Pass percentage in SLC exams slumps to 41.57

Pass percentage in SLC 

exams slumps to 41.57 

BINOD GHIMIRE 

KATHMANDU, JUNE 11 

AMERE 41.57 percent of the 

total candidates made it 

through the ‘iron gate’ this 

year, as the Office of the 

Controller of Examinations (OCE) on 

Tuesday published the results of the 

School Leaving Certificate (SLC) 

exams. The pass percentage saw a 

drop by 5 percent from the 46.16 percent 

last year. 

A total of 547,165 students had 

filled up the exam registration forms, 

20,105 were disqualified and only 

511,165 students appeared in the 

tests. Only 176,253 examinees, 

including both from the regular and 

exempted categories, cleared the 

exams. A total of 167,935 students of 

the 403,936 who appeared in the regular 

category got through. Of them, 

16,824 secured distinction (80 percent 

and above), 76,165 bagged the 

first division, 69,830 passed in the 

second division and 5,016 secured 

third division marks. 

The pass percentage in the 

exempted category also went down 

significantly, with a mere 7.76 percent 

getting through as compared to 

the 13.70 percent last year. Of the 

107,229 examinees under this category, 

8,318 managed to get the pass 

marks (117 first division; 5,848 second 

division; 2,353 third division). 

SLC CONTD ON PG 3 

KAMAL DEV BHATTARAI 


THE government is preparing to 

announce within June 15 the 

date for holding new 

Constituent Assembly (CA) elections, 

a minister said on Tuesday. 

Upbeat about the Nepali 

Congress and CPN-UML assurance 

that they would accept any decision 

taken by the Interim Election 

Government on the disputed issues 

of an electoral law, the government is 

preparing to forward the draft of the 

Constituent Assembly Member Act to 

the President by removing the provision 

of one percent threshold for 

securing seats under the proportional 

representation poll system. 

According to Home Minister 

Madhav Prasad Ghimire, forwarding 

the ordinance to the President, formation 

of a constituency delimitation 

commission and announcement 

of the election date will happen 

simultaneously. 

“The government plans to 

declare the election date within mid- 

June after soon finalising the disputed 

issues of the electoral law,” he said. 

The Election Commission has 

WORLD 

BJP leader LK Advani 

withdraws his 

resignation 

5 

Kathmandu, Wednesday, June 12, 2013 (29/02/2070) Nepal Sambat 1133 

A student checks his SLC exam results on his 

mobile phone, in Sanothimi, Bhaktapur, 

on Tuesday. PHOTO: SANJOG MANANDHAR 

already proposed November 14 as the 

date for the polls. 

In a meeting between the coordinator 

of the High-level Political 

Committee (HLPC), Jhala Nath 

Khanal, and government Chairman 

Khil Raj Regmi on Tuesday, the former 

said the major parties will accept 

CAPITAL EDITION PRINTED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN KATHMANDU, BIRATNAGAR, BHARATPUR AND NEPALGUNJ STAND PRICE RS 5.00 

OP-ED 

THE DISMAL SHOW 

P A S S P E R C E N T A G E 

THIS YEAR 

41.57 % 

Pictures of reality 

journalists produce 

can form or solidify a 

destructive opinion 

6 

LAST YEAR 

46.16 % 

• Examinees (regular/exempted) through 176,253 

Distinction 16,824 

First division 76,165 

Second division 69,830 

Through with grace marks 14,456 

Those who flunked the tests 334,912 

• Students not satisfied with the marks can check 

their answer sheets by paying Rs 700 per subject 

Supplementary exams to be held through Aug 7-11 

Results out before formal publication 

KATHMANDU: Officials at the 

Office of the Controller of 

Examinations were found violating 

the examination code of conduct 

by handing out SLC results to 

a handful of “influential school 

operators” before the formal publication 

of the results. 

Although the SLC Board made 

public the results at 3.30 pm on 

Tuesday, sheets of the results had 

already made it to various 

websites, including social networking 

sites, at 2 pm. 

Some officials in the ‘confi- 

Three kill selves 

KATHMANDU: Three students 

committed suicide 

after failing the SLC exams in 

Parsa, Chitwan and Rukum 

districts on Tuesday. Phul 

Kumari Kurmi of Birgunj-16 

in Parsa killed herself by 

hanging from the ceiling, 

while in Chitwan, Anish 

Amgain of Ratnagar-7 also 

hanged himself to death, 

police said. In Rukum, Sunita 

KC killed herself after she 

failed in three subjects. (PR) 

NEPAL’S LARGEST SELLING ENGLISH DAILY 

dential section’ responsible for 

finalising the results were found 

distributing the results in pen 

drives and CDs. 

Following widespread criticism 

from the media, Secretary 

at the Ministry of Education 

Som Lal Subedi, who also chairs 

the exam board, announced he 

would form a committee to 

investigate the matter. 

“The committee will submit a 

report in a week and we will take 

strong action against the officials 

involved,” he said. (PR) 

Why the slump is on 

KATHMANDU: The success rate in the 

School Leaving Certificate (SLC) 

examinations dropped to an 

eight-year low this time around, 

raising questions about the 

government’s hefty investment in the 

education sector. 

Though the budget the government 

allocates to the sector has more 

than doubled in the last five 

years—from Rs 27 billion in 2006-07 to 

Rs 63.91 billion in 2012-13—the SLC 

results have been discouraging by 

the year. (Details on Pg 3) 

Minister says govt planning to 

announce poll date by June 15 

The govt plans to 

declare the date 

within mid-June 

after finalising the 

disputed issues 

— Madhav Prasad Ghimire 

Home Minister 

whatever decision the government 

takes on the disputed issues. 

While urging Regmi to announce 

the poll date at the earliest, Khanal 

expressed optimism that the government 

will take a decision that is 

‘balanced’ and acceptable to all 

the political parties. 

The UCPN (Maoist) and the 

Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi 

Morcha (SLMM) have also said 

they will accept the government’s 

decision. 

The government plans to remove 

the threshold provision from the draft 

of the CA Membership Act for ensuring 

the participation of fringe parties 

in the elections. 

On the constituency delimitation 

commission, NC Vice-president Ram 

Chandra Poudel said it is not a big 

issue as parties have tentatively prepared 

a list of persons to be recommend 

as members of the body. 

Meanwhile, the government is 

not in the mood to hold more discussions 

with the parties before the 

announcement of the election date. 

“The government will not waste 

more time in holding discussions 

with the parties,” said Regmi’s Press 

Advisor Bimal Gautam. 

DEVENDRA BHATTARAI 

NEW DELHI, JUNE 11 

SPORTS 

INDIAN Prime Minister Manmohan 

Singh on Tuesday said India wishes to 

see Nepal move towards the democratic 

process by conducting the 

Constituent Assembly (CA) polls by 

November. 

“India and Nepal share close ties 

and it is our wish that the political parties 

in Nepal reached a consensus on 

the matter of elections very soon and 

come up with a democratic constitu- 

tion as wished by the Nepali people,” 

Singh said in his meeting with Nepali 

Congress (NC) leader Sher Bahadur 

Deuba. The Indian PM also pledged 

logistical assistance for the elections 

and support for strengthening 

democracy in Nepal. “We will do whatever 

we can to ensure multiparty 

democracy and the democratisation 

process in Nepal,” Singh said in the 

meeting at his official residence at Race 

Course Road. 

Deuba said that India’s support was 

imperative in Nepal’s political development 

and lauded the southern neighbour’s 

role in the signing of the 12-point 

agreement between the then sevenparty 

alliance and the Maoists, the pact 

India qualify for 

Champions League 

semi-finals 

12 

that was instrumental in ending the 

Maoist insurgency and ushering a new 

political era in Nepal. “We are prepared 

to sort out all contentious issues and 

hold the elections at the earliest,” 

Deuba assured Singh. 

The former Nepali PM said Nepal 

and India will continue the good bilateral 

ties and embark on many more 

development projects once a new constitution 

is in place. Deuba sought 

India’s assistance in the construction of 

PADDY 

PRICE 

Agriculture Ministry 

to set minimum 

support price 

I 

Vol XXI No 115 | 12+4 Pages | www.ekantipur.com 

Indian PM for Nepal elections by Nov 

Says India wishes to see a democratic constitution through polls 

DEUBA IN DELHI 

Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba in a meeting with Indian 

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on Tuesday. 

PHOTO COURTESY: INDIA’s MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING 

a four-lane bridge linking Nepal’s 

Mahendranagar with India’s Banbasa 

over the Mahakali river, the 

Kathmandu-Nijgadh fast track road, a 

quarantine test lab for agro products in 

Kakadvitta, Far Western Institute of 

Technology and a suspension bridge to 

connect Jogbuda village of his home 

district in Dadeldhura with Purnagiri of 

Uttarkhand in India. 

DEUBA CONTD ON PG 4

2 THE KATHMANDU POST | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 

Govt forms taskforce to 

probe Rautahat incident 

WEENA PUN 


AFTER talks with Dalit civil 

society members on Tuesday, 

the government formed a 

taskforce to investigate the Rautahat 

incident. A group of non-Dalits had 

attacked a Dalit community in the 

district last Friday. 

In response to the government 

move, Dalit civil society members 

postponed their protest. Dalit 

political party affiliates, however, 

announced sit-in programmes 

all across the nation to ensure justice 

is served. According to a press statement 

issued by the Ministry of Home 

Affairs, members of the taskforce 

include General Director of Police 

Kitabkhana, Rudra Prasad Poudel; 

head of Mid-Regional Police Office, 

Deputy Inspector General Yadav 

Adhikary; Director of Investigation 

at National Investigation 

Department, Devraj Bhatta; and 

Member Secretary of National Dalit 

Commission, Bhuwan Sunar. The 

taskforce has seven days to probe 

Baidya union 

attacks edu 

fair venue 

POST REPORT 


CADRES of All Nepal National 

Independent Student Union- 

Revolutionary on Tuesday vandalised 

the Hotel Everest-based venue of the 

7th Global Career Boutique. 

A group of ANNISU-R activists, 

affiliated with the Mohan Baidya-led 

CPN-Maoist, entered the hotel premises 

at 8pm and resorted to vandalism, 

said Neeta Yogi, coordinator of 

Global Education Counselling Centre, 

which has been managing the event. 

She said that one of the leaders of 

the union had been making frequent 

calls asking them not to organise any 

kind of education fair attracting foreign 

academic institutions. “We never 

thought that they would attack our 

stalls,” she said. “We condemn the 

act.” Yogi said the government agencies 

have granted them permission to 

organise the fair. 

When asked to comment on the 

attack, ANNISU-R Chairman Sarad 

Rasiali said his union had requested 

the organiser to stop publicising foreign 

academic institutions. “However, 

I have no information about the 

attack,” he said. The two-day Indian 

Education fair is kicking off on 

Thursday despite the attack. 

the incident and submit a report. 

Dalit civil society members, also 

issuing a statement, said, “We find 

this move positive and postpone all 

our protest programmes.” 

Earlier on Tuesday, Dalit civil 

society members staged a sit-in 

programme at Hanumanthan, 

accompanied by members of Social 

Democratic Party. 

DALITS ATTACKED 

Some right activists, however, 

cautioned that if the taskforce fails in 

delivering justic, the strike will 

resume. “We must ensure that such 

attacks never happen again,” said 

Rem Bahadur Bishwokarma, chairperson 

of Jagaran Media Centre. 

Consequently, civil society 

members will submit memoranda to 

the District Administration Offices 

all over the country on Wednesday, 

said Binod Pahadi, Dalit rights 

activist and former Constituent 

Assembly member. “The government 

has also assured us that it will 

soon publish guidelines, detailing 

POST REPORT 


TRAFFIC police recovered 331 stolen 

motorcycles and scooters in the past 

11 months and handed those vehicles 

to the respective owners. The 

Metropolitan Traffic Police 

Department (MTPD) says the cases of 

motorcycle theft are decreasing in the 

Kathmandu Valley. 

According to MTPD data, traffic 

received complaints about 788 stolen 

two wheelers in 11 months, a decrease 

from 1,332 in 2011-12. The data shows 

a decline of motorcycle theft by 40.84 

percent compared to last year. 

Monthly records of stolen motorcycles 

averaged 125 last year, while it has 

decreased to 65 this year. 

According to MTPD spokesperson 

Pawan Giri, the rackets involved in 

stealing the two wheelers were nabbed 

by the traffic department’s Victim 

Support Unit (VSU) and cases have 

been filed against them. “Because of 

our vigilance and identification of the 

rackets, vehicle theft has decreased,” 

said Giri. 

Following the complaints, the 

MTPD has been deploying traffic 

police personnel in civvies. 

Similarly, on Tuesday, traffic police 

have recovered 10 stolen two wheelers. 

The VSU recovered eight motorcycles 

and two scooters of popular brands 

lost in 2011-2013 and recovered with 

fake number plates. Many stolen 

motorcycles have been recovered with 

fake number plates and sold in a low 

price outside the Valley to avoid the 

risk of getting caught. 

punitive measures against administration 

chiefs and police personnel 

who refuse to register crimes 

committed against Dalits.” 

Meanwhile, Dalit sister-organisations 

of seven political parties said 

they would stage sit-in programmes 

in front of the chief district officers’ 

offices across the nation on 

Thursday. They are unveiling further 

programmes at a press meet on 

Wednesday. Apart from the government-formed 

probe team, National 

Human Rights Commission and 

Dalit civil society members have 

each sent a group to Rautahat to 

analyse the situation on ground. 

“Dalits feel apprehensive about 

their future and non-Dalits seem 

angry at the turn of events,” said 

Bishwokarma, currently in Rautahat. 

According to new reports, the 

Rautahat incident has left 65 houses 

destroyed and 200 people displaced. 

The incident occurred after some 

non-Dalits blocked a wedding 

ceremony at a local temple and the 

Dalits lodged a complaint with 

police. 

RAIN 

PAIN 

Bike theft cases ‘down’ 

POST FILE PHOTO 

The MTPD has identified 

Minbhawan, Teaching Hospital, 

Sinamangal, Baneshwor and Chabail 

as bike theft-prone areas. “Majority of 

these bikes were stolen due to the negligence 

of owners. If parked in unsafe 

areas, bikes are always at the risk of 

getting stolen.” said Giri. 

With the increasing number of 

bike theft in the Valley, the MTPD had 

deployed a ‘Special Search Force’ to 

trace lost motorcycles and bust rackets 

involved in stealing two wheelers. 

POST REPORT 


LOCAL residents of the 

Basantapur area have decided 

to resume protests against an 

agreement reached between 

the Kathmandu Metropolitan 

City (KMC) and a private body 

to merge the tourist fees collected 

separately at 

Hanumandhoka Durbar 

Square and Dharahara. 

Their protests had been 

temporarily put off three weeks 

ago after talks started with the 

KMC. However, with the series 

of meetings going pearshaped, 

the locals have decided 

to unveil a stern protest programme 

within this week. 

“Our one point demand is 

an end to the deal that allows a 

profit-oriented private company 

to take care of 

Hanumandhoka,” said a local, 

Ganapati Lal Shrestha. “KMC is 

least concerned to address our 

demand. They are adamant 

about implementing the pact 

struck under the table.” 

Chief of KMC’s 

Hanumandhoka Conservation 

Programme, Hari Kumar 

Shrestha, however, accused the 

locals of putting forth a baseless 

demand. “They don’t seem 

to be seeking a compromising 

point,” he said. “But we are trying 

to convince them. The 

Students and other pedestrians return home in the rain at Anamnagar in Kathmandu on Monday. 

POST PHOTO: PRAKASH TIMILSENA 

Water suppliers put off agitation 

POST REPORT 


AFTER a government assurance to 

bring four water boring industries 

closed about a month ago back into 

service, the agitating private water 

suppliers have put off their protest 

programmes scheduled for June 11 

and 12. They, however, have maintained 

that the planned protest to 

completely halt water supply inside 

the Kathmandu Valley from June 17 

is still on. 

Authorities on Tuesday assured 

them of issuing an approval letter 

allowing the closed industries situated 

at Gothathar in Bhaktapur district 

to resume operations. 

Hari Kandel, chairperson of 

Valley Drinking Water Tanker and 

Boring Entrepreneurs’ Association, 

said although the talks between the 

agitators and government authorities 

are going on, positive results are 

nowhere to be found so far. 

“Therefore, our earlier announced 

protests, including the halting of 

water supply from June 17, is on 

until there is any positive outcomes 

from the discussions.” 

Likewise, a report on the overall 

status of groundwater extraction 

and recharge inside the Valley was 

submitted to the Kathmandu Valley 

Water Supply Management Board 

(KVWSMB) on Tuesday. Officials 

said the report, a crucial document 

regarding the operation of private 

boring and tanker industries and 

their role in ground water deple- 

agreement is for the welfare of 

Hanumandhoka only.” 

A list of protest programmes 

locals will be launching, 

if the KMC does not 

address their demand at the 

earliest, are a mass rally, signature 

campaigns and a movement 

to dismantle the KMC’s 

unit office located on the 

Durbar Square premises. 

The agreement between 

the KMC and Sidewalkers 

Traders (P) Ltd proposes that 

tion, will be discussed on 

Wednesday. 

On June 5, organising a press 

conference, the struggle committee 

representing five private water suppliers 

had warned of stern protests 

starting June 9 against the government’s 

apathy towards their 20point 

demands. 

Valley Drinking Water Source 

and Tanker Entrepreneurs’ 

Association, Nepal Bottled Water 

Entrepreneurs’ Association, Valley 

Drinking Water Tanker and Boring 

Entrepreneurs’ Association, All 

Nepal Transport Workers 

Association and an independent 

drinking water supply have been 

protesting putting forth their 

demands since June 9. Their 

demands include resumption of the 

Basantapur locals to resume 

stir against KMC agreement 

KMC is least 

concerned to 

address our 

demand 

The government has 

assured to bring four 

closed water boring 

industries back into 

service 

the tourist fees at 

Hanumandhoka and 

Dharahara be managed completely 

under the leadership of 

the private company. 

According to the pact, it will be 

mandatory for the tourists visiting 

Hanumandhoka to go to 

Dharahara and vice versa. “The 

agreement is completely 

meaningless,” said Ganapati. 

“At a time when the KMC is 

struggling to set up proper toilets 

for tourists in the Durbar 

Square area, the tourist fee hike 

will do nothing but irritate the 

guests.” 

Locals have been claiming 

that the world heritage site 

Basantapur should not be 

handed over to a private body 

at any cost. “A foul play going 

on,” said Ganapati. “The government 

itself should take care 

of such monumental zones.” 

The agreement, which was 

slated to be implemented from 

May 1 last month, has been 

postponed indefinitely owing 

to the protest. They had also 

submitted separate memorandums 

to the Unesco Nepal 

office and UCPN (Maoist) 

Chairman Pushpa Kamal 

Dahal. 

At a programme organised 

in Basantapur last week, Dahal 

had expressed solidarity with 

the ‘righteous’ protest of the 

locals. 

POST PHOTO 

closed boring and drinking water 

supply industries, renewal of their 

licenses, formation of a monitoring 

team to inspect the quality of water 

supplied by private suppliers, systematic 

management of the existing 

water industries and implementation 

of a single-tax rate mechanism. 

About a month ago, KVWSMB 

had decided to shut down the existing 

private boring and tanker companies 

following complaints from 

consumers about the deteriorating 

groundwater storage and the poor 

management of resources. It is estimated 

that there are around 54 private 

companies in the Valley set up 

to extract groundwater and around 

700 private tankers to distribute 

around 60 Millions Litres per Day 

(MLD) of the total demand 350 

MLD to consumers. 

Similarly, as the Kathmandu 

Upatyaka Khanepani Limited 

(KUKL), the sole government 

utility responsible for supplying 

drinking water, has not been 

able to ease drinking water shortage 

in the Valley, water supplied by 

private bodies is on high demand. 

The KUKL is supplying only around 

130 MLD. 

Bagmati fest soon 

POST REPORT 


The 13th edition of Bagmati River 

Festival is going to be organised from 

June 14 to August 24 this year with 

the slogan—“Green Kathmandu, Clean 

Kathmandu”. 

The Nepal River Conservation Trust has 

been organising various programmes every 

year with an aim at creating awareness, 

towards restoration and preservation of the 

Bagmati River and promoting tourism activities 

along the river corridor, among others. 

Activities such as clean-up campaigns, 

heritage walk, cycle rally, film festival, ecochallenge 

and plantations are the main 

attractions of the festival. Conservation 

activists say that people living near Bagmati 

still throw garbage in the river 

Each fortnight, The Kathmandu Post 

invites our readers to submit 

photographs on a particular theme. 

The idea is to give you—the readers—an 

opportunity to play an active 

role in deciding our content, and to 

bring to light your unique perspective. 

Submissions, including detailed caption 

and contact address, are to be emailed 

to tkpphoto@kantipur.com.np or 

phototkp@gmail.com by 5 pm Friday, 

June 7. Photos, taken inside Nepal, 

must not be smaller than 400kb. Please 

also send your brief introduction. The 

winner will be given a six-month 

subscription of The Kathmandu Post 

and a gift hamper. 

Theme: 

SWIMMING 

Submissions may include photos of people 

moving through or across rivers, lakes, 

swimming pools etc by means of the limbs.

THE KATHMANDU POST | WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 

Unspent poll budget to be 

transferred to Peace Fund 

BHADRA SHARMA 


KEEPING in view the upcoming 

Constituent Assembly elections, 

the Election 

Commission (EC) and the Ministry of 

Finance (MoF) have planned to 

transfer unspent election budget to 

the Nepal Peace Trust Fund before 

the end of the current fiscal year. 

The understanding among the 

three key government stakeholders— 

the EC, the MoF, and the Ministry of 

Peace and Reconstruction (MoPR)— 

was reached in the context of the fast 

freezing budget allocated for election 

and the donor’s willingness to support 

the Fund once the government 

provides budget from its side. 

The government-allocated Rs 14 

billion for election-related activities—Rs 

6 billion for election and Rs 8 

billion for security purposes—will 

freeze with the end of the current fiscal 

year. The money allocated to the 

Fund can be used even after the 

expiry of the fiscal year while donors 

contributing to the NPTF have 

sought commitment fund from the 

government side before chipping in. 

“Donors are willing to contribute 

but the government should reciprocate 

their contribution,” said 

POST REPORT 

ILAM, JUNE 11 

UCPN (Maoist) Chairman 

Pushpa Kamal Dahal has 

said that his party will 

accept the government’s 

decision on threshold and 

electoral law provisions. 

Addressing a conference 

organised by the 

Revolutionary Journalists’ 

Association in Ilam on 

Tuesday, Dahal said the 

government had got the 

responsibility to settle the 

disputes of the threshold 

provision and electoral 

Dharanidhar Khatiwada, secretary at 

the MoPR. 

NPTF donors—the United States, 

Norway, Switzerland, Finland, 

European Union, Germany, 

Denmark, and the United 

Kingdom—have sought government 

money before contributing matching 

funds. 

