cultivate social, moral and pragmatic values in them, raise

them as responsible citizens of the country and build their confidence to face any challenges of the 21st centu-

ry with high level of technological competence, fortitude and elegance.

Kishor GautamDirector, KMC School

KMC holds the vision that the essence of education should not confine within pre-

scribed textbooks, rather it should acquaint students with livelihood. For this, we have Continuous Assessment System in order to implement project based instructions. Further, the school believes that a triangular rela-tionship amongst students, guardi-ans and the school is a must in order to ensure quality of education. We aim to provide children with the edu-cation of international standard by developing their full potential in every sector while also encouraging them to learn skills so as to cope with everyday problems.

Ishwor AdhikariCEO, Pathshala Nepal

Pathshala was founded in 2004 AD to cater to the need of quality schooling in the

context of 21st century learn-ing. Education is an asset of every individual. This fact cannot be ignored in today’s globalised world. The team of Pathshala believes that every child has many possibilities. Educating him/her is not merely to train them to read and write, but to develop the habit of learning, instilling curiosity and shaping him/her to be a decent person.

Pabitra LimbuDirector, Premier International School

Premier International School is the first,and in fact the only, authorised International Baccalaureate(IB)

School with the Primary Years Program (PYP) in Nepal. They follow the Nepali Curriculum strictly,taking it through the IB curriculum frame work. Doing this allows the students to not only build their knowl-edge on topics given in the Nepali curriculum but also looks at its topics in global context; simultaneously clari-fying their concepts and developing various skills and attitudes that will undoubtedly make them successful social beings in the present and the future.

Surendra ShresthaChairman, Nobel School

We provide education that is fit to the demands of the present time. We have a vision to provide a mod-

ern, resourceful and relevant educa-tion in every subject that school-go-

As the new academic session begins, parents have begun their hunt for the best school for their children. The Post talked to school managements and senior officials to make it easier for parents to figure out the appropriate school for their loved ones. Excerpts:

ing students need to have expo-sure to. This also helps in build-ing their overall base on all sub-jects they are interested in. With high-level professional teachers, Nobel remains the major attrac-tion to the students. The class rooms are well equipped and dig-ital friendly and the teach-

ing-learning environment too is digitised.

Rajesh Khadka,Founder Director, GEMS School

We have been at the forefront of quality education in the country. Our relentless strive towards quality education have

helped students excel in various fields nationally and internationally. The prestig-ious awards that we have been conferred with are the testimony of this fact. Our well-developed response mechanisms from parents and incorporating their valuable suggestions have really made all this possible.

Geeta RanaFounding Principal, Galaxy Public School

Galaxy Public School is dedicated today, as it was in 1986, to the principle that the future of humanity rests in the hands, hearts and

minds of those who will accept responsibili-ty for themselves and others in an increas-ingly diverse society. This principle of indi-vidual and social responsibility is realised in the context of a distinctive comprehensive experience.

Mukunda Raj SharmaPrincipal, Little Angels’ School

In LA School, apart from primary focus on curricular education, we organise co-cur-ricular activities to develop the mental and

physical condition of students as well. Students are not limited to classrooms and we have adequate infrastructure to engage them in other areas which supports their education. LA is a big school and due to the large number of students, they learn to compete among themselves to develop their skills which is not possible in small-er schools.

Niladri S. ParialPrincipal, Triyog School

In today’s fast-evolving world the paradigms of education are being reinvented. At Triyog we are mindful of our glorious past

and equally adaptive to the needs of the rapid advancements in latest teach-ing-learning techniques. We are an institu-tion that lays special emphasis on teacher development and training with expert educators.

Where to enrol and why

C M Y K

classroom11 Friday, March 18, 2016school supplement

Post RePoRt

Pre-schools provide congenial learning environment for chil-dren focusing on their emotional, social and motor development. Although pre-schools were intro-

duced quite recently in Nepal, they have already left a mark in the coun-try’s education by changing the teaching approach. Pre-schools fol-low constructivism, a learning theo-ry found in psychology that explains how children might acquire knowl-edge and learn.

Private education sector was the first to start pre-schools in the coun-try with Montessori education for the children between three to five years, in which children are taught to be analytical and build their own opin-ions. The Montessori system is famous for nurturing critical thinking, self-directed learning, and independent thought among chil-dren. Conceptualised and practiced by Maria Montessori over years in Italy, the model is now famous worldwide.

Montessori education allows chil-dren to learn through experiences. It is basically a construction of knowl-edge within a child by introducing them to different concepts and expe-riences in a carefully prepared environment. Such schools in the modern-day are called pre-schools.

The number of pre-schools have risen sharply in the country, because parents believe that such education institutions provide good education base to their children.

Rajesh Khanal, a father of five-year-old, says he is highly satisfied with the overall develop-ment of his son after enrolling him to

Kids Campus, a Gyaneshwor-based pre-school. “My son has been partic-ipating in various extra-curricular activities at his school. He has picked quite a lot of interest, especially in arts, literature and culture. Besides, his social skill has also improved,” says Khanal. “I think pre-school is the must for early childhood develop-ment as well as for good education base.”