A meeting of the stakeholders at 

the EC headquarters, attended by 

Finance Minister Shankar Koirala 

and Chief Election Commissioner 

Neel Kantha Uprety, had proposed to 

transfer 3 billion rupees to the Fund. 

“They raised the issue of 

insufficient budget at the Fund as 

committed by the government for 

receiving donor funding. The 

ministry will deposit the funds set 

aside for the election,” said Finance 

Secretary Shanta Raj Subedi. 

Besides, the EC has requested the 

MoF to initiate the process at the 

diplomatic level to receive 48 vehicles 

from the Indian government, eight 

kinds of materials including stickers 

to be used in ballot boxes and security 

seals worth Rs 129.4 million from 

Japan. Similarly, the MoF was asked 

to take initiatives to take materials 

to be used in polling stations 

worth Rs 140 million from the 

Chinese government. 

laws. He demanded that all 

the parties accept the decision 

made by the interim 

election government. 

“We will not protest the 

government’s decision 

even if it decides to keep 

the threshold provision. 

Nepali Congress and the 

CPN-UML should also 

accept the government’s 

decision on the matter,” 

CPN-Maoist warns 

against poll date 

KATHMANDU: The Mohan 

Baidya-led CPN-Maoist has 

warned the government not to 

announce the poll date without 

political understanding among 

all the parties. The party has 

threatened another conflict if 

the four major political parties 

and the government fix the poll 

date by settling the second 

ordinance on electoral laws 

without consent from the agitating 

parties. 

In a statement in the aftermath 

of a three-day politburo 

meeting on Tuesday, the party 

said a unilateral announcement 

of the election date will 

end the possibility of dialogue 

with the agitating political parties 

which, in turn, will open 

the way for unrest. “We decided 

to carry out a decisive struggle 

if the government announced 

the date,” said Khadga Bahadur 

Bishwokarma, a politburo 

member. (PR) 

Despite hefty state funding, 

the poor show continues 

BINOD GHIMIRE 


THE success rate in the School 

Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations 

dropped to an eight-year low 

this time around, raising questions 

about the government’s hefty 

investment in the education sector. 

Though the budget the government 

allocates to the sector has 

more than doubled in the last five 

years—from Rs 27 billion in 2006- 

07 to Rs 63.91 billion in 2012-13— 

the SLC results have been discouraging 

by the year. 

The SLC result is the main indicator 

to gauge the outcome of the 

investments. This year’s pass percentage 

at 41.57 is the lowest after 

38.72 in 2005. 

As the Office of the Controller 

of Examinations said 14,454 students 

cleared the exams after being 

given five grace marks each, the 

actual pass percentage this year is 

just around 38 percent. 

The slide downwards all began 

in 2009 when a record high number 

of students (68.47 percent) cleared 

the ‘iron gate’. In 2010, the success 

rate dropped to 64.95 percent, further 

shrinking to 55.95 percent in 

2011. The rate in 2012 dropped to 

47.16 percent. 

Education Ministry officials 

have attributed this slump to “strict 

measures” during the examinations 

and frequent strikes and 

SLC FROM PG 1 

A total of 14,456 students 

passed the exams after 

they were given five grace 

marks each, Examination 

Controller Khag Raj Baral 

told a press conference 

organised to publicise 

the results. 

He said 205 invigilators 

were booked during 

the 79th iteration of the 

examinations that was 

held for 11 days from 

March 13-24. He added 

YEAR APPEARED PASSED PASS % 

2006 225,032 104,654 46.51 

2007 274,210 160,802 58.64 

2008 307,078 195,689 63.73 

2009 342,632 234,602 68.47 

2010 385,221 250,220 64.95 

2011 397,833 222,568 55.95 

2012 419,049 197,641 47.16 

2013 403,936 167,935 41.57 

Education Ministry 

officials have 

attributed this 

slump to ‘strict 

measures’ during 

the examinations 

and frequent strikes 

and protests in the 

education sector 

protests in the education sector. 

However, education experts 

blame this failure on the country’s 

contemporary education system. 

“The changes in the question pattern, 

lack of teachers for technical 

subjects and inadequate budget 

have also contributed to the poor 

14,456 got through with grace marks 

that 425 students were 

expelled during the 

exams (301 expelled in 

one subject; 4 in two; 123 

in all subjects). 

This year, the OCE is 

planning to award the 

‘best exam centre’ and 62 

superintendents (one 

each from 62 districts) 

with a cash prize of Rs 

15,000 and Rs 10,000 

respectively. 

Students not satisfied 

with their marks can 

check copies of their 

answer sheets by paying 

Rs 700 per subject. 

The OCE will be 

holding supplementary 

examinations for those 

failing in any two subjects 

through August 7- 

11. Over 125,000 students 

will take the exam for the 

second time then. 

According to the 

OCE, the results can be 

viewed through SMS, 

phone calls and websites. 

One can see the results 

by typing SLC 

symbol number and 

sending it to 1400, 1600, 

5001, 5566 and 5225. 

Various websites like 

www.ekantipur.com, 

www.moe.gov.np, 

www.doe.gov.np and 

www.slc.ntc.net.gov.np 

have also put up the 

results. 

The results can also 

be accessed by dialling 

1600 through the 

PSTN/CDMA and GSM 

mobile (pre-paid/postpaid) 

of Nepal Telecom. 

‘Will accept govt’s poll decision’ 

We will not protest 

the government’s 

decision even if it 

decides to keep the 

threshold provision 

results,” Som Lal Subedi, secretary 

at the Ministry of Education, said. 

However, education experts don’t 

buy this argument. 

The drop in the SLC pass percentage 

by more than 25 percent in 

just five years is a failure of the 

entire ‘education mechanism,’ 

according to education expert Man 

Prasad Wagle. 

“The big drop in the pass percentage 

shows the education system 

is not functioning,” he said. “It 

will be too late if the government 

does not realise that the 70’s 

Education Act is not going to work 

now.” 

Wagle added that it is time to be 

serious and formulate a new education 

policy with consent from all 

stakeholders. He said around Rs 70 

billion is being spent in the academic 

sector, including Rs 7 billion 

given by different NGO’s annually, 

but the results are still poor. 

Another expert Bidhya Nath 

Koirala blamed ‘teachers’ negligence’ 

for the degrading education 

system in the country. “Teachers 

have failed to deliver as per the students’ 

needs,” he said, adding that 

the situation will not improve 

unless teachers become responsible 

in their classrooms. 

According to Subedi, the ministry 

will form an experts’ team to 

evaluate the poor performance in 

the SLC exams and will adopt its 

suggestions. 

said Dahal. Expressing his 

hope that the Constituent 

Assembly election would 

end the protracted political 

deadlock in the country, 

the Maoist chief urged the 

agitating parties to come 

on board the election 

process. He said the polls 

would take place even if 

the CPN-Maoist refused to 

participate. 

Dahal ruled out the 

possibility of unification 

with the CPN-Maoist prior 

to the election but hinted 

that his party could forge 

an electoral alliance with it. 

Defectors, other partymen join UML 

POST REPORT 


A GROUP of party deserters 

including former Central 

Committee member 

Ratneshwor Goit Yadav, 

former Maoist combatants 

and State Committee members 

from the UCPN 

(Maoist) joined the CPN- 

UML on Tuesday. 

The Maoist party’s State 

Committee members 

Romharsha Dhital and 

Lokmani Acharya, Bhagwan 

Prasad Dahal of the Newa 

State Conference Organising 

Committee, and former 

Maoist combatants Amrit 

Giri also entered the UML. 

Former UML CC member 

Yadav was assistantgeneral 

secretary of the 

Tarai Madhes Loktantrik 

Party-Nepal. He had quit the 

party over differences mainly 

with the former UML 

Politburo member Ram 

Chandra Jha. 

After Jha defected to the 

UCPN (Maoist), Yadav 

returned to the UML. Yadav 

has been projected as rival to 

Jha in the Madhes constituency. 

“If Jha has the courage to 

compete with me, he should 

contest from Dhanusha 

Constituency No 1. He will 

lose his fortified constituency 

in the upcoming 

Constituent Assembly elections,” 

Yadav challenged. 

Along with Yadav, 

TMLP-N Dhanusha District 

POST REPORT 


NEPAL Bar Association (NBA), the 

umbrella organisation of lawyers, on 

Tuesday took serious exception to the 

nomination of candidates for the appellate 

and district court judges. 

The NBA maintains that not making 

public the results of the presentations 

CPN-UML Secretary Ishwor Pokharel (left) and party President Jhala Nath Khanal 

welcome Hem Bahadur Lama and Ratneshwor Goit to the party at Balkhu in 

Kathmandu on Tuesday. POST PHOTO: BHAVESH ADHIKARI 

Committee members Jaya 

Prakash Yadav, Rampadartha 

Salaita, Rajendra Mandal, 

Satyanarayan Mandal, Hem 

Shankar Mandal and Indal 

Rawal, among others, joined 

the UML. Former Sindhuli 

District Development 

Committee Vice-chairperson 

Hem Lama was another to 

choose the UML. 

Party Chairman Jhala 

Nath Khanal welcomed them 

to the party amid a function 

at the party headquarters in 

Balkhu. 

The UML deserters said 

they would work their best 

for making the party the 

largest force after an election. 

“The UML is empowered 

with strong party organisations 

from the central to the 

local levels and a scientific 

ideology, the people’s multiparty 

democracy,” said 

Dhital. 

After some leaders from 

Madhes and Janajati backgrounds 

left the party, the 

UML has launched a nationwide 

campaign to strengthen 

its organisational base by 

inviting party deserters and 

leaders from other parties 

and encouraging well-wishers 

to involve in active party 

politics. 

“Thousands of individuals 

from other parties, main- 

conducted by the Judicial Council has 

raised questions about the criteria set 

for the judges. In a statement, the NBA 

lamented that the JC did not uphold the 

commitments made to the Bar to 

ensure 50 percent representation of private 

lawyers for both appellate and district 

court judges. 

The Bar also rued that no member 

from the Dalit community was picked. 

3 

ly the Maoist parties, are 

joining us. We are encouraged 

by their attraction to 

our party,” said UML leader 

Pradeep Gyawali. 

According to leaders, former 

party Standing 

Committee member Radha 

Krishna Mainali, leader Devi 

Ojha and a group of leaders 

from Janajati communities 

are joining the party in the 

near future. 

Party General Secretary 

Ishwor Pokharel, Secretaries 

Shankar Pokharel and 

Yubaraj Gyawali, and leaders 

Prithivi Subba Gurung and 

Dharmanath Sah are actively 

involved in the campaign. 

NBA notes dissent on judge nominations 

The lawyers’ body has expressed its 

displeasure at the JC for not ensuring 

representation of private lawyers in district 

courts. JC officials maintained that 

it could not happen since the JC Act is 

yet to be amended. The JC on Sunday 

recommended 169 names for the posts 

of appellate and district court judges. 

The NBA plans to hold a meeting with 

the JC office bearers on the matter.


Laxmi Loniya is all smiles after receiving her 

citizenship certificate in Kapilvastu on Tuesday. Her 

husband had tried to kill her two years ago by setting 

her on fire for not bringing dowry from her maternal 

home. She received treatment, including a plastic 

surgery in Kathmandu. POST PHOTO: MANOJ POUDEL 

3 girls missing in Karnali 

BAJURA: Three girls of 

Jukot VDC in Bajura 

district are reported to 

have gone missing after 

they allegedly jumped into 

the Karnali river on 

Monday evening. 

The missing persons 

have been identified as 

Amala Kandel, 17, and 

Amala Neupane, 17, both 

ninth graders and Usha 

Kandel, 16, an eighth grader. 

Police, with the help of 

local people, are searching 

for the missing girls. (PR) 

CPN-Maoist ‘donation’ letters 

evoke insurgency-era fears 

DILLIRAM KHATIWADA 

UDAYPUR, JUNE 11 

THE Mohan Baidya-led CPN- 

Maoist has sent letters to teachers, 

government employees and 

businesspersons in Udaypur demanding 

financial assistance for the party. 

The individuals receiving the 

letters have said they are afraid that 

Maoist workers could attack them 

if they did not support the party 

financially. 

“It’s People’s War all over again,” a 

teacher from Gaighat said. “The 

Maoists are extorting the public.” 

Letters sent by the CPN-Maoist call 

for financial, physical and moral 

support to the party. The recipients, 

however, are sure that the party is 

asking for money. 

“During the insurgency, we used to 

pay a part of our salary to the Maoist 

party. Who knows the party is trying to 

pull off a similar act this time as well?” 

said another worried schoolteacher. 

Tilak Katuwal, chairman of a 

teachers’ union, said the Maoist 

demand for ‘donation’ had terrorised 

them. “The teachers are worried 

if the situation is going to be like 

before when the Maoist party was 

Deuba seeks Indian help 

DEUBA FROM PG 1 

NC leader Bimalendra Nidhi, 

Acting Nepali Ambassador to 

India Tirtharaj Wagle and Deuba’s 

wife Arzoo Rana Deuba were also 

present during the meeting. 

Indian PM Singh was 

accompanied by National 

Security Advisor Shivshankar 

Menon, Foreign Secrteary 

Ranjan Mathai and Indian 

Ambassador to Nepal Jayant 

Prasad, among others. 

On Tuesday afternoon, Deuba 

addressed a seminar organised by 

Observer Research Foundation 

on ‘Upcoming Constitutional 

Assembly Elections in Nepal’ 

where he said that the UCPN 

(Maoist) is still in the process of 

transformation. 

“Though the Maoists have 

laid down their weapons and 

changed for political and personal 

gains, they are still in the 

process of transformation and 

they require time to totally reconcile 

themselves to a system of parliamentry 

democracy. 

As the largest democracy in 

the world, I request India’s support 

in encouraging the Maoists 

to adopt peaceful politics for now 

and forever,” he said. 

waging a war against the state.” 

Government workers and 

businesspersons in the district, 

meanwhile, are reluctant to speak 

about the letter lest there should be 

some bad consequences. 

Kajiman Tamang, executive 

secretary of the CPN-Maoist, said the 

party is seeking support for its struggle 

for national sovereignty. He said 

only those individuals engaged in 

dishonest activities are threatened by 

the party’s letter. 

“The party could take physical 

action against those who do not 

support us,” he warned. 

Fired teachers’ strike on 

BIMAL KHATIWADA 

CHITWAN, JUNE 11 

TEACHING-LEARNING activities at 

the Narayangadh-based Bal Kumari 

Kanya Higher Secondary School 

have been affected due to the 

protest by six contracted teachers, 

who were dismissed from their job, 

for the past one and a half months. 

The teachers accused the school 

management committee of firing 

them on the pretext of its inability to 

pay them and the diminishing number 

of students. 

“The decision is politically motivated. 

We want justice,” said Mira 

Rimal of the struggle committee. 

“We female teachers are discriminated 

against,” an agitating teacher, 

Janaki Poudel, said. 

There are a total of 63 teachers, 

excluding the six dismissed, 

employed with private resources. 

Those sacked have been identified 

as Alawati Pandit, Mira Rimal, Roja 

Dhakal, Sindhu Neupane, Janaki 

Poudel and Annu Amatya and 

librarian Kopila Shrestha. However, 

Shrestha was reinstated later. 

The agitating teachers claimed 

that the school management committee 

threatened their 

fellow teachers with transfer to a 

remote area if they support 

the agitation. 

Held ‘taking bribe’ 

KASKI: A forest ranger at the Pokhara liaison 

office of the Annapurna Conservation 

Area Project (ACAP) was caught redhanded 

while he was taking bribe. 

Section officer at the District 

Administration Office Mahendra Thapa 

and Sub-Inspector Baburam Puri arrested 

Ashok Kumar Sah from a Rambazaarbased 

restaurant on Tuesday and seized 

from him Rs 30,000 he took under the 

table. The accused had taken the money 

Man hacks wife to 

death, kids hurt 

POST REPORT 

RUKUM, JUNE 11 

A 42-YEAR-OLD man 

hacked his wife to death 

and injured three children—two 

sons and a 

daughter—at Nuwakot 

VDC-8 here on Monday 

night. 


District Police Office, 

Bhim Lal Oli murdered 

Pabitra, 42, and attacked 

the children with a 

khukuri. Bimala, 18, 

Tulsiram, 15, and Prem, 

10, sustained deep cut 

injuries in their heads 

and necks. 

Though it was not 

immediately clear why 

Oli went on the rampage, 

police said some 

family dispute may have 

led him to act in such a 

manner. 

The seriously injured 

siblings were airlifted to 

Kathmandu in a Nepal 

Army helicopter after 

primary treatment at a 

local clinic. The perpetrator 

attacked the victims 

while they were 

sleeping. 

Mentally ill 

‘raped’ 

SYANGJA: Police on 

Tuesday arrested a man 

on the charge of raping a 

mentally ill woman from 

Putalibazaar, the district 

headquarters of Syangja. 

The victim’s mother 

said Prakash Lamsal, 32, 

raped her 34-year-old 

unmarried daughter on 

Monday. Lamsal had 

reportedly raped the girl 

seven years ago as well. 

The case was settled locally, 

said the victims’ mother. 

“Now I will fight for justice 

till my death.” (PR) 

from Ram Bahadur Gurung and Shiva 

Prasad Bhandari with promises to settle a 

case of theirs. Gurung and Bhandari, residents 

of Lwangghalel and Ghalel respectively, 

were accused of felling more trees 

than what they were allowed by ACAP. 

“He agreed to take Rs 15,000 each 

from us to settle the case,” Gurung said. 

Sah, however, refused any wrongdoing. 

He claimed that Gurung and 

Bhandari tried to frame him. He said they 

called him in the restaurant for a meal 

and forcefully placed the amount in his 

pocket. (PR)

Australia PM digs in 

despite dire polls 

AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister Julia Gillard on 

Tuesday sought to play down heightened 

speculation she may be ousted by her Labor 

Party before national elections in September, 

saying she was confident of remaining in charge. 

Gillard faces a crushing defeat in the September 

14 vote and is reportedly under pressure to stand 

down in favour of former leader Kevin Rudd. 

newsdigest 

Mandela remains serious 

JOHANNESBURG: Former South 

African President Nelson Mandela 

remained in serious but stable condition 

during his fourth day in the 

hospital Tuesday for a recurring 

lung infection, while school children 

sang outside the 94-year-old 

icon’s home in hopes the former 

president would recover. 

India politician Shukla dead 

NEW DELHI: VC Shukla, a former 

Union minister and Congress veteran 

from Chhattisgarh, died on 

Tuesday in a Gurgaon hospital after 

battling injuries sustained in a 

deadly Naxal attack on a convoy of 

party leaders a fortnight ago. 

Pak’s Musharraf gets bail 

ISLAMABAD: A defense lawyer says 

a court has granted bail to 

Pakistan’s former military ruler 

Pervez Musharraf in a case involving 

his allegedly unconstitutional 

2007 decision to fire senior judges. 

Iraq attacks toll hits 70 

BAGHDAD: Insurgents attacked 

cities across Iraq on Monday with 

car bombs, suicide blasts and gun 

battles that killed more than 70 

people in unrest that has deepened 

fears of a return to civil war. (Agencies) 

High-level Korean 

talks called off 

ASSOCIATED PRESS 

SEOUL, JUNE 11 

THE Koreas’ first highlevel 

talks in years have 

been scrapped because of 

a stalemate over who will 

lead each delegation, 

South Korea said on 

Tuesday, a day before they 

were to begin. The cancellation 

is a blow to tentative 

hopes that the rivals 

were about to improve 

ties following years of rising 

hostility. 

North Korea said it 

wasn’t sending its officials 

to Seoul for the two-day 

meeting that was to begin 

on Wednesday because 

the South had changed 

the head of its delegation, 

Kim Hyung-suk, a 

spokesman for Seoul’s 

Unification Ministry, told 

reporters in a briefing. 

The ministry is in charge 

of North Korea matters. 

There had been hope 

that the talks on reviving 

two high-profile economic 

cooperation projects 

would allow the countries 

to move past a relationship 

marred by recent 

North Korean threats of 

nuclear war and South 

Korean vows of counterstrikes. 

But the collapse 

over what’s essentially a 

protocol matter is testa- 

ment to the difficulty the 

countries have in finding 

common ground. 

South Korea had originally 

wanted a ministerlevel 

meeting between 

the top officials for each 

country’s inter-Korean 

affairs agency, but 

Pyongyang wouldn’t 

commit to that. The last 

minister-level meeting 

between the Koreas 

occurred in December 

2007. 

When Seoul told 

Pyongyang on Tuesday 

that it was sending a 

lower-level official than it 

had initially proposed in 

preparatory talks, North 

Korea said it would consider 

that a “provocation,” 

Kim said. 

The cancellation of 

talks arises partly from 

misunderstandings that 

the sides have about who 

is equivalent to whom in 

power between their 

largely different political 

systems, Koh Yu-hwan, a 

North Korea scholar at 

Seoul’s Dongguk 

University, said. 

“The two sides are 

offended by each other 

now. The relations may 

again undergo a coolingoff 

period before negotiations 

for further talks 

resume,” he said. 

KATHMANDU, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 | WWW.EKANTIPUR.COM 

Japan’s first lady says 

she is ‘anti-nuclear’ 

THE wife of Japan’s pro-business Prime 

Minister Shinzo Abe does not like nuclear 

power and would rather her husband’s government 

did not try to export it, she said in a 

speech. In comments that appear to run 

against the grain of government thinking, 

Akie Abe said Japan should press on instead 

with renewables. 

People observe the Long March 2-F rocket loaded with 

Shenzhou-10 manned spacecraft carrying three Chinese 

astronauts lift off from the launch pad in the Jiuquan 

Satellite Launch Centre, Gansu province on Tuesday. 

REUTERS 

Whistleblower Snowden drops out of sight 

REUTERS 

WASHINGTON: JUNE 11 

A CONTRACTOR at the National 

Security Agency who leaked 

details of top-secret US surveillance 

programmes dropped out 

of sight in Hong Kong on 

Monday ahead of a likely push 

by the US government to have 

him sent back to the United 

States to face charges. 

Edward Snowden, 29, who 

provided the information for 

published reports last week that 

revealed the NSA’s broad monitoring 

of phone call and Internet 

data from large companies such 

as Google and Facebook, 

checked out of his Hong Kong 

hotel hours after going public in 

a video released on Sunday by 

Britain’s Guardian newspaper. 

The disclosures by Snowden 

have sent shockwaves across 

Washington, where several 

lawmakers called on Monday 

for the extradition and prosecution 

of the ex-CIA employee who 

was behind one of the most 

significant security leaks in 

US history. 

There were some signs, however, 

that Snowden’s stance 

against government surveillance 

and his defense of personal pri- 

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE 

DAMASCUS, JUNE 11 

TWIN suicide bombers 

targeted a Damascus 

police station on 

Tuesday killing at least 14 

people, as the Syrian army 

launched multiple attacks on 

rebel positions in the northern 

province of Aleppo. 

The blasts wounded more 

than 30 people, state media 

and the Syrian Observatory 

for Human Rights watchdog 

said. 

They caused widespread 

damage in the capital’s central 

Marjeh neighbourhood, 

with state television broadcasting 

images of blood and 

broken glass on the pavement 

near the scene. 

“The number of casualties 

after a twin suicide attack 

in Marjeh square has risen to 

14 dead and 31 injured,” said 

the channel, updating an earlier 

toll. 

The Observatory put the 

death toll at 15, and said one 

of the blasts “was caused by a 

suicide bomb attacker who 

blew himself up inside the 

police station.” 

“A second explosion took 

place just outside the police 

Iran’s Mohammad Reza Aref 

quits presidential race 

THE sole reformist candidate in this week’s 

Iranian presidential election, Mohammad Reza 

Aref, has dropped out of the race, his website 

says. Aref said the head of the reformist movement, 

former president Mohammad Khatami, 

had asked him to withdraw. There have been 

recent calls for Aref to quit in favour of moderate 

candidate Hassan Rowhani. 

Damascus hit by twin bombings 

Army pounds Aleppo airbase Austria to withdraw troops from Golan 

vacy was resonating with at least 

some Americans. 

Supporters flocked to 

Snowden’s aid on the Internet— 

more than 25,000 people signed 

an online petition urging Obama 

to pardon Snowden even before 

he has been charged. A separate 

effort on Facebook to raise funds 

for Snowden’s legal defense netted 

nearly $8,000 in just a 

few hours. 

UN seeks to resettle Syrian refugees 

GENEVA: The UN refugee agency says it’s in talks for the 

US, Germany and several other European countries to 

take in thousands of Syrian refugees. Agency spokesman 

Adrian Edwards says UN and government officials are 

discussing the temporary resettlement of about 10,000 of 

the 1.6 million registered refugees from Syria’s civil war. 

Edwards said on Tuesday that “resettlement is only 

one of the tools we use, and tends to apply to a very small 

number of highly vulnerable individuals of any refugee 

population,” such as those fleeing political persecution. 

He says the US and Germany traditionally offer the 

biggest such help. German Interior Minister Hans-Peter 

Friedrich said his country has agreed to take in 5,000 

Syrian refugees, but only a couple of hundred would gain 

a permanent home. (AP) 

station,” the Britain-based 

group said, without elaborating 

on the nature of that blast. 

Meanwhile, in Aleppo 

province, the army launched 

multiple attacks on rebel 

positions, including insurgent-held 

areas of the key 

Minnigh military airbase, the 

Observatory said. 

A military source said 

heavy clashes were raging at 

the base for a third day, but 

denied that any part of the 

airport was under rebel control. 

He said the fighting was 

BJP leader Advani withdraws resignation 

NEW DELHI: BJP on Tuesday reached a 

truce with sulking patriarch LK 

Advani who agreed not to press for his 

resignation from key party posts after 

RSS intervened to end the two-day 

crisis triggered by his opposition to 

Narendra Modi’s elevation. 

“Today afternoon, RSS 

sarsanghchalak (chief) Shri Mohan 

Bhagwat spoke to Shri Advani and asked him to 

respect BJP parliamentary board decision and 

not part of a broader campaign 

that the regime has 

pledged to launch to re-take 

Aleppo city, large parts of 

which are in rebel hands, and 

other parts of the province. 

But other areas of Aleppo 

were under fire, two days 

after pro-regime media said 

an army campaign in the 

province would began within 

“hours or days.” 

Regime forces shelled the 

opposition-controlled villages 

of Deir Hafer and Al- 

Bab, and hit the insurgent 

5 

stronghold of Marea with 

rockets, the Observatory said. 

There were unconfirmed 

reports of a ground-toground 

missile strike in 

northern Aleppo province, 

the Observatory added. 

The regime has pledged 

to focus its attention on 

Aleppo after winning a strategic 

victory by retaking the 

town of Qusayr, in central 

Homs province. 

The fighting has spilled 

over into Lebanon, where 

rockets fired from Syria have 

hit several border regions, 

and raised concern in neighbouring 

Israel. 

The deteriorating situation 

in the Golan Heights, a 

strategic Syrian plateau partly 

occupied by Israel, has 

prompted Austria to 

announce it would withdraw 

its troops from the UN monitoring 

force there. 

On Tuesday, Austria’s 

defence ministry said the 

withdrawal of the country’s 

378 troops stationed in the 

Golan would begin on 

Wednesday. 

Austria is seen as a cornerstone 

of the force that 

monitors the ceasefire line 

between Israel and Syria. 

continue to guide the party in national 

interest. “Shri Advani has decided to 

accept Shri Bhagwat’s advice,” said a 

statement read out by party president 

Rajnath after meeting Advani in the 

company of other leaders. 

Flanked by leaders including 

Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari, 

Singh made the announcement at 

Advani’s residence but the party veteran was 

conspicuous by his absence.(PTI)

6 

EDITORIAL 

Not about size 

Fixation on budget size shouldn’t mar 

the importance of spending it on time 

WITH the current fiscal year coming to an end next 

month, the government is still sitting on Rs 60 billion 

in unspent cash. The current Rs 404 billion budget, 

which was announced nine months into the fiscal year, is largely 

to be blamed for it. The problem of an unspent budget, however, 

is not new. Ambitious budgets, political wrangling and a 

cumbersome process to endorse and implement the budget are 

the main reasons behind this. In the fiscal year 2010-11, the government 

was unable to spend Rs 30 billion which was preceded 

by 18 billion rupees of frozen money in the year 2009-10. 

Furthermore, recent budgets have been announced well into 

the fiscal year due to a lack of political consensus. These delays 

have resulted in reduced capital expenditure and the stockpile 

of unspent cash. 

The rare occasions when the budget is announced in time, 

the cumbersome expenditure process to access and release the 

funds hinders expenditure. The Nepali fiscal year begins in 

Shrawan (July-August) and ends in Asar (June-July) the next 

year. Two months after the fiscal year begins are the Dashain 

and Tihar festivals, which push back fund disbursement by a 

month at least. Generally, funds are only released in the second 

quarter and are disbursed well into the fourth quarter. There is 

something deeply problematic with this form of budgetary 

planning. This tradition of hurried planning results in messy 

development and the postponement of budget itself as in the 

current fiscal year. 

The National Planning Commission has already fixed the 

budget ceiling at Rs 506 billion for the upcoming fiscal year. 

However, finance minister, Shankar Prasad Koirala has 

announced a 30-35 percent revenue growth target which is 

bound to increase the size of the forthcoming budget. 

This could be difficult to spend despite earmarking energy and 

infrastructural development as priority sectors. Twenty million 

rupees sanctioned for the Kali Gandaki Corridor, which lapses at 

the end of this fiscal year, could serve as a lesson. However, 

Koirala has the opportunity to set things right by declaring the 

budget in time. A delay in release of budget impedes the entire 

cycle as the dates to call for tenders and award contracts are 

pushed back. This defeats the purpose of the budget itself, 

which is to stimulate the domestic economy by creating jobs, 

income, opportunities and set the tone for economic 

growth. Thereby, the fixation on the budget size—alike previous 

governments—should not mar the greater importance of 

announcing and spending it on time. 

THE whole world is now talking 

about economic growth. The 

global financial crisis initially 

opened space to recognise that economic 

systems were unfair and dangerous 

and were working for the 

wealthy at the expense of the poor. But 

now, governments and economists 

have gone back to business as usual. 

Enormous wealth inequalities are the 

biggest issue facing our world. Nepal, 

which is plagued by inefficiency, corruption 

and political infighting, is also 

keen to get a piece of the growth pie. It 

seems that this year, political parties 

are running election campaigns 

around economic prosperity and 

growth. This might sound good during 

speeches but whether growth can be 

achieved for all and equally shared is 

doubtful. 

Is it possible for Nepal to go against 

the global trend and find a way to make 

economic growth fair, particularly for 

the poorest? Our political parties can’t 

form a government and rarely make 

policies without the influence of other 

governments, international agencies, 

banks or corporations. Our economy is 

largely dependent on external international 

forces including remittances 

sent by migrant workers, and so we 

must actively engage in global economic 

policy making and demand a 

fairer and just system. 

Currently, most Nepali labourers 

make less in an entire year than Gina 

Reinhardt, one of the world’s wealthiest 

people, makes in a single second. Six 

people in the Walmart family own more 

wealth than the annual budget of 

Bangladesh’s government. One percent 

of the world’s population owns more 

wealth than the bottom 95 percent, 

and the global financial crisis has 

increased inequality even further. 

Last Friday, a group of UN appointed 

‘eminent persons’ presented UN 

Secretary General Ban Ki-moon with a 

report that could have provided bold 

and desperately needed solutions to 

shift these perverse wealth differences. 

It could have aimed to redistribute 

some of the world’s resources to promote 

dignity for the 40 percent of the 

people who exist on less than $2 per 

day. Instead, they presented a report 

that largely reinforces existing economic 

systems. The report recommends 

12 laudable goals aspiring to 

eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, 

incorporating sustainable development, 

governance and some human 

rights. 

But what would these goals mean 

to women who are still working as 

bonded labourers in the households of 

feudal landlords as kamlaris, forced to 

tolerate all forms of abuse and give 

birth in their teenage years, stigmatised 

for being unwed mothers and thrown 

out of communities without food and 

shelter and forced to do things that 

they find degrading? 

What would these goals mean to 

indigenous communities evicted from 

their lands to make way for more 

extractive industries, eroding their 

lands for generations? What would 

these goals mean to our migrant 

domestic workers who are denied 

WHAT’S happening? Most of us 

have asked this simple question 

with complicated 

answers. The question is important 

because without knowing what’s happening, 

we would be left with no clue 

about what to do next. The question is 

especially important to those working 

for or speaking on behalf of what we call 

‘the public’, in addition to those who get 

their kicks collecting information, for 

they have to form an opinion on what is 

happening in pretty much everything 

that the newspapers reports say is happening—from 

the rise of China to the 

rise in the number of tigers in the protected 

areas along the Nepal-India border; 

and from the decrease in agriculture 

production to the mothers in 

Birgunj who killed her children because 

they were poor. 

But as influential journalist Walter 

Lippmann explains in Public Opinion, 

the world is just too complex for any one 

person to know what’s happening in it, 

regardless of what position of authority 

you occupy, the number of people you 

interact with, how many newspapers 

you read or the number of followers you 

have on Twitter. 

A timely example would be the case 

of Edward Snowden, the American 

security agent who leaked to the newspapers 

the existence of “Boundless 

Informant”, a secret programme developed 

by the US government to put 

entire humanity under surveillance, it 

seems. Clearly, the people behind 

“Boundless Informant” did not know 

what the disgruntled in one of their own 

spy agencies was up to. 

So who do normal human beings 

turn to for clues about what’s happening? 

Inside the newsroom, the natural 

Is Phulkaji evil? 

choice is the beat reporter, who has 

been diligently tracking developments 

in narrower areas like crime, education, 

agriculture, a political party, the bureaucracy, 

a certain geographical area, etc. 

But the beat reporter suffers from what 

in quantum physics is called the uncertainty 

principle, which says that the 

more accurately you try to measure one 

aspect of a thing, the greater the uncertainty 

in measuring it’s other aspect. A 

trade-off in scope and depth becomes 

inevitable. For example, the more the 

education beat reporter investigates 

why the government’s total literary campaign 

has failed, the less they will be 

able to investigate corruption in the 

textbook business. 

Outside the newsroom, the curious 

soul, especially the ‘serious’ kind, turns 

to the newspaper, i.e., the beat reporters 

and the editors, to find out what’s happening. 

Their choice is determined by 

the perceived credibility of the paper 

and its journalists, judged by the reporting 

and analysis of the things they care 

about. Based on these ‘stories’ about 

what happening in places and with people 

they will never directly come into 

contact with, the curious soul form or 

modifies, consciously or subconsciously, 

an opinion. 

Before going further, it is better to 

put all this theory in action. Here is a 

news report, in its repetitive totality, carried 

by the website of this newspaper 

and others, but produced by Nepal’s 

national news agency, the Rastriya 

Samachar Samiti (RSS). 

UCPN (M) cadres cut off water supply 

SINDHUPALCHOK, MAY 31 - 

The UCPN (Maoist) cadres have cut off 

the water supply mains to two Village 

Development Committees (VDCs) in 

Sindhupalchok district, causing inconvenience 

to the locals. 

People of Tekanpur and Tauthali 

VDCs are without water after the UCPN 

(Maoist) cadres cut off the pipes supplying 

water to the villages. They cut off the 

pipes of the Jethal Khola Drinking Water 

Project constructed 13 years ago. 

It has been learnt that the UCPN 


Pictures of reality that journalists produce can form or solidify a destructive opinion 

Rich man’s world 

wages, time off, personal space and 

subjected to harassment? And what do 

these goals mean for the obscenely rich 

who earn more in one second than 

those who have been “lifted out of 

extreme poverty” earn in an entire 

year? 

The report fails to challenge the 

world’s biggest problem: global policies 

are designed to channel the world’s 

wealth, resources and power to a tiny, 

obscenely wealthy minority. The report 

aims to eradicate extreme poverty but 

continues to measure poverty at the 

obscenely low rate of $1.25 Purchasing 

Power Parity (PPP) per day. This 

amount measures how much could be 

purchased in the US with $1.25. The 

converted PPP is Rs 56. This is not a 

poverty rate; it is a starvation rate. No 

one can live with dignity on this 

amount, which includes being able to 

afford food, water, clothing, energy, 

health, education and other services. 

Not surprisingly, there is good and 

bad in the report. For women’s rights 

movements, there is good news. A 

stand-alone gender goal was included 

as well as disaggregated indicators in 

other goals. Eliminating violence 

against women and ending child marriage 

are included as indicators and the 

(Maoist) cadres have cut off the water 

supply pipes at a place called Koimajor. 

Three thousand people of 450 households 

at 11 Wards in the two VDCs have 

been affected after the disruption of the 

water supply. 

It is said a team of 10 UCPN (Maoist) 

cadres led by one Phulkaji Shrestha of 

Tauthali VDC-9 cut off the water supply 

mains to the two VDCs on Sunday and 

Monday. RSS 

For people who are not directly in 

touch with Tauthali in Sindhupalchowk, 

let us assume that this is the only source 

of news about what happened there. 

Besides committing sins of repetition, 

the journalist has given us a very incomplete 

picture of the incident. We are told 

that Maoists cut off the water supply but 

there is no explanation why—was there 

a conflict that prompted the action? Did 

that conflict have anything do with 

Phulkaji being a Maoist party worker? To 

make any sense of the event, the reader 

is compelled to arrive at the only-plausible 

opinion: no good person would cut 

off the village water supply; the Maoist 

Phulkaji must therefore be evil. 

It is no surprise that the news report 

elicited a scathing comment from a 

angry reader, who, presumably, saw the 

event as fitting a pattern of other atrocities 

carried out by the Maoists—what’s 

happening is that the Maoists are com- 

panel has gone beyond previous commitments 

to recommend universal 

access to contraception. While these 

are significant, the report fails to fully 

recognise that women constitute the 

majority of the world’s poor, make up 

the majority of workers in the most vulnerable 

sectors—domestic workers, 

garment industry and subsistence 

farming—and suffer disproportionately 

from the climate disasters that they 

are least responsible for. Women need 

to have a genuine say over development, 

their bodies, their communities 

and global systems. 

One of the most alarming parts of 

the report is the suggestion that the 

Decent Work agenda of the 

International Labour Organisation 

(ILO) (already agreed to by governments, 

employers and trade unions) is 

aiming too high for developing countries. 

While developed countries can 

aspire to Decent Work, developing 

countries can make do with good jobs. 

Good jobs are defined glibly as “fair pay 

and security”. We’re left wondering 

what fair pay might look like. Is it simply 

more than $1.25? The panel should 

have recommended a living wage calculation. 

But rather than aspire to really 

transform the lives of workers, the 

report promotes labour force flexibility 

and productivity and ignores the fact 

that wages have effectively decreased 

while profits have risen. 

In Nepal, we know that landlessness 

is a more important measurement 

of poverty than income. But land-grabbing 

and forced evictions are increasingly 

making poor people landless. 

More than 80 million hectares of land 

have been grabbed by corporations 

and governments in the Global South, 

including Nepal, most of them in the 

mitting evil deeds. In the commentator’s 

own words: 

It is a crime committed by Maoists 

in rural areas. Their leaders say that 

they are fighting for the people while in 

action they are troubling rural as well 

as urban people who do not obey their 

age-old communist doctrine. All 

Nepalese should combine their force 

and fight Maoists in Nepal and once for 

all eradicate them from the Nepal’s 

map. 

Dirgh Koirala 

Kathmandu 

The answer to what’s happening 

leads to what to do. This is merely an 

example of how an incomplete picture 

of reality from an incompetent journalist 

can form or solidify a destructive 

opinion that calls for the eradication of 

the Maoists. There are other editors and 

journalists, some of whom the press 

calls, ‘civil society leaders,’ who do the 

same thing deliberately, only on a larger 

scale and on issues of wider concern. 

That kind of vendetta-driven journalists 

and editors are rich, with expensive 

machines at their disposal to propagate 

their thoughts. It is no surprise that they 

wield considerable influence and continue 

to manufacture pictures of reality 

that, in the name of peace, preach war 

against the Maoists. 

A recent UN report fails to challenge global policies that are designed to channel the world’s wealth and resources to a tiny, obscenely wealthy minority 

RENU RAJBHANDARI KATE LAPPIN 

Invest more, 

TALK LESS 

ANANDA KAFLE 

GYANU ADHIKARI 

FOR the past few years, we have been experiencing 

a change in the timing of precipitation. 

Instances of scarce and excessive 

rainfall have become common. There are various 

possible causes for this natural disparity, and 

most Nepali farmers have been suffering from it. 

As an agrarian country, 76 percent of the total 

population of Nepal is engaged in farming. The 

government also presents itself as having a certain 

focus on developing this sector. It has been 

drafting a long-term Agricultural Development 

Strategy with ambitious goals concerning 

improvements in farming. 

Agricultural planning by the Nepal govern- 

ment has a remarkably long history. 

Unfortunately, the concerned authorities seem to 

have hardly any success stories to show for their 

work. There has been no development in the status 

of food self-sufficiency. Not a small improvement 

in agricultural yield seems to have been 

acquired. Innumerable problems related to irrigation 

and regular supply of 

fertilizers, insecticides and 

good quality seeds have limited 

government plans and commitments to 

paper. 

While the Ministry of Agriculture 

Development has been drafting its long-term 

strategy, the issue of adulterated fertilizers has 

come out triggering a terrible dispute. Such evi- 

postplatform 

dence shows the discrepancies between the goals 

set by government agencies and the way they 

perform in practice. If they remain surrounded 

by such controversies, the goals of the decadelong 

plan will be far from being achieved. 

Climate change can have a number of significant 

influences on agricultural productivity. In 

our case, it is almost the sole 

determinant of farm yield. A 

difference in rain pattern 

affects various aspects of farming from irrigation 

to the resistivity of crop plants against invading 

insects and pests. Total dependence on rain water 

for the most fundamental purpose like irrigation 

can never uplift farming. Coping with climate 

related adversities needs careful monitoring of 

past three years. The report proposes 

measuring security of land and 

includes businesses as one of those 

that currently lack security. Including 

business as a rights holder with people 

is very telling and shows that the concern 

for land is only over profit making, 

not livelihoods or rights. 

Throughout the report, there are 

some laudable inclusions but little to 

ensure accountability of governments 

or the private sector to make change. 

The target of keeping global warming 

to less than two degrees Celsius is 

included but no targets for countries to 

cut carbon emissions. The report 

includes aspirations to reduce violence 

and increase peace but no targets to 

reduce military spending or measure 

militarism. It includes addressing tax 

evasion but doesn’t propose concrete 

ways to ensure accountability for the 

$32 trillion dollars in off-shore havens 

carefully guarded by the super rich. 

In short, the authors of the report 

failed to utilise the opportunity to provide 

a new vision of a fairer, more sustainable 

world and instead hope to 

make the existing world a little more 

palatable to the 99 percent without 

rocking the yachts of the 1 percent. We, 

as one of the world’s least developed 

countries, must demand more. We 

must make sure our voices are heard 

internationally, that we no longer 

accept being governed by the wealthy, 

simply providing cheap labour and getting 

small pockets of aid. We want no 

less than human rights. 

Rajbhandari is chair of the National Alliance of 

Women Human Rights Defenders, Nepal and 

Lappin is the regional coordinator of the Asia 

Pacific Forum on Women Law and 

Development. 

the trend through season after season, and it may 

require developing new plant varieties. 

In different parts of the world, land with 

severe disadvantages for farming has been converted 

into green land. Techniques to preserve little 

amounts of moisture and development of 

drought resistant varieties of plants have 

changed deserts into centres of crop production. 

Accomplishing such changes, however, is very 

different from delivering cheap talk on planning. 

The government should invest in irrigation, 

fertilizers, pesticides and seeds besides ensuring 

security for the investments made by peasants in 

agriculture. Otherwise, the agrarian identity of 

the country will become no more than a fancy 

topic for students of social studies.


Tamil Nadu 

A successful show begins to pall 

Can eccentric politics continue to deliver prosperity? 

IMAGINE a place run by film stars— 

vain, power-hungry, paranoid, 

adored. Imagine they had been in 

charge not for the duration of a reality 

television series but for decades in 

a territory containing 72m people 

and one of the world’s largest cities. It 

would be a disaster zone, wouldn’t it? 

Think again, and welcome to Tamil 

Nadu, one of India’s great success stories—and 

a state run by actors. It is 

the ultimate celebrity experiment. 

Tycoons and foreign bosses are 

infatuated by Gujarat, a hard-charging 

western state where the trains run 

on time. Policy wonks admire Bihar, 

an eastern badland that is getting its 

act together. But India’s most consistent 

economic performer is in its 

deep south (see chart). Tamil Nadu 

has the third-biggest GDP of any state 

and has grown faster and richer than 

most. 

It is as industrialised as Gujarat— 

Hyundai, Ford and Renault, among 

others, churn out a third of all cars 

made in India there, while the state’s 

looms dominate the national textile 

industry. It is also as socially progressive 

as famously lefty states like 

Kerala. Compared with the Indian 

average, more people can read, fewer 

babies die, and fewer folk are poor in 

Tamil Nadu. 

Those achievements sit alongside 

a political scene that makes Brazilian 

soap-operas look prim. The personality 

cults seen across India today, 

which lead some to despair, gripped 

Tamil Nadu decades ago. Power 

swings between two parties: the DMK 

and its offshoot, AIADMK. 

They have roots in a hardline 

secessionist movement in the 1930s 

that disliked north India, defied highcaste 

Brahmins and rejected the 

Hindi language (Tamil is the local 

tongue). In an election in 1967 Tamil 

Nadu became the first big state to 

boot out the dominant Congress 

Party in favour of local groups. 

Time has taken the edge off its 

politics. Tamil culture is now celebrated 

more than asserted. Few want 

to split from India any more. 

Politicians now give rhetorical support 

and not guns to fellow Tamils in 

neighbouring Sri Lanka. 

Amateur dramatics 

But as it has mellowed, the Tamil 

political scene has got seedier and sillier. 