According to a report prepared by the Department of Education (DOE), there are 34,622 pre-schools operating in the country. Around 5,087 pre-schools are run by private sector, which accounts for 15 percent of the total pre-schools across the country.

The students who have attended pre-school are more likely to fare better at school, the DOE report says. They are also less likely to drop out of school.

The number of students with pre-school background has increased in the recent years. A recent DOE data shows around 60 percent of the stu-dents enrolled in grade one has pre-school background.

Kathmandu Valley has 1,169 pri-vately run Montessori pre-schools. These schools are generally struc-tured in three levels: pre-school, kin-dergarten and upper kindergarten. While most pre-schools are based on Montessori education system, there are also those pre-schools that incor-porate the teaching approaches of US International Baccalaureate (IB) and Early Childhood Education.

A few pre-schools follow the latest model of early childhood education system like constructivism and adopted emerging curriculum.

Ullens Kindergarten offers a pro-gressive, play-based early childhood education for children between two and a half and five and a half years.

BunuThapa Karki, director of Ullens Kindergarten, says they incor-porate teaching approaches of Bank Street College’s Developmental-Interaction Approach and Caltech’s

science-based curriculum. “We promote a variety of choices

for play designed to encourage physi-cal skills, cognitive learning, literacy acquisition, problem solving and independent thought,” says Karki. “Our children are provided with extraordinarily well-equipped class-rooms and ample of green space to explore and play.”

Shailaja Adhikari, managing director of Euro Kids, says their cur-riculum is focused on the develop-ment of executive function skills crit-ical for successful citizens in today’s world. “Young brains are very active and have great learning potential and through Euro Kids’ curriculum it’s our endeavour to provide them a fun filled learning environment and develop their executive function skills,” she says.

The philosophy of Aksharaa School, says its Principal Anju Bhattarai, lies in constructivism, a theory that emphasises on explora-tion and involvement for developing competitive, resilient, critical thinkers. “We integrate core values of child development and philosophy, then blend them with every possible resource well enough to foster knowl-edge, understandings, skills and abil-ities of higher order through school curriculum’s objective centred activity based instructions,” says Bhattarai.

DIPesH KHAtIWADA

Individuals who have played some form of sports during their school years are self-confident, team play-ers and display leadership quali-ties, education experts say. The

quality of education will be affected if extracurricular activities are elim-inated from schools.

Principal of Galaxy Public School Geeta Rana believes extracurricular activities are crucial for physical and mental health of students.

“Sports teach discipline and team work, besides keeping one fit, both mentally and physically,” says Rana.

Most schools in Kathmandu Valley have engaged their students in indoor games. Due to lack of space, many schools are not able to expose their students in out-door games and students also lack motivation to be exposed in extracurricular activities.

“Sports are fundamental to students’ growth and develop-ment. Students who play school sports even produce higher test scores,” says Principal of Xavier International Gopal Bhandari.

Eighth grader Kamal Nepali of Xavier, who is also a national gymnastics player, has shown good test scores while being an outstanding player.

Students who have sports history from their school life will give more output than others, says Bhandari.

These days, parents have started to enrol their daugh-ters to join self-defence cours-es so that they can defend themselves against assault or sexual attack. Kritika Aryal, an eighth grader of Anupam Vidhya Sadan, says teachers taught them how to defend themselves.

Kritika’s mother Sangita says she encouraged her daughter to join self-defence class to learn how to protect herself in difficult situations.

“Only a limited number of female students play sports,” says Kritika, mentioning that there are fewer opportunities for students to participate in sports.

The schools should not just focus upon the grades of the students. School is about learning, but they should also train students to compete in games.

Balaram Koirala, a teacher at Budhanilkantha Higher Secondary School, says sports help develop the level of students in a balanced way.

“There are many parents who still believe their children will produce higher test scores if they study course books regularly. It’s a wrong notion. Kids should be exposed to athletics to develop the learning behaviour,” says Koirala.

Salon Adhikari, a tenth grader of Sunaulo Bhairabhi Secondary School in Dhading, says he gets tired study-ing long hours, so he plays cricket to keep himself fresh.

“I play cricket with friends to be refreshed and my parents are alright with it because I also secure good grades in my test,” says Adhikari.

Salon’s father Jhanka Prasad says, “Every parents should motivate their kids to play sports.”

In our country, most people believe that school is a place of learning. However, sports should also be part of the education.

Professor Bidya Nath Koirala, an education expert, believes students benefit from those schools that offer a variety of extracurricular activities.

“In the foreign countries, school education has been linked with physical and health education and also with personal and social devel-opment. All Nepali schools should also focus on linking sports knowl-edge with school education,” he suggests.

Get 'em while they’re younG

Students who have attended pre-school are more likely to fare better at school, a DOE report says

Sports help students’ growth

Published and Printed by Kantipur Publications Pvt. Ltd. Kantipur Complex, Subidhanagar, Kathmandu, Nepal, Phone: 5135000, Fax: 977-1-5135057, e-mail: kpost@kmg.com.np, Regd. No. 32/048/049, Chairman & Managing Director : Kailash Sirohiya, Director : Swastika Sirohiya, Editor-in-Chief : Akhilesh Upadhyay

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