Most bigwigs are ex-luvvies of 

some kind (see article 

). 

Parties are little 

more than fan clubs. The props of 

office include theatrical arrests of 

opponents, censorship, defamation 

suits and giveaways to voters. The 

chief minister, now in her fourth 

term, is a Brahmin starlet turned 

autocrat called Jayaram Jayalalitha, 

leader of the AIA-DMK party. She has 

Contemporary art 

THE world’s biggest art festival, the 

Venice Biennale, has never been just 

about art. In 1930 Italy’s Fascist dictator, 

Benito Mussolini, saw the 

Biennale’s potential as a propaganda 

showcase and ran it from his office. He 

regarded the event as such a success 

that four years later he took Hitler on a 

personal tour. Since the second world 

war state involvement has been more 

arm’s length. The British pavilion, for 

example, is run by the British Council 

and the State Department delegates 

responsibility for the American pavilion 

to the Peggy Guggenheim 

Collection, which is based in Venice. 

This year many of the artists selected 

to fill their national pavilions are 

again taking the pulse of their own 

nations. Ten countries are new participants, 

including Bosnia and 

Herzegovina (after a ten-year break), 

the Bahamas, Angola (which carried off 

the prize for best pavilion), Tuvalu and 

the Holy See. The Vatican has used its 

first appearance to “rebuild relations 

between art and faith”, in the words of 

Cardinal Ravasi, the telegenic prelate 

who is overseeing the project. 

Its three galleries have been turned 

over to the creation of the world, 

though anyone expecting images of the 

Almighty will be disappointed. The 

faced several corruption investigations—all 

unjustified, she insists. “In 

India the party needs a charismatic 

leader,” argues Cho Ramaswamy, a 

confidant who says he both seduced 

and murdered her on stage in his acting 

days. 

Those looking for a mainstream 

alternative will struggle. The opposition 

DMK is run by an 89-year-old 

playwright and four-times chief minister, 

M. Karunanidhi, and his son, 

Stalin. A former DMK minister in the 

central government is being prosecuted 

for a telecoms licensing scam 

in 2008. 

“Tamil Nadu is the first state in 

India that has decoupled politics 

from economic progress,” declares a 

big Indian business figure. Like many 

he argues that the state’s economic 

success is down to two factors. First, 

good genes. Tamils have traded 

across Asia for centuries. The state 

capital, Chennai, then called Madras, 

was a hub for assembling tanks and 

artillery during the second world war, 

giving it an industrial edge, says S. 

Muthiah, a historian. A knack for 

administration dates back to colonial 

times, when Madras ran south India. 

Brainy Tamil Brahmins no longer 

dominate the bureaucracy—they are 

more likely to be in Silicon Valley. But 

the civil service still works, say busi- 

The artistic solution 

high point is “a sensory journey where 

the audience is involved in a dialogue 

that encompasses a crossing of temporal 

experience”. This is Biennale-speak 

for an interactive video. In “Creation” 

by Studio Azzurro, an Italian art collective, 

the viewer can stretch out a hand 

in the manner of God on the ceiling of 

the Sistine Chapel, and touch a figure 

on a film being screened on the surrounding 

walls. The pavilion, which 

nessmen. It is probably why the public 

finances look passable. 

Second, when they weren’t checking 

their hair, the politicians did some 

good in the 1970s and 1980s. Free 

school lunches raised enrolments. 

Affirmative action in state-run higher 

education broke down caste hierarchies 

and inadvertently “created a 

new ecosystem of private colleges 

and universities,” says Lakshmi 

Narayanan of Cognizant, one of the 

many IT firms that like the state for its 

education. The work ethic, loyalty 

and trust many firms say they find in 

Tamil Nadu owes something to policies 

from decades ago that spread the 

benefits of growth. 

Some hope that all this has given 

Tamil Nadu a self-sustaining 

momentum and that its politics are 

but a side show, as relevant to 

progress as Broadway is to Wall Street. 

But decades of eccentric governance 

are catching up with Tamil Nadu. 

Graft is endemic. Infrastructure, 

with its long-term benefits, has been 

neglected—the state has been spending 

about 5% of GDP a year on it 

compared with 7-8% in India as a 

whole. Carmakers must truck new 

vehicles through Chennai at night to 

get to its cramped port. A new airport 

terminal is opening, a metro is being 

built and new ports are being read- 

also includes photographs of disintegrating 

landscapes by a Czech artist, 

Josef Koudelka, is regarded as a success 

for its dogma-lite approach. 

The Iraqi pavilion, in Venice for the 

second time only, won plaudits for 

pluck. Jonathan Watkins, its curator, 

travelled to Baghdad, Basra, Babylon 

and Kurdistan in an armoured car visiting 

more than 100 artists before selecting 

11 to take part. This is art made 

CONTENT FROM 

The main theme at the Venice Biennale is: how did the world get into such a mess? 

ied. But this is all a little late. Most 

worryingly, electricity supply is 20- 

30% less than peak demand. Small 

firms without political clout suffer 

most. 

Political neglect is hurting the 

economy. Tamil Nadu’s share of manufacturing 

investment has dropped. 

GDP growth slowed to 4.6% in the 

year to March 2013, below the Indian 

average. Ms Jayalalitha has launched 

a furious campaign to build power 

stations and attract investment. 

But her eye may also be on a bigger 

stage: national politics. Tamil parties 

ally opportunistically with 

national ones (in March the DMK 

withdrew from India’s ruling coalition 

after disagreements over policy on Sri 

Lanka). Ms Jayalalitha may ally her 

AIADMK with Narendra Modi, the 

chief minister of Gujarat, and a likely 

candidate for prime minister for the 

opposition Bharatiya Janata Party in 

the election due by 2014. She may 

even dream of a leading role herself 

in a national coalition. 

That is unlikely, but it won’t prevent 

Ms Jayalalitha trumpeting her 

state as an example to the rest of the 

country. Tamil Nadu is one of India’s 

most prosperous places. But it also 

shows how the neglect of long term 

problems can catch up with you. 

Even an actress cannot hide that. 

against all odds. There is cardboard furniture 

and a bench that looks like a 

Chinese bronze, but which has been 

created from parts of a bicycle. The 

pavilion has transformed the stately 

rooms of the Venetian mansion, Ca’ 

Dandolo, on the Grand Canal into a 

cosy hospitality suite with sofas, low 

tables piled with books, and a kitchen 

that serves mint tea. 

The euro-zone countries’ pavilions 

reflect common anxieties. Money, or 

lack of it, is a major preoccupation. In 

the Spanish pavilion Lara Almarcegui 

has placed a vast mound of rubble that 

reaches up to the ceiling; Stefanos 

Tsivopoulos in the Greek pavilion has 

created a wall of text about alternative 

currencies and a three-part film in 

which a woman makes bouquets of 

flowers out of euro notes. The 

Romanians are on such a tight budget 

that the walls in their pavilion are completely 

bare. Instead, five people use 

only their bodies to “enact” artworks 

that have featured at past Biennales. 

The Germans are not the only 

pavilion to want to stress how open 

they are to international co-operation 

and exploring cultural boundaries. But 

these concepts have special resonance 

among Germans because, as one 

attendant said, “Everyone hates us.” 

Luxury in the Arab world 

Would Sir like his 

goat wrapped? 

How the rich are different in the Middle East 

DUBAI’S rich will soon have yet 

another way to flaunt their wealth, 

when the Burj al-Arab hotel starts 

selling its guests custom-made 24carat 

gold iPads. The Middle East’s 

big spenders still do much of their 

shopping on foreign jaunts, as they 

have done since the oil money 

started flowing in the 1970s, but 

now they also have plenty of places 

back home to splash their cash. 

And the Gulf’s malls are drawing 

foreign shoppers from Russia, India 

and Africa, too. Bain & Company 

reckons that luxury spending in the 

region grew by 10% last year, to just 

over $8 billion, a bit less than half 

the amount spent in mainland 

China. 

As elsewhere, wealthy Arabs 

like to wear famous brands. But 

they are especially keen on oneupmanship 

and novelty. According 

to Patrick Chalhoub, boss of 

Chalhoub Group, a luxury retailer, 

customers increasingly know just 

what they want, and want something 

different. Selina Dixon of the 

Abu Dhabi office of 

Quintessentially, a “lifestyle management” 

company, says: “It’s like: 

‘You have a Maserati? OK, I ordered 

a Bentley four-by-four’.” For 

younger consumers, the more exot- 

Germany has swapped pavilions with 

France (a nod to the anniversary of the 

1963 Treaty of Friendship signed by 

Charles de Gaulle and Konrad 

Adenauer). But the only artist present 

who could qualify as a German is 

Romuald Karmakar, a French passport 

holder born in Wiesbaden. The others 

are China’s Ai Weiwei, Santu Mofokeng 

from South Africa and Dayanita Singh 

from India. 

The French pavilion has not 

returned the compliment. Its chosen 

artist is Anri Sala, a Franco-Albanian, 

who is showing a sophisticated but ultimately 

unmoving film about musicians 

interpreting a piece by Maurice Ravel. 

In the British pavilion Jeremy 

Deller, a Turner prize-winning conceptual 

artist, is having a rant. “We Sit 

Starving Amidst Our Gold” depicts 

William Morris, a radical Victorian 

artist and designer, as a superhero rising 

from the Venice lagoon to crush the 

yacht of Roman Abramovich, a 

London-based oligarch. Another room 

is dominated by a painting of a giant 

hen harrier carrying a Range Rover in 

its claws (pictured), an allusion to an 

incident when two hen harriers, a protected 

species, were allegedly shot 

from the royal Sandringham estate. 

Prince Harry and a friend were accused 

of being involved, but both denied any 

knowledge of the affair. Undeterred, Mr 

Deller pursues the idea in a film showing 

a Range Rover being repeatedly 

pounded by the claw of a crushing 

machine. Subtle this is not. 

By contrast, Sarah Sze, in the 

American pavilion, has looked outside 

her backyard. Her installation consists 

of worlds (globe-shaped in case you do 

ic the better, explains Ms Dixon: 

“People say: Can you get me a 

Bengali tiger for decoration [at a 

party]. Or, I need a pygmy goat as a 

present—and it has to be this 

height and colour.” 

Muslim women usually wear a 

long coat or abaya (cloak) over their 

clothes, so external accessories like 

handbags and sunglasses (and perfumes) 

are popular. In the five years 

to 2012 sales of accessories grew 

by 74%, and watches and jewellery 

by 65%, in the United Arab 

Emirates, says Euromonitor, a 

research firm. 

The conservativeness of Arab 

society also drives demand for custom-made 

entertainment. Bain 

found that worldwide the rich 

increasingly want to spend their 

money on experiences rather than 

objects. But nowhere is that more 

so than in Gulf countries, where 

places to fraternise in the evening 

are limited. So wealthy Saudis will 

pay dearly to have a famous footballer 

make a guest appearance at 

their parties, or a chef from a 

renowned restaurant give a cookery 

demonstration. In the Arab luxury 

market, then, brands like Beckham 

can be as valuable as Cartier, Gucci 

or Rolls-Royce. 

7 

not get the point) made out of everyday 

household objects such as tins of paint, 

espresso cups, lamps and napkins. The 

result is ingenious and visually compelling, 

though in an environment 

where art has to shout to gain attention 

her message about sustainable ecosystems 

goes unheard. 

The Russian pavilion drives its 

point home. Vadim Zakharov’s 

“Danae”, based on the Greek myth in 

which Zeus seduces Danae disguised 

as a golden shower, is about at least 

three of the seven deadly sins: greed, 

lust and envy. Here, a man sits on a 

high beam eating nuts, while a stream 

of golden coins rains down from a 

shower head onto the floor below. If 

you are female, and thus eligible for the 

attentions of Zeus, you are allowed to 

watch the money pouring down on 

your head from beneath a see-through 

umbrella. An attendant then requires 

you to fill a bucket with the coins to 

keep both the economy—and corruption—flowing. 

Alongside the pavilions is the main 

show. Often a disappointment, this 

year it is the highlight of the festival. 

“The Encyclopedic Palace”, curated by 

Massimiliano Gioni of the New 

Museum in New York, is about how 

people order all the information that 

bombards them. Alongside some wellknown 

names, Mr Gioni has included 

works made by self-trained artists from 

the periphery of society, such as asylum 

inmates and autistics. Shinichi 

Sawada, who barely speaks, has a 

gallery dedicated to his deeply sinister 

clay animals. His work—and the show 

as a whole—offers something different: 

art that is genuinely surprising.

8 

The most popular dog 

breed in the world 

GENTLE-NATURED, obedient, intelligent and 

full of energy, the Labrador is the most popular 

dog breed in the world. With smooth, 

short and straight fur that can be black, 

chocolate or yellow in colour, Labradors 

make for excellent family pets and reliable 

workers. They often assist police and are a 

common choice as guide dogs. 

ART BY: Kushal Shrestha, Class: 6, Nirvana Academy 


BORN TODAY 

Pakistani cricketer Javed Miandad is 56 

American actor Shiloh Strong is 35 

Chilean footballer Mauricio Isla is 25 

American actor Jason Mewes is 39 

American wrestler Mark Henry is 42 

Argentine footballer Diego Milito is 34 

Being part of a nation-wide 

SCIENCE EXHIBITION 

My companion, my advisor… 

I salute you 

As a friend, 

you gave me company. 

Suggestions to better lead my life, 

a reason, to be alive. 

As a mother, 

you sacrificed in different ways, 

and filled my life 

with joyous moments. 

But as a child, 

I never noticed the tears in your eyes, 

which were there only for me, 

for the sake of my life. 

I wish those days would come again 

so that I could give a sweet smile, 

and remove those tears from your eyes. 

I am sorry, dad. 

I can no longer be with you. 

As a daughter, 

I need to leave. 

It is all part of growing up. 

I am not leaving you, dad. 

I’m only moving to a place nearby 

where a new life, family members await. 

With all the love and honesty my heart can muster, 

“I salute you!” 

Priyanka Gautam 

Class: 9 

St Joseph’s HSB School 

THE After School Science Club 

(ASSC) at Columbus 

International School (CIS) built a 

working model of a security museum to 

submit to the Nepal Science Exhibition 

for Creativity (N-SEC). The ASSC 

received support from teachers in the 

project, and it was this invaluable guidance 

coupled with the dedication of 

team members that led our project to 

success. 

We secured a prototype of the security 

museum by applying a few simple 

elements of electricity—things 

we have leant in secondary school. It 

was not easy to achieve the desired 

effects, however. The excitement, 

enthusiasm and interest of students 

were what made the project achievable. 

Our security museum sample 

comprised of an automatic electric gate 

with a sweep machine to open sensitive 

fences along its perimeter, a human 

calculating machine to count the visitors, 

and the password-secured 

entrance door for the protection of a 

precious statue of Lord Gautam 

Buddha, along with sensors 

placed in all statues in the 

museum premises. 

It was only after 

exerting ourselves to 

the limit that we 

were able to prepare 

THE STREET BEGGAR 

There, on the street, is a man so poor 

with his arms outstretched he moves 

from one corner to the next. 

Crawling on rough streets, he says he’s hungry. 

But none of the passers-by care. 

His face hollow and full of tears, 

he’s been wearing that same outfit for years. 

Trembling like a leaf, with fierce cold he shivers, 

The hatred and the ignorance he silently bears. 

In agony he writhes every single night. 

There is no one to listen to his plight. 

“Give me some coins,” is the only request he 

makes. 

He has teary eyes, and his voice shakes. 

There, he staggers. A pitiful creature. 

Oh almighty! To you I bow and pray. 

Bestow humans with mercy, which has now faded away. 

If only I was rich, I would take away his troubles. 

After all, great is the man who first thinks of others. 

WE need food to live. Without 

food, many people in this 

world are dying. So we should 

not waste food. Farmers plant paddy, 

wheat, grain, dal, vegetables and fruits. 

They sell it to the whole-seller and 

retail market. From the market, we buy 

food and prepare it in our kitchens to 

eat. It’s really a very long and difficult 

process. So we have to respect the food 

which we get to eat after paying its 

price. Food should not be over eaten. A 

balanced diet will make us healthy and 

over-eating make us obese. Food gives 

us energy with which we can work, 

play and study hard. 

There are two kinds of food. They 

are healthy food and junk food. 

Healthy food is good for us whereas 

junk food is harmful to our health. 

Junk food is the one that is ready to eat 

(fast food) like chocolates, candy, 

chips, cheese ball, sweets, burgers and 

pastries. Healthy food is the food that 

is prepared at home like rice, dal, chapatti, 

vegetables and fresh fruits. So, to 

and complete the security museum 

model successfully and give a chance at 

a national-level competition like the N- 

SEC. 

We showcased our project in the 

exhibition for three days, from May 30- 

June 1. Our project garnered the attention 

of thousands of visitors. And they 

all hoped for a proper implementation 

of the project by the government. 

We were surprised and also delighted, 

to see the crowds hovering over and 

examining our project. We were happy 

to address their queries, and their suggestions 

were equally encouraging. 

Our club feels delighted, honoured 

and privileged to have gotten the 

opportunity to practically implement 

theoretical knowledge to highlight realworld 

possibilities. We acknowledge the 

guidance received from our project 

coordinator Mr Niraj Raj Karna. We are 

extremely thankful to the N-SEC for 

giving us space for creativity and the 

chance to share our ideas and our 

efforts with a huge mass. The experience 

has helped us develop co-operation, 

curiosity and motivation. We also 

express our gratitude to Mrs Muna 

Silwal, our respected principal. 

Rojang Sidali Magar 

SLC Appeared 

Columbus International School 

Pratik Pokharel 

SLC Appeared 

Our English Boarding School, Inaruwa, Sunsari 

FOOD TO LIVE 

become healthy, we need to avoid junk 

food as much as possible and stop visiting 

restaurants frequently. Only food 

prepared at home is good for our 

health. 

All living beings need food to survive. 

Animals like cow, goat, horse and 

other herbivores eat grass; birds eat 

grains; tiger, lion and other carnivores 

eat meat. Likewise, every animal has its 

WINNER 

Former Pakistani cricketer 

Miandad turns 56 

TOUTED as the finest batsmen of Pakistan, 

Miandad is Pakistan’s leading run scorer in 

Test Cricket with an average over 50. He 

represented Pakistan for 21 years and later, 

had several coaching spells with the national 

team. He received the President’s Pride of 

Performance Award from the government 

of Pakistan is 1986. 

ART BY: Ashaswi Shrestha, Class: 3, Premier International School 

AALLLL WWOORRKK IISS EEQQUUAALL 

MANY people who live in 

our societies help make 

our lives easier and comfortable. 

The houses we live in are built 

by masons. Our homes protect us 

from cold, sun and rain. 

The fruits and vegetables we eat 

are grown and sold by farmers. They 

also sell fresh milk which makes us 

strong and healthy. 

The shoes we wear are made by 

cobblers. Similarly, the clothes we 

wear are made by tailors. If our hair 

grows long, we go to the barber. 

Barbers trim our hair short and 

help us look smart. 

The wooden furniture we have 

in our houses is made by carpenters. 

We should know that all professions 

play very important roles in 

making our lives comfortable. All 

kinds of work are equally valuable. 

We must respect people for their 

work. 

Shefalica Thapa 

Class: 3 

I J Pioneer School 

own eating habits. Plants also need 

water, soil, air and sunlight to live. So 

food is essential for every living being. 

In most of schools, they provide 

lunches and snacks to students. It is 

possible that sometimes you don’t feel 

like eating. At those times, you should 

take a fewer amount so that you won’t 

waste it. At school, junk food must be 

prohibited so that students will 

become healthy and perform more 

efficiently. Parents at home also must 

not provide junk food to their children. 

This will make children unhealthy. 

Junk food may lower IQs’ according to 

some studies, and cause obesity, 

chronic illness, low self-esteem and 

even depression, affecting 

their performance in 

school and other 

extracurricular activities. 

Vipassana Dhakal 

Class: 3 

Rato Bangala 

School 

Notice 

SEND your original poems, essays, travelogues, 

memories, and articles to 

schoolpost@kantipur.com.np. Students 

are also requested to add their class and 

school name. The winner of the best 

submission will get a prize from 

Quixote’s Cove, consisting of books 

worth Rs 500. Winners are advised to 

email info@qcbookshop.com, and must 

show the bookshop an identification 

card in order to claim the prize.

St Xavier’s 

College is 

celebrating its 

silver jubilee 

this year, 

looking back 

on 25 years of 

service and 

commitment 

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS 

in education 

RAJANI REGMI 

THE concept of an ideal nation 

once seemed to me confined to 

the pages of books, or the rhetoric 

of politicians, until the day I entered 

St Xavier’s College, which in many ways 

is an ideal nation of sorts. After almost 

a year spent within its hallowed walls, I 

am happy to report that this isn’t merely 

an institution where certificates are 

handed out, but a platform given to 

each student that passes through its 

doors, to explore and unleash their full 

potential. 

Every day at St Xavier’s has been an 

instance of inspiration for me. Here, 

our ‘progress’ isn’t measured by how 

efficient we are in memorising pages 

and pages of text from bulky coursebooks, 

but by how we apply that text to 

our lives. Einstein had once said that 

people should strive not just to be a 

success, but to be of value—the world 

is in less need of academicians and Agraders 

than it is of ‘humans’—and that 

is the sort of attitude the college seeks 

to build in us. I believe this emphasis 

on gaining applicable and useful 

knowledge rather than mechanical rote 

learning is what sets St Xavier’s apart 

from many of its contemporaries. 

The student body here is diverse, 

but our backgrounds cease to be barriers 

once we enter those gates—instead 

they are celebrated. We are taught, after 

all, that the only way to move forward 

and prosper is together. Whether it be 

the department of English, Social 

Work, Science or Math, and regardless 

of what level you’re in, you feel part 

of a single entity; there is a sense of 

POST PHOTO: SHREEDHAR POUDEL 

belonging and pride inherent 

in being a Xaverian that every student 

will attest to. 

When St Xavier’s was first established 

in 1988, it was with the dream of 

fostering a passion for excellence and a 

commitment to producing compassionate 

citizens, and young, dynamic, 

motivated and vibrant youth with the 

capability to take the country forward. 

We learn here that it is imperative to 

ensure that our lives mean something, 

that we leave a significant legacy 

behind that changing the world for the 

better, and not just aim for material 

success. With the passing of each day, 

in St Xavier’s College, we are induced to 

go out into society and make a difference, 

to use our skills for good. 

Today, 25 years since it came to be, 

I believe the college has definitely honoured 

those founding principles, and 

will no doubt pass it on to more and 

more students in the years to come. 

The silver jubilee celebration of the 

school’s founding this year marks an 

important touchstone in the college’s 

history, a mark of 25 wonderful years of 

service and a quarter of a century of 

churning out students with life-long 

loyalties to this institution. I know I certainly 

won’t forget my time here; long 

after the blue, yellow and red ID-cards 

have gone, though we may no longer 

be rushing through those black gates to 

get to class, and class lectures might be 

history, we shall never stop being 

Xaverians, and the lessons we’ve 

learned in here will stay with us forever. 


Regmi is a BA first year 

student at St Xavier’s College 

PRABHAT Rai might only be a 

tenth-grader, but he’s already 

read over 500 books, and the 

number does not include those he’d 

read as part of his course. Prabhat is 

determined about pursuing a career in 

writing, and he’s been reading at least 

70 books annually for the past six years. 

The habit of reading was instilled in 

him a long time ago though. He recalls 

reading short story books as a child, 

and believes he was initiated into the 

magical world of books as very young 

boy. Now, at 16 years of age, Prabhat 

enjoys reading thrillers and suspense 

more than anything else, and picks up a 

novel whenever he has the time to do 

so. The Post’s Anup Ojha talks to the 

youngster about his reading habit, getting 

to know what school-goers are 

reading these days. 

What are you reading at the 

moment? 

I am reading Amish Tripathi’s 

Immortals of Meluha. The first novel in 

his Shiva trilogy, the book is set in the 

land of Meluha and begins with Shiva’s 

arrival there. It is a very interested read, 

and I can’t wait to find out what’s going 

to happen next. 

CHANDRA MANI CHAPAGAIN 

TEACHER 

How do you feel about the 

fact that the college has been 

operational for a quarter of a 

century now? 

More than just the number of years 

that it’s been functional, it’s important 

to remember the kind of influence 

our institution has had all over 

the world in that time. Our students 

have travelled far and wide and taken 

the lessons learned here to do incredible 

things. So yes, 25 years is certainly 

long, but I think our pride should 

stem more from what our alumni 

have achieved. 

Is there anything outsiders 

don’t know about the college? 

Not really. Our functioning is more or 

less transparent, and very systematic, 

in terms of plans and goals. No mystery. 

How would you define the 

atmosphere here? 

Those not prepared might find the 

college strict, even stressful. But once 

you take to our standards, and realise 

that they are in place to help you 

grow, it is a visible change from there 

on. Your mind is open and you’re willing 

to go the extra mile to make the 

best of your talents. It’s a place for one 

to test, prepare and change oneself, 

and provides everyone ample opportunities 

to enjoy freedom and responsibility. 

KHEM PRASAI 

TEACHER 

Describe for us a typical day 

at St Xavier’s. 

As soon as I enter the gates, I feel 

enthusiastic and motivated. I have a 

very healthy rapport with students, 

which makes coming to college 

exciting because we learn from each 

other. Every day is something new to 

look forward to—new ideas, viewpoints 

are received and the classrooms 

are never confined to textbook 

studies. 

What distinguishes the college 

from other places? 

Its focuses on value-based education, 

emphasises on extra curricular activities 

and there is a willingness to be 

updated on contemporary issues. 

Given that you’re still in school 

and have your studies to think 

about, how do you find the 

time to read a staggering 70 

books a year? 

How long have you been a 

teacher here? 

It’s been six years, and I’ve never 

taught at an institution of this calibre. 

I hope the college prospers further 

and continues to grow, far far beyond 

its first 25 years. 

SONAM LAMA 

STUDENT 

How do you feel about 

Xavier’s? 

Other education institutions are 

more about formality, but here, the 

administration is more interested in 

providing you an all-round environment 

conducive for your mental, psychological 

and physical growth. It’s 

less of a college and more of a home 

for me. 

How did you come to enrol 

here? 

It was initially mostly aesthetic, 

because I liked how spacious the 

buildings were, and I’d heard a lot 

about the quality of education here, 

so it didn’t take me too long to know 

that this was where I wanted to go. 

A YOUNG READER 

It is important 

for all of us to 

realise that reading 

is never a vain 

exercise. It widens 

your mind’s horizon 

and will most 

definitely help 

improve your 

language skills 

CONVERSATIONS 

FATHER AUGUSTINE THOMAS, SJ 

PRINCIPAL 

How do you feel about the fact that St Xavier’s is now celebrating 

its 25th anniversary? 

It is a positive sign of Jesuitic 

growth. We have around 3,000 

motivated and determined 

students, over 200 staff and 14 

courses. St Xavier’s silver 

jubilee celebration marks this 

continuous and consistent 

growth, and it is a day to commit 

to strive ahead. 

What kind of institution 

would you characterise 

Xavier’s as? 

I believe family is the foundation 

of an individual’s growth, 

and that is the sort of environment 

St Xavier’s provides—it is a family more than an institution. 

What’s so distinctive about the college? 

St Xavier’s College has been a centre of formation for every Xaverian, 

and here students are transformed for the service of the many who are 

in need, and I believe that this motto is what has brought us together 

in the form of a close-knit family. 

I always make it a point to finish my 

homework first, and then go on to read 

other things. Once I start a book, I don’t 

really feel like putting it down unless 

I’ve finished it. I read voraciously, and 

am often unaware of the hours that 

pass by while I’m doing so. My mother 

sometimes complains about my staying 

up and reading into the night. I do 

not intend to stay up late, it’s just that 

I’m so engrossed in whatever’s happening 

in the book that I don’t realise how 

much time has really passed. 

You say thrillers are your 

favourite genre. How did your 

love for thrillers develop? 

The first thriller I read was Dan Brown’s 

The Da Vinci Code. I was in class seven 

then. I really enjoyed the book. I feel 

like it opened my eyes to the intricacies 

that make thrillers so interesting. I 

enjoyed every aspect of the book back 

then, although there were some portions 

I couldn’t fully grasp. 

The Da Vinci Code was adapted 

into a movie some time ago. In 

fact, a lot of books are being 

made into films, even televi- 

JYOTSANA SIMHA THAKURI 

STUDENT 

How has Xavier’s changed 

you? 

I have come to value and truly understand 

the importance of unity, and 

have developed self-confidence I didn’t 

have before. I have also learned to 

work well in a team, which is essential 

in my subject. 

What will you miss about this 

place when your time is up? 

I will miss the strong bonds I’ve come 

to form with friend and teachers, and 

the simple honour of being a 

Xaverian. 

Does this silver jubilee mean 

anything to you, personally? 

Certainly, there’s a sense of pride in 

being associated with an institution 

so long-standing and with such a rich 

history. This is, after all, a celebration 

of the journey Xavier’s has taken to 

get to where it is, and I hope we see 

many other jubilees in the future. 

As told to Rajani Regmi 

sion series. What impact, in 

your opinion, does this have on 

reading? 

I guess film and television series adaptations 

introduce many people to stories 

they wouldn’t have heard otherwise. 

While some are content watching 

the movie, others might go find the 

book its based on and actually read it. I 

don’t really know what impact these 

reproductions have, but once you’ve 

gotten into the habit of reading, nothing 

can stop you from doing so. 

Reading allows you to travel to another 

world, and all this with only the text 

and your imagination. 

What do you think of the reading 

culture that exists in Nepali 

youth circles? 

I can’t really speak for the reading culture 

in Nepali youth circles, but I can 

certainly talk about the reading culture 

at my school. Most of my friends like 

reading, although not all are passionate 

about it. It is important for all of us to 

realise that reading is never a vain exercise. 

It widens your mind’s horizon and 

will most definitely help improve your 

language skills. 

9


LAUGH OUT LOUD 

EVENTOGRAPH 

TODAY’S HOROSCOPE 

ARIES (March 21-April 19) 

**** 

Get started on something new today—your energy is practically 

forcing you to try a new activity. It could be a work project, but 

you’d probably rather spend your time on a home project, if possible. 

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) 

** 

You may find that your home life is so appealing that you don’t 

want to leave the house. There’s nothing wrong with that—as 

long as you don’t make a lifelong habit of it, of course! 

GEMINI (May 21-June 21) 

* 

You can’t quite get at the root of today’s issue—probably at 

least in part because you don’t know what to think. Let all the 

possibilities percolate through your mind for another day. 

CANCER (June 22-July 22) 

**** 

Focus on personal issues—your energy is great, and you need to 

spend some of it on yourself. If nothing else, that should strengthen 

you for when others in your life turn to you in the near future. 

LEO (July 23-August 22) 

*** 

Your emotions are tightly under control today—so make sure that 

you’re not walking into any situations that require more flamboyance 

or passion. That should come back to you soon, though. 

VIRGO (August 23-September 22) 

**** 

Try not to get too tangled up in the minutiae for the day—you 

have to think of the big picture, and how best to organize all 

your people to get the best results. It’s easy for you on a day like 

today! 

LIBRA (September 23-October 22) 

**** 

Dig into life’s little pleasures today—things might not be perfectly 

stable for now, but you can at least take heart that you 

know how to enjoy the time you’ve got on earth. Show someone 

else how to do it! 

SCORPIO (October 23-November 21) 

*** 

Force yourself to loosen your grip on something or someone. 

You don’t know for sure what’s coming next, but you are pretty 

certain that you’re going to need to be flexible to cope. 

SAGITTARIUS (November 22-December 21) 

** 

You aren’t quite in sync with today’s work or chores—so try to 

shift gears, if possible. You are better off doing something that 

feels right than forcing yourself to do what’s in front of you. 

CAPRICORN (December 22-January 19) 

** 

A colleague or close friend is overreacting—but try not to tell 

them that! Give them some time to freak out, then swoop in 

tomorrow with good news, a muffin basket or something else 

just as sweet. 

AQUARIUS (January 20-February 18) 

*** 

Push yourself to walk a little more, take the stairs or do whatever 

else you can to exercise more. Starting today, you could 

begin a great new habit in no time, but only if you do it consciously. 

PISCES (February 19-March 20) 

**** 

Your emotional side is making a play for control today, so see if 

you can shake things up and show the world what’s really what. 

You can tell that this is the right way for you to go. 

Smith always marks his luggage with bright ribbons 

and tape, so that no one would mistakenly 

take his bags. He was quite surprised to see his bags 

grabbed by a well dressed man when he got to the 

luggage carousel. Smith walked over to the fellow 

and pointed out the colored ribbons tied to the handle, 

and the fluorescent tape on the sides. “I believe 

that luggage is mine. Were your bags marked like 

this?” he asked. “Actually,” the man replied, “I was 

wondering who did this to my luggage.” 

…………………………………………… 

There were two customers in a Cafe. As the waiter 

approached them, the first customer said: “I’ll have 

coffee.” The second customer, who was snooty, 

said: “Coffee for me, too. And make sure that the 

cup is clean!” The waiter returns with the coffee 

after a while and says: “Two coffees as you ordered. 

Which one of you wanted the clean cup?” 

FOOD AND DRINKS 

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 

Taste sandwiches and crepes at The Lounge 

from 11 am to 6 pm everyday. Contact: Hyatt 

Regency at 4491234. 

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 

Savor the cardamom and saffron spice, slowcooked 

kebabs and kormas at Indian restaurant 

serving Awadhi cuisine. Timings: Dinner: 

1900-2245 hrs, 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 

ie Indian, Nepali, Oriental, Italian, 

Continental etc, with different live cooking stations 

providing diners with the unique experience 

of observing their selected dishes being 

freshly 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 serving breakfast, lunch, 

dinner, specialty tea’s, coffees and pastries, contact: 

4425341 

Tibetan Gyakok for Lunch & Dinner every day at 

The Mandarin, The Everest Hotel ph: 4780100 

ext: 7811 

Daily Buffet with a complimentary glass of house 

wine at The Café, The Everest Hotel, Lunch 1200- 

1500 hrs and Dinner 1830-2230hrs. Ph: 4780100 

Special Saturday Brunch at The Café & 

Garden, The Everest Hotel 1200-1600 hrs; Ph 

4780100 

Sandwich and Crepes: Taste the sandwiches 

and crepes at The Lounge from 11:00am to 

6:00pm everyday. For further details call Hyatt 

Regency at 4491234. 

Mako’s offers traditional Japanese food served 

within a warm and stylish setting, don’t miss out 

on Mako’s special Tempuras, and also the green 

tea ice cream, Opening Time: 11: 30-14:30 & 

19:00-22:00, contact: 4479448 

Manny’s Eatery and bar introduces a special 

lunch package that is affordable, tasty, nutritious 

and quick enough to fit your lunch break, 

Jawalakhel, Shaligram complex, 5536919 

Out-of-Africa Lunch amid rural splendor: Sat 

& Sun from 1130 to 1630 hours at The Watering 

CROSSWORD 

STRIPS 

DILBERT 

PEARLS BEFORE SWINE 

GARFIELD 

Hole, Indrawati River Valley. For prior reservation 

contact: indrawatiresort@gmail.com 

The Toran, an ideal location for all day lounging 

and informal dining offers continental cuisines. 

Contact: Dwarika’s Hotel, Sales and 

Marketing—4479488. 

The Dwarika’s Thali brings you the simple yet 

sublime flavours of Nepal’s favourite dish at the 

Dwarika’s Hotel, 3 course meal just for 

Rs1300/- plus 10% service charge and 13% vat, 

per person, contact: 4479488 

Enjoy Biryani with Kebab, Western Grill Items and 

Pasta with baked dishes this weekend at The 

Café from 12:30 noon to 4:00 pm, buffet lunch for 

just Rs 1600. Call: Hyatt Regency, at 4491234 

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, buffet lunch for just Rs 

1600 excluding applicable taxes. Call: Hyatt 

Regency, at 4491234 

Smoky Charcoal and Hot Stone BBQ Dinner at 

Splash Bar and Grill, Radisson Hotel Kathmandu 

from 14th Sept onwards every Friday at Rs 

1199 from 18:30 hrs to 22:00 hrs. Contact: 

4411818 

Come and experience BBQ BRUNCH BAZAAR 

every Saturday at poolside garden from 12:00- 

2:30 pm and make your gourmet journey memorable, 

contact: 4451212 

We serve nothing but the finest Arabica coffees 

at great value prices at Barista Lavazza Coffee 

Restaurant, Lazimpat, Uttar Dhoka. Open: 

9:00 am to 9:00 pm. Contact: 

4005123/4005124 

Enjoy every Friday with a special Nepali BBQ 

at The Dwarika’s Hotel with many Live Cooking 

Stations themed on Newari Cuisines, Live music 

with bonfire & a can of Carlsberg beer, or Local 

Spirit 30 ml, or a soft drink, or a bottle of mineral 

water. Time: 7 pm till 10 pm, price: NRs 

1600/per person. Contact: 4479488 or 

sales@dwarikas.com 

Bourbon Room, Lal Durbar Marg is now open 

for lunch every day from 12 noon. Enjoy affordable 

and delicious meals from our lunch menu 

starting from Rs 99! We are currently offering 

Indian & chinese combos along with momos and 

kathi rolls. Call: 4441703 

Saturday Brunch, 10:30 am till 3:30 pm, at Park 

Village Resort, Budhanilkantha@ special introductory 

price of Rs 999/. Lucky draw—one of 

the main attraction. Contact: 4375280 

The most delightfully awesome chicken momos 

& yummy rich chocolate cake on this part of the 

planet @ Just Baked Bakery & Cafe, 

Battisputali, offering much more specialties at 

affordable price. 

MUSIC 

Enjoy snacks and drinks from 4:00 pm to 11:00 

FILMS 

SU DOKU 

pm every day and nightly live music from “The 

Corner Band” except Tuesday and Saturday from 

7:00 pm to 11:00 pm at The Corner Bar, 

Radisson Hotel. Contact: 4411818 

Live music at Jazzabell Café every Wednesday 

and Friday with great food, drink and old friends 

from 6 pm every Friday. Jazzabell Cafe, 

Jhamsikhel, Patan, contact: 2114075 

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 

LIVE Gazal with authentic Indian food for dinner 

at Far Pavilion except Tuesday, The Everest 

Hotel ph: 4780100 

Live Music 7:00-10: 30 pm by Rapsodi trio 

band except Monday & Happy hour 30 % discount 

at Bugles & Tigers, Gurkha Bar from 5 to 

7 pm, The Everest Hotel, 4780100 

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, 

abar@wlink.com.np 

Bubbly Brunch—every Saturday from 11 am to 

3 pm @ Shambala Garden & Club Sundhara 

where you can enjoy Live Shawarma & Pasta 

only @ Rs 1100 Nett per person (Includes a 

GRAFFITI WORD GAME 

AFTER EARTH 

QFX Kumari: 3:45 PM/ 6:30 PM 

QFX Civil Mall: 11:30 AM/2:00 

PM/6:45 PM 

YEH JAWAANI HAI DEEWANI 

QFX Jai Nepal: 12:00 PM/03:30 

PM/ 07:00 PM 

QFX Kumari: 12:15 PM/3:00 

PM/6:15PM 

QFX Civil Mall: 12:00 PM/02:45 

PM/03:30 PM/07:00 PM 

FAST AND FURIOUS 6 

QFX Kumari: 12:00 PM 

QFX Civil Mall: 11:345 AM/6:30 PM 

EPIC 3D 

QFX Civil Mall: 4:30 PM 

KANTIPUR TV 

glass of Sparkling Wine). Contact: Hotel 

Shangri~La, Kathmandu at 4412999 

Starry Night BBQ—every Friday Evening from 

7:00 pm at Shambala Garden Café, Hotel, 

Shangri~La only @ Rs 1299 nett per person 

and live performance by Ciney Gurung. 

Contact: 4412999 

Oriental Buffet with live Jazz music, every Friday 

evening 7 pm onwards at Earthwatch 

Restaurant at Park Village Resort @ Rs 999/per 

person, contact: 4375280 

GETAWAY 

Monsoon Madness, 2 Nights/3 Days Package 

@ Shangri~La Village Resort, Pokhara, only @ 

Rs.4999 Nett per person on twin sharing basis 

where you get back coupons worth Rs. 3000 Nett. 


Experience your holiday at Grand Norling 

Hotel, Gokarna. One night and two days at Rs 

4500 and two nights and three days at Rs 7000, 

residential package at Rs 30000 per month. 


Jungle Safari Lodge, Sauraha introduces New 

Offer of 2 Nights/ 3 Days Package at Rs 5555 

per person, for Nepalese Citizen Only. The offer 

includes elephant safari, cultural programme, 

canoeing, visit to elephant breeding centre, 2 

breakfasts, 2 Lunches, 2 dinners, accomodation 

in deluxe A/C Room, two way tourist bus 

services. Contact: Suman Ghimire @ 

RIPLEY’S BELIEVE IT OR NOT 

5:00 Shuvarambha 

5:30 Bhaktisur / Kundali 

6:30 Swami Haridas Baba 

Prabachan 

7:00 Kantipur Samachar 

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8:30 Rise N Shine 

9:00 Headline News 

9:05 Sarokar 


10:30 Kantipur Aaja 


11:05 N Cell Lucky Draw 

11:30 What The Flop 


12:30 Kantipur Tiffin Box 


1:05 Katha Prem Ka 

1:30 Aagaman 


2:30 Rise N Shine 


3:05 Sarokar 


4:30 New Entry 


5:05 Call Kantipur Reloaded 


6:30 Score Board 


7:30 Rajatpat 



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Fulbari’s Domestic Tourism Promotion 

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Experience The Last Resort, the perfect place for 

family fun adventure and relaxation. Special 

packages for residents. Contact: 4700525/ 

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Asia World Travel Pvt Ltd presents fascinating 

luxury escapades to amazing destinations: 

Prague, Ladakh, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala 

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Hotel Tibet International, Boudha -Experience 

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in our Re-opening discount for rooms & 

restaurant. Savior authentic Tibetan cum Chinese 

cuisine. Call: 4488188 or email sales@hoteltibetintl.com.np 

Experience your holiday at Kingfisher Jungle 

Resort at Meghauli, Chitwan. 1 night and 2 

days at Rs 3500 and 2 nights and 3 days at 

Rs 6000 for Elephant safari, Canoeing and 

Nature walk. Contact: Rudra Raj Dotel- 

Yesterday’s Solution 

9:30 Katha Prem Ka 




11:30 Rajatpat 

12:00 Call Kantipur Repeated 


Repeated 

1:30 Rajatpat 


Repeat 1 



Repeat 2 


4:00 Score Board 


04:00 Bhajan 

05:00 Bhakti Anusthan 

06:30 Kantipur Diary 

07:00 The Headliners 

07:30 Voice Of Nepal 


08:05 Champion Mid Week 

Music 

9849059295, 4260329 


09:10 Traffic Updates Janata 

Sanga Prahari 

09:30 Radio Talk 


10:05 Bi -Scope 


11:05 Safari Taste Buds 


12:10 Music Box 


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15:15 Sangitometry 


16:05 Kwiks Happy Hour 


17:05 Education Talk 

18:00 Subharambha Spon By 

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18:55 Khoj 

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20:05 I love It I hate It 


21:30 Out Of Track 

22:00 Himal Remit Sanchai 

Hunuhunchha 

23:00 Eleventh Hour 

Nestled in the boarder of Royal Chitwan 

National Park and medieval Tharu Village, 

Maruni Sanctuary Lodge offer special winter 

package including jungle activities 2 nights 3 

days @ Rs 9,999 per person on twin sharing 

basis. Contact: Prajina—9841792225, 

4700632 

MIND AND BODY 

Dynamic Health Group: Join free classes 

every Saturday to learn about Reiki, Yoga, 

Meditation, Quantum Science and Healthy Life 

Styles, Suryabinayak, contact: 9841393760 

Women Skill Development Resource Centre: 

Join free training for Straw Art, Sewing and 

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Meditation Session and Satsang: Benefit yourself 

with free meditation session to heal your body 

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retreats every day at Himalayan Peace & 

Wellness Centre, Park Village Hotel. Get 10% 

discount on all Ayurvedic treatments. 

Contact: 980106661, e-mail: peace@wellness.com.np, 

website: www.himalayanwellness.com.np

Clarke out of New 

Zealand match 

AUSTRALIA captain Michael Clarke 

remained sidelined from Champions 

Trophy action after he was ruled out of 

Wednesday’s match against New 

Zealand, Cricket Australia said in a 

statement on Tuesday. He had also 

missed defending champions Australia’s 

opening 48-run defeat by England at 

Edgbaston on Saturday. 

ASSOCIATED PRESS 

PARIS, JUNE 11 

RIGHT now, French Open champions 

Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams are 

as good as it gets in tennis. The next 

time we see them competing, though, at 

Wimbledon in two weeks, Nadal will be 

merely a serious contender, while Williams 

will be the unquestioned favorite. 

Both are 43-2 in 2013. He’s won 22 

matches in a row. Her winning streak is at 

31, the longest single-season run on the 

women’s tour in 13 years. 

Nadal’s Grand Slam title total now 

stands at 12, tied with Roy Emerson for the 

third most in the history of the men’s game, 

behind only Roger Federer’s 17 and Pete 

Sampras’ 14. 

Williams is up to 16 major singles trophies, 

sixth best among women, with Chris 

Evert and Martina Navratilova right above 

her on the list at 18. 

Now comes the shift from the clay of 

Roland Garros to the grass of Wimbledon, 

and that is where the similarities end. 

Williams is a five-time champion at the All 

England Club, including a year ago, and the 

way she’s playing at the moment, there is 

little reason to anticipate anyone beating 

her there this time. Nadal, despite his 

recent form, is only one of a group of men 

who can think of themselves as possible 

champions, along with Novak Djokovic, 

Andy Murrray and Federer. 

“The objective now is to celebrate 

tonight,” Toni Nadal, Rafael’s uncle and 

coach, said after his nephew won his eighth 

French Open championship. “Then we will 

see if he plays well at Wimbledon.” 

Even Nadal acknowledge that “Rafa,” as 

many call him, is not quite as superb on 

grass as he is on clay. How could he be? He 

is 59-1 in the French Open, with four titles 

in a row from 2005-08 and another four in a 

row from 2010-13, and the only man to 

claim eight titles at the same tournament. 

That said, he’s done well at Wimbledon, 

winning it in 2008 and 2010, and losing in 

the final to Federer in 2006-07 and to 

Djokovic in 2011. 

A year ago, though, Nadal exited in the 

second round against Lukas Rosol, who 

was ranked 100th at the time. That would 

be the last match Nadal played for about 

seven months because of a painful left 

knee, an absence that saw him skip the 

London Olympics, the U.S. Open and the 

Australian Open. 

He usually likes to prepare for 

Wimbledon by playing in another 

grass-court tournament during the week 

right after the French Open. But this 

time, Nadal chose not to, withdrawing from 

the field in Halle, Germany, and opting for 

rest, instead. 

“That’s not the ideal situation before a 


Suarez drops Real 

Madrid move 

LUIS Suarez has stoked up talk of a move to 

Real Madrid after admitting he wants to 

play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo. The controversial 

striker rocked Anfield last month 

after revealing he wants to leave Liverpool. 

The Uruguay forward said, ‘I would like to 

play with Ronaldo, he is a great player,’ At 

the moment it is complicated but you never 

know what might happen.” 

Wimbledon awaits Nadal,Williams next 

LOCAL ROUNDUP 

Coca-Cola Cup; a perfect platform for 

budding talents 

KATHMANDU: The Coca-Cola Cup Inter-school 

Football Tournament launched its seventh edition 

earlier this month. The event organised by 

Anfa with the partnership of Coca-Cola and the 

Ministry of Youth Affairs, provides opportunity 

to more than 10,000 boys and girls to nurture 

their talent in football. The main attraction for 

this year’s edition is: the tournament will cover 

45 districts whilst exceptional footballers will be 

selected for an ANFA Academy team and will 

train under the guidance of national coaches. 

The registrations phase has already begun from 

June 5 and will be open till July 9. “We hope this 

competition be a worthy platform for the talented 

players to come under the selection by the 

national scouts, while helping the country find 

and groom talent early,” said Shadab Khan, 

country manager of Nepal and Bhutan Coca- 

Cola company. 

National School Sports kick off 

KATHMANDU: Achyut Raj Giri of Central 

Region won gold in the boys 1,500m sprint with 

the timing of 45.3 seconds as the National 

School Sports (Junior Championship) kicked 

off at Tripureshwor on Tuesday. Sangita Khadka 

claimed gold, clocking 5.11.8 to claim in the 

girl’s same event. In 100, Sangam Shahi of 

Central Region and Sanju Choudhary of Mid- 

Western Region struck gold. Meanwhile, 

Central Region overcame Far-Western Region 

by 23-21 points to secure the girl’s kabadi title. 

HEMS makes a strong start 

KATHMANDU: HEMS made a strong start 

following their 11-9 points win over Mount 

Kailash in the Campion Cup Inter-School and 

College Three on Three Basketball Tournament 

at Gahanapokhari on Tuesday. Meanwhile, 

Rupees, KISK and Orient made sailed into the 

quarter-finals following their wins in the college 

events. Times overcoming Sudesha 20-11 

but getting defeated by Liverpool 11-13. 

The combined photo shows Serena Williams (above) of US and Rafael Nadal of 

Spain celebrating their title wins at the French Open. REUTERS 

The day I feel that I cannot 

improve, it’s going to be a 

problem for me. I’m going 

to have to really debate 

whether I should keep 

playing 

Grand Slam like Wimbledon that is on 

grass,” Nadal said. “The conditions are very 

different.” 

What he will do is head to the practice 

court, to keep on getting better, just as he’s 

done for years. 

His serve used to be a real weakness, for 

example, so Nadal and Uncle Toni studied 

ways to speed it up and add variety. 

At first, he found grass to be problematic, 

but his accomplishments at Wimbledon 

are ample proof that he figured out a way to 

overcome that, too. 

Williams expressed a similar sentiment 

after her 6-4, 6-4 victory over defending 

champion Maria Sharapova in the women’s 

final Saturday in Paris. 

Unlike Nadal, she’s had her issues with 

red clay: After winning the French Open in 

2002, it took Williams 11 years to get her 

hands on a second trophy. And unlike 

Nadal, she’s excelled more on other 

surfaces, with those five Wimbledon 

championships, plus five on hard courts at 

the Australian Open, and four on hard 

courts at the U.S. Open. 

Tough as her serve was to handle at the 

French Open these last two weeks - she hit 

10 aces against Sharapova, for example, 

including three in the last game - it should 

only be more effective on grass, where balls 

skid instead of clay’s higher bounces. 

After her own stunning early exit at a 

Grand Slam tournament last year - at 

Roland Garros, in the first round, to a 

woman ranked 111th - Williams immediately 

went about fixing things. She stuck 

around Paris to practice for Wimbledon at 

coach Patrick Mouratoglou’s tennis academy 

and has gone 74-3 since, winning three 

major titles and an Olympics gold. 

“After that she really worked on 

rebuilding herself to become perhaps 

stronger than ever,” Mouratoglou said. 

Williams insists that she is willing to 

find new areas to work on, which might not 

be comforting to other women hoping to 

knock her from No. 1. 

“The day I feel that I cannot improve, 

it’s going to be a problem for me. I’m going 

to have to really debate whether I should 

keep playing,” said Williams. 

It’s hard to top being unbeatable, which 

is what she and Nadal have been lately. 

Dhana takes one-shot lead after round 2 

POST REPORT 


DHANA Thapa took one-stroke lead 

after the second round of the 

Ghanashyam Open Golf 

Championship at the par-67 Royal 

Nepal Golf Club on Tuesday. 

He carded four-under 63 while 

Ramesh Adhikari at three-under 131 is 

second. Likewise, Ram Thapa shot twoover 

69 to drop down to third with the 

total score of one-over 135. Ram and 

Ramesh shared the lead after the first 

round. 

The Tribhuvan Army Officers Golf 

Club pro aplayed two-under 31 on the 

front nine and added two-under 32 on 

the back nine. His front nine included 

birdies on the fourth and fifth holes, 

Sreesanth 

released 

NEW DELHI: Rajasthan 

Royals cricketers S Sreesanth 

and Ankeet Chavan, accused 

in the IPL spot-fixing scandal 

were on Tuesday releasedform 

Tihar jail along with 17 

other accused. 

All of them were granted 

bail by a Delhi court on 

Monday. 

The court had also 

indicted Delhi police for 

slapping MCOCA on cricketers 

and other accused. 

Delhi Police have so 

far arrested 26 persons 

in connection with the case. 

Besides the 19 who 

were granted bail by the 

court, six others are 

now in judicial custody till 

June 18. (AFP) 

Dhana Thapa 

while he shot birdies on the 16th and 

17th holes. 

RNGC duo Yelamber Singh 

Adhikari and Nepal No 1 Shiva Ram 

Shrestha are fourth at two-over 136. 

Yelamber played even-par 67, while 

Shiva Ram carded one-under 66 in the 

second round. Three pros, Rabi Khadka 

(67) and Deepak Thapa Magar (69) 

along with Gokarna Golf Club pro 

Umesh Nagarkoti (69) are tied on sixth 

with the total score of five-over 139. 

The cut was applied at 13-over 147 

with 21 pros and six amateurs making it 

to the final two rounds. Other pros who 

survived the cut included Jaya Ram 

Shrestha, Pradeep K Lama, Surya 

Prasad Sharma, Sunil Mizar, Ram 

Krishna Shresth Mani Rai, Sachin 

Bhattarai, Dhruba KC, Bishnu KC, 

Dipendra Rayamajhi and Om Thakuri. 

In Amateur section, Tashi Tsering 

played three-over 70 for a total of fourover 

138. He is two-stroke ahead of 

Bikash Bogati and Dinesh Prajapati. 

I want to stay at 

Barca: Fabregas 

CESC Fabregas insists he will only quit 

Barcelona if they force him out of the Nou 

Camp. Fabregas, who joined the Catalans 

from Arsenal in 2011, has been linked with 

a move back to the Premier League. But 

Fabregas said: “I am very happy here and 

I plan to stay here for ever. However if 

Barca said that they didn’t want me 

here, that would be another thing.” 

GURKHA CUP PREVIEW 

GRISHMA GURUNG 


BOYS Union’s come back to 

the A Division has been 

impressive so far with the 

club making it to the semifinals 

of the Gurkha Cup. 

However, they face a stern 

test when they meet Nepal 

Army for a place in the final. 

They came a step closer 

to claiming the Gurkha Cup 

fame after a stunning 2-0 victory 

over Ranipokhari Corner 

Team in the quarter-finals on 

Monday. 

Boys Union bounced 

back from an early hiccup— 

losing their opening match 

against Himalayan Sherpa 

Club—to rack up two successive 

victories, over Jawalakhel 

Youth Club and Friends’ 

Club, to reach the last eight 

as Group D runners-up. 

Boys Union, who secured 

a place in the top flight of the 

Martyr’s Memorial League as 

the B Division League champions 

after spending two seasons 

in the lower rung, have 

established themselves as 

11 

Boys Union ready 

for stern Army test 

underdogs in the Gurkha 

Cup. 

One of the oldest clubs, 

Boys Union had tasted several 

successes at the highest 

level in the country in the 

past, including the A Division 

League title in 1975 and 

Mahendra Gold Cup a year 

later. 

And under coach Bijaya 

Maharjan, they are looking to 

match the past glory, striking 

a balance between local and 

foreign players. “Our foreign 

recruits and local players 

have gelled well which is a 

major reason behind our 

strong performance in this 

competition,” Maharjan said. 

There will not be dearth of 

support for the Tripureshwor 

outfit when play Army in the 

first semi-final match. The 

winners will meet either 

Three Star Club or Manang 

Marshyangdi, who are playing 

in the other semi-final. 

TODAY’S MATCH 

Boy’s Union Club v Nepal Army Club 

@ 15:10


Ton-up Dhawan fires 

India into CT semis 


LONDON, JUNE 11 

WORLD Cup holders 

India marched into 

the Champions 

Trophy semi-finals with an 

emphatic win over the West 

Indies on Tuesday that 

knocked arch-rivals Pakistan 

out of the race. 

A career-best five-wicket 

haul by Ravindra Jadeja and a 

second successive century 

from Shikhar Dhawan lifted 

India to an eight-wicket victory 

at the packed Oval 

ground on a grim, overcast 

day in London. 

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's 

men, backed by some 22,000 

largely Indian supporters at 

the stadium, restricted the 

West Indies to 233-9 and then 

batted fluently to surpass the 

target in 39.1 over. 

Left-hander Dhawan followed 

his 114 in the tournament 

opener against South 

Africa with an unbeaten 102, 

reaching his second one-day 

hundred with a six over third 

man off Dwayne Bravo. 

Dhawan put on 101 for 

the first wicket with Rohit 

Sharma (52) and an unbroken 

109 for the third with 

Dinesh Karthik, who made 51 


BIRMINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM, JUNE 11 

CHRIS Morris took two wickets on his one-day 

international debut and Ryan McLaren a 

career-best four for 19 as South Africa 

returned to winning ways in the Champions 

Trophy with a 67-run success over Pakistan at 

Edgbaston on Monday. 

Pakistan, set 235 to win, finished on 167 all 

SUMMARY 

India 236/2 (Dhawan 102*, 

Karthik 51*, Rohit 52) beat West 

Indies 233/9 (Charles 60, 

Sammy 56*, Jadeja 5-36) 

by 8 wickets 

not out and smashed the 

winning boundary off Keiron 

Pollard. 

India's second successive 

win in group B ensured them 

a place in the last four even 

before their last league match 

against winless Pakistan in 

Birmingham on Saturday. 

The West Indies and 

South Africa, who both beat 

Pakistan, clash in Cardiff on 

Friday to determine the second 

semi-finalist from the 

group. 

Left-arm spinner Jadeja, 

who finished with 5-36, set 

up the win with three wickets 

for five runs to reduce the 

Windies from 103-1 to 109-4 

after India won the toss and 

elected to field. 

Johnson Charles 

smashed 60 off 55 balls, but it 

was a brilliant unbeaten 56 

from 35 balls by former captain 

Darren Sammy towards 

the end that boosted the 

total. Sammy plundered five 

boundaries and four sixes to 

lift his side from 182-9, making 

all the 35 runs from the 

last two overs as last man 

Kemar Roach watched from 

the non-striker's end without 

scoring. 

India won the initial battle 

by getting rid of danger 

man Chris Gayle in the fifth 

over, caught at slip off 

Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, after 

he had scored 21 of the first 

25 runs. Charles brought up 

his team's 100 in the 19th 

over by lofting Ravichandran 

Aswin for a six, but fell six 

balls later when he was legbefore 

to Jadeja. 

Jadeja won a leg-before 

decision from the television 

umpire to remove Marlon 

Samuels and then had 

Ramnaresh Sarwan caught 

down the leg-side by Dhoni 

as the West Indies slipped 

from 103-1 to 109-4. 

Left-hander Darren Bravo 

scored a watchful 35 off 83 

balls when he attempted to 

loft Ashwin, missed the line 

and was stumped by Dhoni 

to make the West Indies 140- 

5. Pollard, kept scoreless for 

the first 10 balls, opened with 

two consecutive sixes off 

Ashwin before holing out in 

the deep off Ishant Sharma 

after making 22. 

South Africa maintain hopes alive with 67-run win over Pakistan 

out as South Africa made light of the absence 

of premier fast bowlers Dale Steyn and Morne 

Morkel in winning with five overs to spare. 

Man-of-the-match Hashim Amla made 81 

-- after being dropped before he reached double 

figures -- and that was the cornerstone of 

South Africa's 234 for nine, a total the Proteas 

had no trouble in defending. 

McLaren's return, which included a spell 

of four for five in 11 balls, saw him enjoy fresh 

India's Shikhar Dhawan hits for a 

four during their ICC Champions 

Trophy match against the West 

Indies at The Oval cricket ground in 

London on Tuesday. REUTERS 

success at an Edgbaston ground he'd once 

helped look after while with Warwickshire 2nd 

XI. In 2007, the seamer took a hat-trick at 

Edgbaston for Kent as they won English county 

cricket's Twenty20 Cup. 

Both Pakistan and South Africa needed to 

win this day/night fixture after losing their 

opening Group B matches to the West Indies 

and India respectively. But defeat left 

Pakistan's hopes of a semi-final spot hanging 

by a thread. 

The match was always set to hinge on 

whether Pakistan, bowled out for just 170 by 

the West Indies, could make a winning score 

against a South Africa Pakistan's chase stalled 

from the outset when Morris produced a newball 

burst of two wickets for 10 runs in 19 balls. 

The 26-year-old Highveld Lions seamer, 

struck with his fifth ball when he knocked over 

left-hander Imran Farhat's off stump. 

COMMENTARY 

Mixed results for 

NSC boss Lama 

KRISHNA DANGI 


MENDING fractured sports associations was on 

top of Yubaraj Lama’s agendas when he took the 

helm of the National Sports Council as the member 

secretary. He had made some headway towards 

that, merging the two swimming associations. 

However, Lama who completed two of 

his four-year tenure on Tuesday confessed he 

still has not made any headway towards resolving 

the long-running dispute at the country’s Olympic 

committee. 

“Despite my best efforts the two feuding committees 

are still far from finding a common 

ground,” said Lama, a former karate player. 

Lama, who had established himself as a successful 

filmmaker, was entrusted to look after the 

country’s apex sport body by the UCPN Maoist 

leadership two years ago. 

A section of the sports fraternity at the time 

had reservation over his appointment, dismissing 

him as unqualified person with his filmmaking 

background, while the other welcomed his 

appointment as a ‘progressive’ move. 

However, Lama waded through a string of 

problems since to prove his credentials as a man 

with a vision. “My predecessors did not strive in 

changing the face of the sporting scene but I have 

toiled hard to turn things around and have been 

successful since,” he said. 

His major achievements include the successful 

organisation of the Sixth National Games in 

Dhangadi and Mahendranagar, infrastructure 

developments, checking on players’ disappearance 

while participating in major international 

events by establishing a ‘visa desk,’ underscoring 

the importance of sports education by advocating 

the establishment of Sports University and increment 

of budget in the sports. 

But he also faced charges of misappropriation 

of funds, making the council a recruitment 

centre for cadres affiliated to the UCPN Maoist, 

among others. 

The failure to bring the long-running dispute 

between two factions—one headed by Dhurba 

Bahadur Pradhan and other led by Rukma 

Shamsher Rana—for the control over the Olympic 

committee. 

Lama’s tenacity and foreign networks as a sport 

administrator will be tested in the coming days as 

he tries to secure funds from India and China 

for the construction of two cricket stadiums in 

Mulpani, to renovate the Dasharath stadium and 

establish a sports university. 

Published and Printed by Kantipur Publications Pvt. Ltd. Kantipur Complex, Subidhanagar, Kathmandu, Nepal, Phone: 4480100, Fax: 977-1-4466320, e-mail: kpost@kantipur.com.np, Regd. No. 32/048/049, Chairman & Managing Director : Kailash Sirohiya, Director : Swastika Sirohiya, Editor-in-Chief : Akhilesh Upadhyay

Inside 

CROSS CURRENCY 

USD EUR JPY GBP CHF CAD AUD INR NR 

NR 93.7900 124.6500 9.6200 1.4450 100.8500 91.7600 87.7600 1.6015 

INR 58.39 77.2908 0.6023 90.703 62.8458 57.0661 54.5596 0.6244 

AUD 1.0688 1.4158 0.011 1.6657 1.1493 1.045 0.0183 0.0114 

CAD 1.0232 1.3554 0.0105 1.5896 1.0998 0.9569 0.0175 0.0109 

CHF 0.9296 1.231 0.0096 1.445 0.9093 0.8701 0.0159 0.0099 

GBP 0.6438 0.8519 0.0066 0.6920 0.6291 0.6003 0.0110 0.6920 

JPY 97.22 128.564 151.5152 104.1667 95.2381 90.9091 1.6603 0.1040 

EUR 0.7552 0.0078 1.1738 0.8123 0.7378 0.7063 0.0129 0.0080 

USD 1.3242 0.0103 1.5533 1.0757 0.9773 0.9356 0.0171 0.0107 

HOW TO READ THE TABLE 

The chart shows the rates of nine world currencies. Move across the table to find rates of exchange between any two currencies. 

One unit of the currency mentioned vertically is worth that amount in the currency mentioned horizontally. 

Taxi fares to go up to 

Rs 37 per km 

The Department of Transport Management has proposed 

to the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and 

Transport to increase the taxi fare by Rs 5 per km to 

Rs 37 per km. Pg: II 

Google Nexus 4 phone 

planned for July launch 

CG Impex, the sole authorised distributor of LG 

mobiles in Nepal, is all set to unveil the Google Nexus 

4 mobile phone by the second week of July. Pg: IV 

POST REPORT 


THE first 10 months of the current 

fiscal year has seen a significant 

growth in registration 

of new vehicles. The number of vehicles 

registered over the period has 

surpassed the figure achieved in the 

entire last fiscal year 2011-12. 

Import/sales trend indicates 

annual vehicle registration this year 

could break previous records. Annual 

vehicle registration had hit record 

high of 201,787 units in 2009-10. 

In the review period, 174,485 

units of new vehicles entered the 

market—17,448 units per month on 

an average. In the whole last fiscal 

year, 170,084 automobiles were registered, 

according to the Department 

of Transport Management. 

The department said easy bank 

financing facility at cheaper interest 

rates contributed to the increased 

vehicle imports. 

In the two wheeler segment, a 

total of 147,783 units of motorbikes 

were registered in the review 

period. The figure was at 145,135 

units in the last fiscal year. The 

department said, around 90 percent 

of the vehicles being registered annually 

are two-wheelers. 

Department officials said registration 

of vehicles is in increasing 

trend in all segments, with the growth 

rate remaining high in bus, heavy 

equipment and pick-up van categories. 

“Registration this year is projected 

to set a new record,” said 

Moham Bhattarai, mechanical engineer 

at the department. 

After the government increased 

FOREX 

U.S. Dollar 93.79 

Euro 124.65 

Pound Sterling 145.86 

Swiss Franc 100.85 

Australian Dollar 87.76 

Canadian Dollar 91.76 

Singapore Dollar 74.51 

Japanese Yen 9.62 

Chinese Yuan 15.29 

Saudi Arab Riyal 25.01 

Qatari Riyal 25.76 

Thai Bhat 3.03 

UAE Dihram 25.54 

Malaysian Ringit 29.79 

South Korean Won 8.27 

Exchange rates fixed by Nepal Rastra Bank 

Rupee dips further; 

at 93.79 per dollar 

POST REPORT 


THE Nepali rupee sank to 

an all-time low with the 

central bank fixing the 

exchange rate for Wednesday at 

Rs 93.79 per US$ 1. The rupee 

has been in a continuous slide 

along with the Indian rupee 

with which it is pegged. 

According to the Indian media, 

the IC hit record lows due to 

heavy capital outflows amid a 

high current account deficit in 

the Indian economy. 

Meanwhile, as per the 

records of Nepal Rastra Bank 

(NRB), the Nepali rupee has 

been devalued by 3.5 percent in 

the last 11 days. The exchange 

rate was Rs 90.60 per US$ 1 on 

June 1. NRB spokesman 

Bhaskar Mani Gyawali said the 

gap between demand and 

supply of the US dollar seen in 

the Indian economy had 

affected the exchange rate 

there. “As a result, the Nepali 

currency has been affected 

adversely,” he added. 

The depreciation of the currency 

has multiple effects on 

the economy, according to 

experts. The appreciation of the 

greenback is expected to raise 

the government’s cost of debt 

servicing. Similarly, a stronger 

dollar is also expected to 

increase the cost of large projects, 

a majority of which 

depend on imported goods. 

The depreciation of domestic 

currency could also raise the 

inflation rate in the long run as 

third country imports will be 

dearer. 

Ashok Rana, chief executive 

officer of Himalayan Bank, said 

the impact of a soaring dollar is 

yet to be seen in the banking 

sector. “Although the immediate 

impact is seen to be negligi- 

Vehicle registration projected 

to break record this year 

excise duty, auto sales had dropped 

to 163,640 units in 2011-12. Sales, 

however, gradually rebounded from 

the last fiscal year. 

Automobile dealers also attributed 

the growth in registration to 

easy financing facility and increased 

buying capacity of customers due to 

remittance inflow. 

Nepal Auto Mobile Dealers’ 

Association (NADA) said the interest 

rate on auto loans, which used to be 

 

Page IV Sony on Monday provided the world the first look at its new PlayStation 4 console, promising 

to combine its film, music, television and game strengths in a powerhouse home entertainment box. 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013 | ekantipur.com 

Gold price up 

Rs 850 per tola 

KATHMANDU: Gold 

prices have surged 

along with the US dollar 

in the domestic market. 


Federation of Nepal 

Gold and Silver Dealers’ 

A s s o c i a t i o n s 

(FeNegosida), the yellow 

metal jumped Rs 850 

per tola to Rs 53,000 on 

Tuesday. 

Similarly, the federation 

has set the price of 

silver at Rs 875 per tola, 

up Rs 20. FeNegosida’s 

general secretary Manik 

Ratna Shakya said the 

increase in import 

prices due to the depreciation 

of the Nepali 

rupee pushed up bullion 

prices. 

ble in the foreign exchange 

market, it will be obvious in the 

days to come,” added Rana. 

Rana said that the real 

impact of the current depreciation 

would be greater on the 

economy as the general people 

and traders would have to pay a 

higher exchange rate than that 

fixed by the central bank. 

According to him, banks’ selling 

rate has been fixed at Rs 93.90 

per US$ 1 on average due to 

their commission. 

Meanwhile, experts are 

hopeful of attaining stability in 

the forex market shortly. Gyawali 

considers the rise of the dollar 

as a temporary phenomenon. 

“The trade-off between 

demand and supply amid a 

fluctuating dollar will bring the 

market to stability,” he said. 

VEHICLE REGISTRATION 

Year Total Registration Motorcycle Car/Jeep/Van 

2008-09 102,570 83,334 6,857 

2009-10 201,787 168,707 12,268 

2010-11 163,640 138,907 8,510 

2011-12 170,084 145,135 8,711 

2012-13 (First 10 months) 174,485 147,783 7,988 

Source: The Department of Transport Management 

In the first 10 

months of this fiscal 

year, 174,485 units 

of new vehicles 

entered the market 

at around 18 percent, has now come 

down to 10-12 percent. “The market 

has comparatively improved and has 

come out of the crisis felt two years 

ago,” said Shekhar Golchha, vice 

president of NADA. He added presentation 

of a full-fledged budget for the 

next fiscal year could further boost 

the market. 

Dealers are hoping the demand 

for automobiles will increase further 

in the final month of the fiscal 

year, with the transport department 

proposing a hike in taxes including, 

registration charge, vehicle tax, 

licence issuance fee and road maintenance 

tax, in the budget for the 

next fiscal year. 

“We have proposed a certain percent 

hike in the taxes,” said Sarad 

Adhikari, director at the department. 

He said there has not been any 

change in tax structure for the last 

three years. 

However, NADA is against the 

proposed hike in taxes. It had recently 

suggested the government cut 

down tax rates as vehicles are expensive. 

It had also drawn the government’s 

attention to reduce the customs 

duty to zero for the country 

being a member of the World Trade 

Organisation. 

Agri Min to set minimum 

support price of paddy 

POST REPORT 


THE Ministry of Agriculture 

Development has revived plans 

to introduce the minimum support 

price (MSP) of paddy following 

repeated failures to implement it. The 

MSP is normally announced during the 

planting season or a month before harvest 

time to ensure that farmers get reasonable 

prices for their produce. 

Agriculture Ministry spokesperson 

Prabhakar Pathak said they had forwarded 

the proposal to the Ministry of 

Commerce and Supplies for necessary 

assessment. If implemented, Nepal Food 

Corporation will be assigned to procure 

the required amount of paddy to 

announce its minimum farm gate price. 

“We have received the proposal. 

However, it is not clear how much 

paddy needs to be procured for the purpose,” 

said Commerce Ministry spokesperson 

Deepak Subedi. “We have sent 

the proposal back to the Agriculture 

Ministry to clarify the amount of paddy 

the government needs in its stocks.” 

After the Agriculture Ministry determines 

the amount, the proposal will be 

sent to the Finance Ministry so that it 

can arrange the funds to procure stocks. 

If implemented, Nepal 

Food Corporation will 

be assigned to procure 

the required amount of 

paddy to announce its 

minimum farm gate price 

“We will then dispatch the proposal to 

the Cabinet,” said Subedi. 

Officials at the Agriculture Ministry 

said the Finance Ministry had refused to 

allocate money for the MSP at different 

times. “This time too the scheme does 

not look like being implemented,” said 

an Agriculture Ministry official. 

Normally, the MSP is a scheme that 

assures reasonable prices for farmers. 

For instance, if the government fixes the 

MSP of paddy, it has to buy it from farmers 

at that price even if the market price 

is lower. However, if the market price is 

higher than the MSP, the government 

will have little to do. 

Last year, the government had 

announced that it would fix the 

minimum price following complaints 

that middlemen were determining 

the market rate. 

“The scheme helps the government 

to intervene in the market and 

reduce the role of middlemen who 

normally determine prices,” said Tek 

Prasad Luitel, senior agro economist 

at the Agriculture Ministry. “As the 

scheme involves a lot of money 

and adequate warehouses to stores 

stocks, the Finance Ministry has 

backtracked several times.” 

Experts said farmers expect the government 

to come out with the minimum 

support price for their crops as 

they are often cheated by traders. 

Moreover, the scheme could be important 

for farmers as they can decide what 

crop to grow depending on prices. 

The government has moved to fix 

the MSP of paddy for the first time in 

almost one and half decades. It used to 

fix the MSP of paddy until 1996-97 but 

abandoned the practice due to inadequate 

infrastructure. The fixing of the 

MSP is in line with the recommendations 

and directives of the then prime 

minister Baburam Bhattarai. According 

to the Agriculture Ministry, Nepal will 

face a rice deficit of 900,000 tonnes this 

year despite a projected surplus in the 

total food grain reserves. The country’s 

paddy output fell 11.3 percent to 5.07 

million tonnes this year.

II 


Taxi fares to go up to Rs 37 per km 

POST REPORT 


TAXI passengers will have to open 

their wallets wider as the government 

has planned to hike fares to 

keep pace with rising costs. 

The Department of Transport 

Management has proposed to the 

Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and 

Transport to increase the taxi fare by 

Rs 5 per km to Rs 37 per km. The new 

fare represents a 15.62 percent rise. 

The Physical Infrastructure Ministry is 

likely to okay the new tariff in the next two 

weeks. The department stated that it had to 

increase the fare as it has not been revised 

in almost five years. The proposed hike is 

based on components including the consumer 

price index, growing maintenance 

expenses and staff salary, it added. 

“We asked the government to increase 

the taxi fare last week,” said Sarad Adhikari, 

technical director of the Transport 

Department. He added that taxi operators 

had long been demanding that the fare be 

increased, but it had not been able to do so 


PARIS, JUNE 11 

GLOBAL demand for aircraft in the 

next 20 years will be even stronger 

than estimated so far, pulled by 

demand in the Asia-Pacific region and from 

low-cost carriers, US manufacturer Boeing 

said on Tuesday. 

Air traffic is rising at an explosive rate, 

with the number of passengers carried per 

year to double over the two decades, 

Boeing estimated. Boeing raised its estimate 

of global demand by 3.8 percent to 

35,280 aircraft, and in value by 7.0 percent 

to $4,800 billion (3,600 billion euros). 

These increases were from estimates 

made last July, said the vice president for 

marketing of Boeing Commercial 

Airplanes, Randy Tinseth. 

Boeing and European aircraft manufacturer 

Airbus compete strongly for most 

of the existing market for airliners, but they 

face increasingly strong competition in 

years ahead from growing manufacturers 

in emerging economies. 

because it wanted to carry out a study first. 

A three-member committee formed 

under the coordination of director of the 

department Sarad Adhikari had carried out 

the survey taking into account inflation, 

fuel prices and wages. Besides a hike of 

Rs 5 per km, the department had also proposed 

increasing the flag down rate from Rs 

10 to Rs 14. “The new fare is likely to be 

approved within 15 days,” said a senior offi- 

NEA unions to cut off power 

supply to Regmi residence 

POST REPORT 


AGITATING employees’ unions of the Nepal 

Electricity Authority (NEA) on Tuesday said 

they will cut off electricity supply to official 

the residence of Interim Election 

Government Chairman Khil Raj Regmi at 

Baluwatar on Friday for two hours. 

Announcing their third phase of protest 

programmes on Tuesday, the unions said 

they will continue their protest until the 

government rolls back the decision of 

upgrading the Upper Trishuli 3A hydropower 

project. 

Nepal National Employees Association 

(NNEA), NEA Employees Council, NEA 

Employees Association and NEA 

Employees Unions have been protesting 

against the NEA board’s decision to 

upgrade the project’s capacity to 90 MW 

from the existing 60 MW. 

The trade unions have been disconnecting 

power supply to ministers’ quarters 

at Pulchowk for last three days. “We have 

also decided to increase the blackout hours 

at minister’s residence by two more hours a 

day from Tuesday,” said NEA Employees’ 

Union Chairman Ram Prasad Rimal. 

The protest has completely paralysed 

the NEA central office at Ratnapark since 

June 2, while NEA offices across the country 

have been partially affected. 

Meanwhile, a dialogue between the 

trade union leaders and the NEA board on 

Tuesday ended inconclusively. However, 

Energy Minister Umakant Jha promised to 

consider the unions’ demand “seriously”, 

according to the union leaders and NEA 

board members taking part at the meeting. 

“After we did not back off, the minister 

finally said he would take our demand seriously,” 

said Rimal. “The minister, however, 

did not tell us what he meant by ‘seriously’.” 

Bank of Japan (BoJ) Governor Haruhiko Kuroda during a news conference after a two-day policy 

board meeting in Tokyo on Tuesday. Tokyo stocks ended 1.45 percent lower on June 11 after the 

BoJ delayed expanding April's huge stimulus scheme after the meeting. AFP/RSS 

Airbus estimated in its last forecast 

in September that from 2012-2031, 

demand for new airliners would 

total 28,200 and that this market would 

be worth $4,000 billion. 

Boeing, publishing its market estimates 

before the Paris Air Show opens on 

Monday, said that from 2013-2032, 

demand in the segment for medium-range 

airliners with a single aisle, typically supplied 

by the Boeing 737 model or Airbus 

A320, would total 24,670 aircraft worth 

$2.29 billion. 

Demand in this sector would continue 

to be led by orders from low-cost airlines 

and by demand from emerging economies. 

More than one third of total demand would 

come from the Asia-Pacific region where 

airlines would need 12,820 new aircraft. 

The markets in North America, where fleets 

were ageing, and in Europe would each 

generate demand for more than 7,000 aircraft. 

Airlines in Latin America would order 

2,900 planes, in the Middle East 2,610, and 

in Russia and the neighbouring confederation 

of independent states 1,170. Demand 

cial at the Physical Infrastructure Ministry. 

Even though the government had 

been regularly adjusting transport fares 

on the basis of fuel prices, the flag 

down rate has not changed for the last eight 

years, said the Nepal Metre Taxi 

Entrepreneurs’ Association. 

Taxi operators had demanded that the 

fare be hiked to Rs 38.5 per km. 

“Maintenance, lubricant, tyre and spare 

OPEC keeps oil demand 

forecast steady 


VIENNA, JUNE 11 

OPEC kept its world oil 

demand forecast for 2013 

virtually unchanged in its 

latest update on Tuesday, 

but tipped downward 

revisions given the deteriorating 

economic climate. 

The Organization of 

Petroleum Exporting 

Countries (OPEC) said it 

expected world demand 

this year to reach 89.65 

million barrels per day 

(mbpd), a slight drop from 

the forecast of 89.66 mbpd 

in its previous monthly 

report. This would represent 

a rise of 780,000 bpd 

World shares dip 

as BoJ disappoints 

REUTERS 

LONDON, JUNE 11 

THE yen jumped against the dollar, 

shares sagged and German 

Bund prices followed Japanese 

bonds lower on Tuesday after the 

Bank of Japan disappointed 

investors by deciding not to 

implement further stimulus 

measures. 

Worries over slowing growth 

in China, the world’s secondbiggest 

economy, and the start of 

a hearing in Germany’s top court 

about the legality of the 

European Central Bank’s bondbuying 

scheme also kept 

investors in cautious mood. 

The dollar sank as low as 

97.78 yen against the resurgent 

Japanese currency after Japan’s 

central bank unnerved investors 

by not taking any action to curb a 

rise in government bond yields 

that threatens to thwart its stimulus 

efforts. “Many of the signals 

coming out of the BOJ recently 

have confused the markets, exacerbating 

volatility in bonds and 

hurting share markets,” said 

Airliner market worth $4.8t in 20 years: Boeing 

Air traffic is rising at an 

explosive rate, with the 

number of passengers 

carried per year to double 

over the two decades 

in Africa would total 1,070 aircraft. 

Boeing also raised what it expects to be 

its sales of long-haul and medium-haul aircraft, 

but reduced by 4.0 percent its forecast 

for sales in the segment for jumbo aircraft 

with 400 seats or more. Boeing accounts for 

10.0 percent of this market with its 747-8 

aircraft which is the latest version of the 

Jumbo Jet 747. The main rival product is the 

Airbus A380, but Airbus has taken orders 

from 2012 oil demand, 

said the cartel which 

pumps about 35 percent 

of the world’s crude. 

Most of the increased 

demand is due to China 

and other countries not in 

the OECD club of 

advanced economies. But 

OPEC warned “the current 

forecast is subject to 

downward revisions not 

only in the OECD but also 

in emerging economies”. 

The latest Chinese manufacturing 

and export data 

raised concerns about a 

slowdown in Chinese 

growth, while growth in 

advanced economies is 

also expected to be lower 

The Ministry is likely to 

okay the new tariff in the 

next two weeks. The 

proposed hike is based 

on components including 

the consumer price index, 

growing maintenance 

expenses and staff salary 

parts costs have shot up in the last threefour 

years,” said Ram Bahadur Shrestha, 

former president of the association. 

In March 2012, the government had 

increased taxi fares by 8.19 percent to Rs 32 

per km on the basis of gasoline prices. At 

that time, petrol cost Rs 116 per litre which 

has now increased to Rs 123 per litre. 

According to Shrestha, there are an 

estimated 15,000 cabs in operation 

across the country including 7,000 in 

Kathmandu and 5,000 in Pokhara. 

than initially expected. 

The OPEC report 

noted oil demand from 

Europe declined for the 

20th straight month in 

April. “General expectations 

for the region’s oil 

consumption during 2013 

have once more weakened 

since last month’s projections,” 

said OPEC. 

Despite concerns 

about weakening global 

demand for oil, the cartel 

decided at its latest ministerial 

meeting at the end 

of last month to keep its 

output ceiling unchanged 

at 30 mbpd as the price 

per barrel of crude has 

hovered around $100. 

Mike Ingram, market analyst at 

BGC Partners. 

The disappointment over the 

BOJ triggered further falls in 

Tokyo stocks, sending Japan’s 

Nikkei index 1.5 percent lower. 

MSCI’s broadest index of Asia- 

Pacific shares outside Japan tumbled 

1.1 percent to fresh 6-1/2month 

lows. European shares fell 

0.7 percent in early trading as the 

BOJ’s decision served to underline 

the reliance of investors on 

central banks to keep pumping 

money into the system. 

Some had expected the BOJ 

to extend the maximum duration 

of cheap fixed-rates funds. 

German Bund futures dropped 

19 ticks to 142.66. Losses were 

seen capped as investors awaited 

a hearing over the legality of the 

European Central Bank’s 

Outright Monetary Transactions 

programme in the German constitutional 

court. 

In commodity markets, oil 

and copper prices steadied with 

concerns over a slower pace of 

growth in top consumer China 

dragging on prices. 

for only 262 of these. The two giant manufacturers 

hold different views of the market 

for jumbo airliners. 

Airbus is confident that the future lies 

with the superjumbo A380, the only aircraft 

in its class, because of the continuous 

growth of world air-passenger traffic. 

Boeing holds that airlines will 

prefer smaller long-haul aircraft such as its 

787 Dreamliner. The first version of 

this aircraft can carry up to 250 passengers. 

Tinseth said: “This forecast gives us 

confidence as we increase our production 

rates and invest in new products like the 

777X and 787-10X.” 

Boeing has not yet launched officially 

its new long-haul models with wings built 

from composite materials to complete its 

range of airliners which use less fuel than 

previous planes. Tinseth said that in 20 

years’ time, the number of passengers carried 

each year will rise from 3.0 billion to 

6.0 billion. Huge investment in aircraft, airports 

and air-traffic management systems 

will be needed to meet this explosion of 

demand, he said. 

SHARES 

NEPSE 

Nepal Stock Exchange 

Singhadurbar Plaza, Kathmandu 

June 11, 2013 

TRADING INFORMATION TRADING PRICE 

SN COMPANY MAX MIN CLOSING NO SHARES 

1 Ace Dev Bank Ltd 109 109 109 27 

2 Agricultural Dev Bank Ltd 217 213 213 4,959 

3 Arun Valley Hydropower Dev Company Ltd 280 275 275 551 

4 Asian Life Insurance Co. Ltd 240 236 236 168 

5 Axis Dev Bank Ltd 81 79 81 1,341 

6 Bank of Kathmandu 591 580 580 2,925 

7 Bishwa Bikas Bank Ltd 132 128 132 139 

8 Business Universal Dev Bank Ltd. 95 95 95 114 

9 Civil Bank Ltd 153 149 149 5,966 

10 City Dev Bank Ltd 171 170 170 784 

11 Clean Energy Dev Bank Ltd 152 149 152 4,004 

12 Chilime Hydro power Co. 1,149 1,140 1,149 3,223 

13 Citizen Investment Trust 1,515 1,500 1,515 143 

14 Civil Merchant bittya sanstha 85 85 85 1,701 

15 Country Dev Bank Ltd. 70 67 70 440 

16 Commerz and Trust Bank Nepal Ltd. 145 142 143 21,433 

17 Citizens Bank International Ltd 255 251 254 2,585 

18 Everest Bank Ltd 1,560 1,525 1,540 8,920 

19 Everest Bank Ltd Convertible Preference 826 804 804 48 

20 Everest Insurance Co. Ltd. 330 318 318 43 

21 Garima Bikas Bank Ltd 173 170 170 1,451 

22 Guras Life Insurance Co. Ltd. 154 154 154 150 

23 Grand Bank Nepal Ltd. 180 179 180 673 

24 Gaurishankar Dev Bank Ltd. 82 77 77 80 

25 H & B Dev Bank Ltd. 50 50 50 3,500 

26 Himalayan Bank Ltd. 715 710 715 949 

27 Himalayan Gen.Insu. Co.Ltd. 183 183 183 98 

28 ICFC Finance Ltd 119 119 119 15 

29 International Leasing And Fin. Co. 126 121 122 24,657 

30 Jyoti Bikas Bank Ltd 80 77 77 1,510 

31 Janata Bank Nepal Ltd. 168 165 167 2,082 

32 Kasthamandap Dev Bank Ltd. 81 76 80 939 

33 Kamana Bikas Bank Ltd 128 123 128 560 

34 Laxmi Bank Ltd 308 300 308 6,397 

35 Lumbini General Insurance 126 125 125 242 

36 Life Insurance Co. Nepal 1,175 1,175 1,175 340 

37 Lumbini Bank Ltd. 197 196 197 320 

38 Machhachapuchhre Bank Ltd 195 193 195 1,706 

39 Miteri Dev Bank Ltd 145 139 139 160 

40 ManjuShree Financial Institution 112 112 112 1,350 

41 Muktinath Bikas Bank Ltd. 265 265 265 36 

42 Multipurpose Finance Co. Ltd. 65 65 65 780 

43 Nabil Bank Ltd. 1,755 1,744 1,752 630 

44 NABIL Bank Ltd Promotor Share 1,097 1,075 1,075 2,278 

45 Nepal Bangladesh Bank Ltd. 293 290 293 7,060 

46 Nabil Balance Fund 1 10 10 10 61,729 

47 NB Insurance Co. Ltd. 84 77 77 200 

48 Nepal Bank Ltd 165 165 165 240 

49 Nepal Credit And Com. Bank 211 207 210 11,080 

50 Nepal Express Finance Ltd 106 102 106 30 

51 Nilgiri Bikas Bank Ltd 114 112 114 33 

52 Nepal Investment Bank Ltd. 726 720 723 2,961 

53 Nerude Laghubita Bikas Bank Ltd 330 321 325 329 

54 Nepal Life Insurance Co. Ltd. 1,310 1,310 1,310 90 

55 National LifeInsu. Co.Ltd. 580 570 580 2,925 

56 Nepal Doorsanchar Company Ltd 528 525 525 2,770 

57 Om Finance Ltd. 183 183 183 100 

58 Oriental Hotel Ltd. 160 153 157 4,510 

59 Pathibhara Bikas Bank Ltd 93 92 93 320 

60 Prime Commercial Bank Ltd 329 323 325 3,526 

61 Prime Life Insurance Company Ltd 246 243 245 1,054 

62 Rising Dev Bank Ltd. 95 95 95 10 

63 Reliable Finance Ltd 114 114 114 59 

64 Sanima Bank Ltd. 248 240 248 2,021 

65 Nepal SBI Bank Ltd 818 814 817 1,608 

66 Siddhartha Bank Ltd 290 280 286 1,469 

67 Standard Chartered Bank Ltd. 1,814 1,800 1,806 189 

68 Sewa Bikas Bank Ltd 102 100 101 254 

69 Sagarmatha Insurance Co.Ltd 1,259 1,189 1,220 2,216 

70 Siddhartha Investment Growth Scheme-1 11 11 11 1,000 

71 Subha Laxmi Finance Co. Ltd. 77 77 77 80 

72 Surya Life Insurance Company Ltd 169 165 166 848 

73 Sunrise Bank Ltd 217 215 217 871 

74 Subhechha Bikas Bank Ltd 105 100 105 637 

75 Supreme Dev Bank Ltd. 67 66 67 1,316 

76 Triveni Bikas Bank Ltd 144 144 144 35 

77 Tourism Dev Bank Ltd. 90 90 90 210 

78 Taragaon Regency Hotel 125 121 125 350 

79 Unique Finance Ltd 82 82 82 20 

80 Western Dev Bank Ltd 72 71 72 60 

81 Zenith Finance Ltd 92 89 91 112 

Total Traded Amount Rs.: 56,301,752 

Total Traded Shares: 222,739 

Total Transactions: 1,046 

INDEX CURRENT PTS CHANGE %CHANGE 

NEPSE 495.54 -0.26 -0.05 % 

Sensitive 123.83 -0.13 -0.11 % 

Float 35.49 0.05 0.14 % 

Sen. Float 30.45 0.067 0.22 % 

HIGHEST GAINERS 

Base: 16/07/2006, (Adjusted on 10/04/2007) = 100 

MONEY | ekantipur.com 

495.54pts 

-0.05% 

AXIS CNDBL SIC BSBL NEFL KDBL 

3.85% 4.48% 4.63% 4.76% 6% 6.67% 

MODERATE GAINERS 

LICN CEDBL PBSL SUBBL ZFL NLICL 

2% 2.01% 2.20% 2.94% 3.41% 3.57% 

MODERATE LOSERS 

JBBL LGIL MDB PLIC HBDL EBLCP 

-2.53% -2.34% -2.11% -2% -1.96% -1.83% 

HIGHEST LOSERS 

NBIL GSDBL EIC NABILP ALICL AHPC 

-9.41% -7.23% -5.36% -3.93% -2.88% -2.83% 

Sub-Indices Current Pts Change %Change 

Banking 490.43 -0.14 -0.03 

Hotels 644.62 1.12 0.17 

Dev. Bank 254.23 0.89 0.35 

HydroPower 1043.3 1.67 0.16 

Finance 250.31 0.18 0.07 

Insurance 886.52 4.02 0.46


OPINION 

BIJENDRA MAN 

SHAKYA 

THIS year marks a decade of 

Nepal’s accession to the World 

Trade Organization (WTO). In 

September 2003, the WTO Ministerial 

Meeting held in Cancun, Mexico 

endorsed Nepal’s membership to the 

organization after 14 years of rigorous 

procedure. Subsequently, Nepal formally 

joined the organization in April 2004. 

Since then the country has been firmly 

committed to the multilateral trading 

system which has now been embraced 

by 159 countries irrespective of their 

level of economic development. More 

than 90 percent of international trade 

transactions come under this world 

renowned system. So what does Nepal’s 

decade-long affiliation to the multilateral 

trading system of the WTO mean? And 

has Nepal had more pain or gain from it? 

After obtaining WTO membership, 

Nepal has been tied to the global 

trading system which is based on the 

principle of non-discrimination. That 

means it is obliged to offer equal treatment 

to all its trading partners within 

the WTO sphere. In reciprocity, it can 

also benefit from the commitment 

made by WTO member countries to 

open up their markets without having to 

deal separately with each of them. 

This process of equal treatment — 

popularly known as “Most Favoured 

Nation” (MFN) clause — is the heart of 

the WTO mechanism. Therefore, successive 

rounds of negotiations under 

the auspices of the WTO, which have 

lowered tariffs and non-tariff barriers to 

trade, have apparently offered international 

market access opportunities to 

Nepal without discrimination. 

However, at the same time, we may 

also observe that the WTO system has 

done little in areas of interest to the least 

developed countries (LDCs) or the poor- 

Ten years after 

Nepal has not benefited as much as it could from the WTO due to its own inefficiency 

est countries including Nepal. While 

rich country tariffs are very low or zero 

for most items, they are still unbearable 

for exports of the poorest countries, 

particularly for products having a comparative 

advantage to LDCs such as 

labour-intensive manufactures and 

farm products. 

The tariff rates in the developed 

countries go up for imports of products 

with a higher degree of finishing 

process. In other words, if you export 

cotton to these countries, the tariff is 

extremely low; but if you want to export 

textiles or clothing, for instance, the tariffs 

on these products rise intolerably. As 

a result, this has discouraged development 

of manufacturing activities in the 

poorest countries like Nepal. 

No doubt, the WTO system has 

lagged behind in improving market 

access opportunities for the poorest 

countries. The only step taken in this 

regard is that it has allowed its member 

countries to deviate from the principle 

of non-discrimination and voluntarily 

grant preferential treatment to the poorer 

and poorest countries by remaining 

outside the purview of the multilateral 

trading system. 

This obviously poses a question: 

What then prevents the WTO system 

from making preferential market access 

to LDC exports obligatory to all the rich 

countries? The bitter reality is that the 

tightly linked non-discrimination principle 

and reciprocity, which are the two 

pillars of the WTO system, seems to prevent 

them from doing that. 

This link discourages big and 

rich countries from exchanging trade 

opening commitments with the 

poorest countries for fear other poor 

countries (not the poorest ones) will 

become free riders without having to 

give anything in return. 

Probably realizing this fact, the sixth 

WTO Ministerial Meeting held in Hong 

Kong in 2005 proposed duty-free quotafree 

(DFQF) market access for all LDC 

products making it binding to all the 

rich countries. This was made as part of 

the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) 

mooted at the fourth summit that took 

place in Doha in 2001. However, the 

Doha deadlock has prevented progress 

in this regard. Apart from that, the DFQF 

has two major shortcomings. One, there 

is a provision for excluding 3 percent of 

the rich country tariff lines from the 

DFQF commitment which could dampen 

market access opportunities of the 

LDCs if the products of their export 

interest, which are very few in number, 

are included in that safety margin. Two, 

the benefit of tariff advantages to the 

LDCs will become less meaningful with 

an erosion of preference margins as the 

MFN tariff rates diminish. 

In spite of this disappointing outlook, 

there is rationale behind Nepal’s 

affiliation to the WTO. Although the 

WTO does not guarantee preferential 

market access, it assures a predictable 

trading environment through binding of 

tariffs among members and transparency 

of partners’ trade policies. In case of 

unfair trade practices by partners, Nepal 

can resort to contingency measures 

within the system. In case there is any 

trade dispute with them, it can go to the 

powerful dispute settlement mechanism 

within the system. With these provisions 

at its disposal, Nepal can protect 

its trade interests and have trade security. 

At least for that reason, Nepal’s membership 

in the WTO can be justified. 

However, these measures are worthwhile 

only if its foreign trade expands 

and becomes influential globally. 

Unfortunately, Nepal’s participation 

in the multilateral trading system coincided 

with a period of dwindling exports 

and mounting trade deficits. Many 

stakeholders think that these unfortunate 

happenings were a result of Nepal’s 

membership in the WTO. However, it is 

internal bottlenecks and faults in our 

trade strategies which are responsible 

for the misfortunes in our trade sector. 

And these limitations did not permit us 

to exploit the opportunities in the global 

trading environment under the WTO 

system. 

(Shakya has been involved in various 

national and international trade 

projects and specializes in trade interests 

of Nepal and the LDCs.) 

REUTERS 

BRUSSELS, JUNE 11 

THE European Union plans to 

lodge a case with the World 

Trade Organization against 

Chinese duties on specialized 

steel tubes, EU sources said on 

Tuesday, opening another front 

in a rapidly escalating trade 

conflict with Beijing. 

The move will allow the 

EU to join a related complaint 

filed by Japan against Chinese 

duties in December. 

The EU complaint would seek 

to overturn Chinese duties on 

exports of seamless stainless steel 

tubes made by firms such as 

Spain’s Tubacex SA and 

Germany’s Salzgitter AG, the 

sources said. The sources asked 

not to be identified because of the 

sensitivity of the case. 

The filing, which may come 

as soon as Thursday or Friday, will 

send a signal to China that the EU 

is willing to take legal action 

against any duties it considers to 

be based on retaliation rather 

than objective evidence. It follows 

China’s decision last week to 

III 


FNCCI concerned about reports 

on VAT refund facility misuse 

POST REPORT 


THE Federation of Nepalese 

Chambers of Commerce and 

Industry (FNCCI) on Tuesday 

expressed concern about media 

reports that the value added 

tax (VAT) refund facility 

provided to ghee and oil producers 

have been misused. 

Stating that publication of 

such “one-sided” reports in the 

media “without knowing the real 

situation” might be harmful for 

the private sector, especially at a 

time when the government is 

preparing an annual budget for 

the next fiscal year. 

“The FNCCI is always of 

the opinion that wrong doers 

should be brought to book,” 

said FNCCI Acting President 

Bhaskar Raj Rajkarnikar. 

“But the illogical and fake 

information disseminated with 

ill-intention would put the entire 

industrial sector in trouble.” 

Rajkarnikar said the govern- 

Publication 

of such 

one-sided 

reports will be 

harmful for 

the private 

sector 

ment should adopt a multi-rate 

VAT policy as per the nature of 

industries so as to prevent any 

misuse in the future. “The present 

threshold of VAT also has been 

problematic,” he said at a programme 

hosted jointly by the 

FNCCI and Nepal Vegetable Ghee 

and Oil Manufacturers’ 

Association (NVGOMA). “There 

should not be any threshold at all, 

or the threshold should be 

increased to Rs 10 million a year.” 

NVGOMA President Bikash 

Dugar said the VAT refund facility 

is very important for the producers 

as local products cannot compete 

with Indian imports if the 

incentive is scrapped. 

In a bid to make the local ghee 

and oil producers competitive 

against Indian products, the government 

has been providing a 50 

percent VAT refund on the import 

of raw materials necessary for the 

production of ghee and oil. 

According to the Association, 

only 16 industries out of 21 established 

are currently in operation. 

“These industries have a total 

investment worth around Rs 20 

billion and employ more than 

8,000 individuals,” Dugar said. 

He said the Indian producers 

have to pay only 4 percent VAT, 

while local industries have to pay 

2.5 percent excise duty and 6.5 

percent VAT. “Our products are 

already less competitive compared 

to Indian products. And, 

such rumours in the media will 

even spoil our competitiveness, 

making it difficult for our industries 

to survive.” 

EU to seek WTO ruling 

against Chinese steel duties 

investigate alleged dumping of 

EU wine in apparent retaliation 

against the EU imposing provisional 

duties on Chinese solar 

panels, the biggest trade case the 

EU has launched. 

WTO rules prevent members 

from leveling tit-for-tat sanctions, 

instead requiring proof assembled 

via a thorough investigation 

that a country’s industry has suffered 

damage before any duties 

can be imposed. The sources said 

the stainless steel case was separate 

from the dispute over solar 

panels and wine.

IV 


Google Nexus 4 

phone planned 

for July launch 

POST REPORT 


CG Impex, a subsidiary of the 

Chaudhary Group and the sole 

authorised distributor of LG 

mobiles in Nepal, is all set to unveil the 

Google Nexus 4 mobile phone by the 

second week of July. CG Impex is marketing 

the device in Nepal as its hardware 

components has been manufactured 

by South 

Korean tech giant LG. 

The new handset from Google is 

likely to give competition to brands like 

Samsung, Sony, Apple and HTC which 

are the main contenders in the coun- 

BIZLINE 

Sara Herbal launched 

KATHMANDU: A new 

cosmetic brand, Sara 

Herbal Cosmetics, has 

been launched in the 

domestic market. In a statement, the company 

said its products are manufactured using herbal 

products only. The company manufactures all 

these products by incorporating inputs of beauticians, 

hair and skin specialists and cosmetic surgeons, 

read the statement. Besides, Sara Herbal 

also offers training on cosmetic products. The 

company said it has priced products nominally. 

Continental gets ISO certification 

KATHMANDU: Continental Trading Enterprises 

has been awarded the ISO 9001:2008 - Quality 

Management System certification. Continental 

Executive Director Suhrid Ghimire accepted the 

certificate on behalf 

of the company from 

BM TRADA 

Certification Limited 

CEO Hayden Davies 

on Tuesday. ISO certification is provided to 

organisations which comply with the standards 

of having strong and clear policies on quality 

management and adherence to the same in 

practice. 


LOS ANGELES, JUNE 11 

SONY on Monday provided the 

world the first look at its new 

PlayStation 4 console, promising 

to combine its film, music, television 

and game strengths in a powerhouse 

home entertainment box. 

Sony Computer Entertainment 

president Andrew House touted the 

next-generation videogame consoles 

as being built for the future while, at 

the same time, saying the company 

was remaining true to the new console’s 

predecessor, the PlayStation 3. 

“This is a completely new platform 

and, in many ways, represents a 

completely new PlayStation,” House 

said during a press event here on the 

eve of the premier E3 videogame 

expo. “We are more than ever capitalizing 

on the vast network of Sony 

divisions and the reputation of one of 

the biggest and most powerful entertainment 

brands in the world.” 

The PS4 will launch with beefed 

up offerings at the Sony Unlimited 

cloud-based movie and music 

services, as the console moves to 

expand into a complete home 

entertainment center while remaining 

true to hardcore gamers. 

try’s premium smartphone segment. 

The new device from Google features 

a 4.7 mega-pixel true HD IPS plus 

capacitive touchscreen. The screen has 

multi-touch functionality and is protected 

with scratch resistant corning 

gorilla glass 2. Likewise, Google has 

equipped the mobile phone with 

Android v4.2.2 (Jelly Bean) Operating 

System (OS) which has been supported 

by 1.5 GHz krait quad-core CPU and 

Adreno 320 GPU. 

The mobile phone is equipped with 

an 8 mega pixel primary camera with 

features like autofocus and LED flash. 

The device, according to the company, 

takes Photo Sphere images, letting 

users capture every detail of the world 

around them. The Nexus 4 also allows 

users to quickly view and edit pictures 

with powerful new tools and share 

them. 

Likewise, the Nexus 4 comes with a 

1.3 mega pixel secondary camera 

option for making video calls. The camera 

comprises features like geo-tagging, 

touch focus, face detection and 

photo sphere. As for memory, the 

device is available with an internal storage 

capacity of 8 GB and 16 GB and features 

2 GB RAM. However, Google hasn’t 

given it a card slot to expand its 

memory. 

The handset’s non-removable Li- 

Po 2100 mAh battery offers power 

backup of 390 hours while in standby 

mode. As for talk time, it provides 

battery backup of up to 15 hours. 

CG Impex has stated that the 

device is likely to cost around Rs 52,000 

in the Nepali market. It will be available 

at the LG mobiles concept store situated 

at Civil Mall and a number of other 

exclusive LG outlets in big cities across 

the country. 

As Sony sets out to win fans for 

the PS4, it will continue to ramp up 

content for PS3. House said that PS4 

will be available in the United States 

and Europe by the year-end holiday 

season for a price of $399, £349 in 

Britain and 399 euros in Europe. 

Microsoft will be hitting the 

market with a rival Xbox One 

console about the same time, but it 

will be priced higher at $499 in 

the United States, £429 in Britain 

and 499 euros in Europe. 

After sharing its vision of PS4 as a 

stage for its films, music, and more, 

the Japan-based entertainment giant 

spotlighted what the console has in 

store for videogame lovers. 

Sony will use the technology of 

recently acquired cloud gaming company 

Gaikai to launch a service next 

year that lets people use PS3 or PS4 

consoles to play blockbuster games 

in the Internet “cloud” in real time. 

“That means game play access to 

console quality content available 

across a range of devices,” House 

said, noting that the goal was to 

put PS4 at the heart of a gaming 

‘ecosystem’ that includes popular 

mobile devices. 

Making it clear that the company 

did not intend to abandon the PS3, 

REUTERS 

NEW YORK, JUNE 11 


SAN FRANCISCO, JUNE 11 

APPLE on Monday unveiled 

its hotly anticipated 

iTunes Radio Service as it 

announced a dramatic overhaul 

of the touch-screen interface for 

its popular smartphones and 

tablets. 

The free Internet radio service 

features over 200 stations “and 

an incredible catalog of music 

from the iTunes Store”, Apple said 

in a statement as it opened its 

annual developers conference in 

San Francisco. 

The ad-supported free music 

service is set to launch later this 

year and “offers music fans access 

to thousands of new songs every 

week, as well as serving up exclusive 

music from new and popular 

artists before you hear them anywhere 

else,” Apple said. 

The service will be integrated 

with Apple’s personal voice-assis- 

US electric car manufacturer Miles 

Electric Vehicles filed for chapter 11 

bankruptcy protection early on Tuesday, 

court documents showed, highlighting 

the difficulties faced by battery-powered 

vehicles in gaining wide market 

acceptance. 

Miles Electric Vehicles, founded in 

2004 by “green” entrepreneur Miles 

Rubin, listed estimated assets in the 

range of $10 million to $50 

million, and estimated 

liabilities of between 

$50 million and $100 

million. The company’s 

low-speed allelectric 

vehicles 

include 

ZX40S car and 

ZX40ST work truck 

used in off-highway 

situations such as 

university campuses and 

Apple Senior Vice-president Eddy Cue introduces iTunes Radio during Apple Worldwide Developers 

Conference 2013 in San Francisco, California, on Monday. REUTERS 

Apple unveils iTunes Radio, iOS7 

Sony said that nearly 300 new games 

including eagerly-anticipated 

“Beyond Two Souls” and “The Last of 

tant software program Siri, so 

users will be able to find out “who 

plays that song?” or ask the program 

to “play more like this”. 

“iTunes Radio is an incredible 

way to listen to personalized 

radio stations which have been 

created just for you,” said Eddy 

Cue, Apple’s senior vice president 

of Internet software and services. 

“It’s the music you love most and 

the music you’re going to love, 

and you can easily buy it from the 

iTunes Store with just one click.” 

The streaming radio service 

was part of what Apple chief Tim 

Cook branded the biggest change 

to iOS—Apple’s mobile operating 

system—since the introduction 

of the iPhone in 2007. 

Jonathan Ive, the man behind 

the winning hardware designs of 

Apple products, put his mark on 

the icons, layout and style of the 

home and lock screens people 

use to engage with Apple mobile 

devices. “There is a profound and 

Sony pulls back curtain on new PS4 console 

Us” will be released for the console by 

the end of this year. “PS3 is heading 

to its seventh holiday season and our 

enduring beauty in simplicity,” 

Ive said in a video clip played for 

the approximately 6,000 software 

developers at the sold-out gathering 

in downtown San Francisco. 

“It is about bringing order to 

complexity.” 

Changes included transparency 

and motion-responsiveness 

that allows users to tilt an 

iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to 

“peek” below icons on screens to 

see rich images beneath. 

The new mobile operating 

system allows multi-tasking of 

applications while software 

behind the scenes works to 

maximize battery life by more 

efficiently fetching and 

managing data. 

An Air Drop application 

sensed when friends with Apple 

gadgets are near and allowed 

images, video or other files to be 

instantly shared, according to 

senior vice president of software 

engineering Craig Federighi. 

Nine-year-old Miles Electric 

Vehicles files for bankruptcy 

military bases. 

Consumers have been slow to gravitate 

to electric vehicles due to their high 

cost and concerns about their driving 

range. The US Department of Energy in 

January backed off on President Barack 

Obama’s goal of putting 1 million electric 

cars on the 

road by 

Sony Computer Entertainment CEO Andrew House during the launch of 

PlayStation 4 console in Los Angeles on Monday. AP/RSS 

2015, and laid out what experts called a 

more realistic strategy of promoting 

advanced-drive vehicles and lowering 

their cost. 

Los Angeles-based Miles Electric 

Vehicles is among a clutch of California 

startups including Fisker Automotive 

and Tesla Motors Inc that are attempting 

to build emission-free 

electric cars to appeal to 

mass-market consumers. 

Tesla has put thousands 

of cars on the 

road, but Fisker is 

considering a bankruptcy 

filing. 

Fisker’s lithium-ion 

battery maker, A123 

Systems Inc, filed for 

bankruptcy late last 

year. 

General Motors Co 

and Nissan Motor Co 

have also invested heavily in 

electric vehicles, but sales have 

been slow. 

As Sony sets out 

to win fans for 

the PS4, it will 

continue to ramp 

up content for PS3 

commitment is as strong as ever,” 

said Sony Computer Entertainment 

of America president Jack Tretton. 

Action-packed, cinematic game 

trailers showed on colossal screens 

during the Sony event included 

“Batman: Arkham Origins” featuring 

the Dark Knight of comic book fame, 

and an “Assassin’s Creed” sequel starring 

a seafaring pirate. “Big beards, 

rum drinking, swashbuckling and 

skullduggery,” said Sony developer 

relations executive Adam Boyes. 

“Who doesn’t want to play a game to 

be a pirate trained by assassins?” 

More than 140 games are in 

development for the PS4, with at 

least 100 of the titles due out in the 

year following the consoles release, 

according to Tretton. “It is clear that 

the best studios in the world are creating 

games for the PlayStation 4,” 

Tretton said. 


MARKET WATCH 

RETAIL PRICE 

Vegetables Unit Price (Rs) 

Red Potato Kg Rs 20 

White Potato Kg Rs 18 

Onion (Indian) Kg Rs 28 

Tomato Small Kg Rs 21 

Tomato Big Kg Rs 24 

Squash Kg Rs 18 

Cabbage Kg Rs 22 

Egg Plant Long Kg Rs 28 

Green Peas Kg Rs 60 

Fruits Unit Price (Rs) 

Apple Kg Rs 115 

Pomegranate Kg Rs 220 

Orange Kg Rs 110 

Water Melon Kg Rs 25 

Sweet Orange Kg Rs 110 

Pineapple 1Pc Rs 90 

Cucumber Kg Rs 40 

Pear Kg Rs 140 

Papaya Kg Rs 60 

Banana Doz Rs 80 

DAILY COMMODITIES 

Commodities Unit Price (Rs) 

Pokhreli Rice Kg Rs 60 

Jeera Mashino Rice Kg Rs 65 

Indian Bashmati Rice Kg Rs 95 

Mansuli Rice Kg Rs 55 

Sona Rice Kg Rs 46 

Beaten Rice (Taichin) Kg Rs 85 

Beaten Rice Kg Rs 42 

Big Mas Kg Rs 110 

Small Mas Kg Rs 100 

Big Mung Kg Rs 140 

Musuro (No 1) Kg Rs 110 

Musuro (No 2) Kg Rs 100 

Rahar Kg Rs 130 

Chana (Big) Kg Rs 110 

Chana (Small) Kg Rs 100 

Chilli Powder Kg Rs 250 

Jeera Powder Kg Rs 350 

Sugar Kg Rs 75 

White Soyabean Kg Rs 100 

Black Soyabean Kg Rs 120 

Fried Mustard Oil lt Rs 240 

Soyabean Oil lt Rs 140 

Dalda Ghee lt Rs 120 

Nepali Ghee lt Rs 540 

GASOLINE WATCH 

BULLION PRICE PER 10 GRAMS 

Hallmark Gold Rs 45,440 

Tejabi Gold Rs 45,225 

Silver Rs 750 

INT’L MARKET 

SOURCE: NEGOSIDA 

Energy Price (US$) %Change 

BRENT CRUDE FUTR (bbl) 103.61 0.36 

GAS OIL FUT (ICE) (MT) 868.00 1.28 

GASOLINE RBOB FUT (gal) 283.59 0.63 

NATURAL GAS FUTR (MMBtu) 3.99 -0.23 

Agriculture Price (US$) %Change 

COCOA FUTURE (MT) 2,297.00 0.61 

COFFEE 'C' FUTURE (lb) 128.6 0.74 

CORN FUTURE (bu) 548 -0.90 

COTTON NO.2 FUTR (lb) 83.63 -1.10 

ROUGH RICE (CBOT) (cwt) 15.64 0.77 

SOYBEAN FUTURE (bu) 1,537.25 0.56 

SOYBEAN MEAL FUTR (T) 454 0.33 

SOYBEAN OIL FUTR (lb) 48.64 0.10 

SUGAR #11 (WORLD) (lb) 16.46 0.49 

WHEAT FUTURE(CBT) (bu) 708 -0.14 

Industrial Metals Price (US$) %Change 

COPPER FUTURE (lb) 338.65 0.52 

Precious Metals Price (US$) %Change 

GOLD 100 OZ FUTR (t oz) 1,404.90 0.34 

SILVER FUTURE (t oz) 22.52 0.47

Pass percentage in SLC exams slumps to 41.57

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