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CPN-UML leader and former minister Pradeep Nepal passed away this afternoon. 

Suffering from Parkinson's disease for some years, leader Nepal breathed his last at Norvic Hospital in Kathmandu, UML parliamentary party's chief whip Mahesh Bartaula said.

Nepal served as the Minister for Information and Communications in the country's first communist government led by then Prime Minister Manmohan Adhikari.    

Likewise, leader Nepal took charge of the Ministry of Water Resources and Ministry of Education during his political journey. 

The former politburo member of the UML, leader Nepal served as the spokesperson and chief of publicity department of the UML. 

Also an established literary figure, leader Nepal used to write his opinions and literary creations in the name of Sanjaya Thapa when he was underground during the Panchayat era. 

With multiple feathers in his hat, Nepal served as the Editor of Nabayug, Chhalphal and Prakash weeklies and used to write for different newspapers as a columnist. 

Leader Nepal was born in 2010 BS at Gogane village in Bhojpur district.

Aging populations used to be a challenge mostly for wealthier nations like Japan. But now, it’s a shared reality—and Nepal is no exception.

According to the Population Division at the National Statistics Office, Nepal’s population is rapidly entering a demographic transition. The proportion of people aged 60 and above rose from 8.1 percent in 2011 to 10.2 percent in 2021. 

Binod Sharma Acharya, director at the division, said on Monday that Nepal is expected to become an aging society by 2054. This will naturally pose significant challenges in housing, healthcare, social security, and economic support.

The global average life expectancy rose from 64.2 years in 1990 to 72.6 years in 2019. Acharya said that life expectancy is projected to reach 77.1 years by 2050. In other words, by 2050, one in every six people globally is projected to be elderly—aged 65 or above.

In Nepal, about 80 percent of the population is expected to live up to the age of 60. Among them, approximately 85 percent of women and 75 percent of men are likely to reach this age. Among households in the richest quintile, 84.7 percent of individuals are expected to live up to 60 years, while only 77.7 percent of individuals from the poorest households are expected to do so. 

Since 1991, the elderly population in Nepal has nearly tripled. The population pyramid indicates a shift from a youth-dominant structure to one increasingly composed of older individuals. This is mainly due to declining birth rates and increased migration abroad.

The child population is decreasing, and so is the working-age population, resulting in a higher dependency ratio. The census data of 2011 and 2021 show regional variations in the distribution of elderly populations. During this period, the hill region saw a notable increase in its elderly population.

In 2011, the elderly population in the hills was 25.7 percent, which increased to 43.6 percent by 2021. This trend is also evident in the mountain and Tarai regions, though at slightly lower rates. However, compared to the Tarai, the hill and mountain regions have seen a more rapid increase in the elderly population.

Thanks to better healthcare, safer water, and improved nutrition, we are living longer than ever. At the same time, families are having fewer children. In 1950, women had an average of five children; now, that number has fallen to 2.3, according to the UN World Population Prospects, 2022.

For years, many countries benefited from a “demographic bonus”—a large, young workforce that powered economic growth. But now, as that workforce shrinks and the elderly population grows, the bonus is turning into a demographic dilemma.

As elderly population is poised to rapidly expand, governments and policymakers around the world need to consider its various challenges and implications. Chronic illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, and dementia are on the rise. Yet many countries don’t have enough doctors, nurses, or long-term care facilities trained to manage elderly health needs.

Also, fewer workers and more retirees mean economic trouble. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has already said that pension reforms are necessary in many nations to avoid fiscal crises. But not all aging is equal. In many developing countries, people grow old without pensions, healthcare, or secure housing. The World Health Organization (WHO) notes that aging in poverty is often “aging with hardship.”

As the workforce shrinks, economic growth slows, and industries face labor shortages. To offset this, governments and policymakers should come up with a sound plan.

The demographic shift will transform more than just health and economics. It will reshape how we build our infrastructure, how we design transportation, and how we organize work and education.

The Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE) gained 4. 26 points to close at 2,614. 67 points on Tuesday.

Similarly, the sensitive index surged by 1. 15 points to close at 441. 29 points.

A total of 20,542,764-unit shares of 318 companies were traded for Rs 8. 74 billion.

Meanwhile,  Nepal Micro Insurance Company Limited was the top gainer today, with its price surging by 10. 00 percent. Likewise, Wean Nepal Laghubitta Bittiya Sanstha Limited (WNLB) was the top loser as its price fell by 10. 00 percent.

At the end of the day, total market capitalization stood at Rs 4. 34 trillion.

Lawmakers have drawn the attention of the government on contemporary issues.

During an emergency hour in today's meeting of the House of Representatives, Nagarik Unmukti Party Chairperson Ranjita Shrestha demanded the government to carry out an impartial investigation into the arrest of party patron Resham Chaudhary on April 30.

Similarly, Nepali Congress lawmaker Kantika Sejuwal drew the government's attention to rescue Dipraj Bhandari (26) of Sumli Village in Chhayanath Municipality-14 of Mugu district, who was stranded in the United Arab Emirates for the past three months. 

He has been there for the past one year in the course of overseas employment. 

Likewise, CPN-UML lawmaker Thakur Prasad Gaire asked the government to complete the construction of the Federal Parliament building which is under construction in Singha Durbar premises.

CPN (Maoist Center) lawmaker Purna Bahadur Gharti Magar drew the government's attention towards the fact that the budget allocated for district headquarters is not spent while Rastriya Swatantra Party lawmaker Manish Jha demanded the government to increase women's participation in the Cabinet.

The price of gold has increased by Rs 5, 300 per tola in the domestic market on Tuesday.

According to the Federation of Nepal Gold and Silver Dealers’ Association, the precious yellow metal is being traded at Rs 189, 900 per tola today.  It was traded at Rs 184, 600 per tola on Monday.

Similarly, the silver being traded at Rs 1,965 per tola today.

Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel and CPN (Maoist Center) Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal held a meeting on Tuesday.

During the meeting held at Khumaltar this morning, Finance Minister Paudel discussed matters related to budget for the upcoming fiscal year with Dahal, the leader of the main opposition party.

Paudel, who is also the Vice Chairman of the CPN-UML, also discussed contemporary political issues with the Maoist Center Chairman, Dahal's Secretariat informed.

The country now is under the influence of westerly and local winds. 

The Meteorological Forecasting Division shared that there was a partial impact of water vapour-rich winds coming from the Bay of Bengal and Arabian sea. 

The weather, according to the Division, will be partly to generally cloudy throughout the country this afternoon. 

Light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is likely to occur at a few places of the hilly region and at one or two places of the rest of the country. 

There are chances of light rain and snowfall in some places of the mountainous and hilly regions of the country. Similarly, the weather will be partly to generally cloudy in the hilly regions of the country, including Koshi, Gandaki and Sudurpaschim Provinces tonight. 

Light to moderate rain with thunder and lightning is likely to occur at a few places of Koshi, Gandaki and Sudurpaschim Provinces and at one or two places of rest of the provinces.

Discussions on the government’s policies and programs will be continued in the House of Representatives and National Assembly today.

The meeting of the House of Representatives has been scheduled for 11 am while the National Assembly meeting will be held  at 12:15 pm today. 

Lawmakers are scheduled to present their views on the government's policies and programs in today’s meeting.

President Ram Chandra Paudel had presented the government's policies and programs at the joint meeting  of both the Houses of the Federal Parliament last Friday. 

Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal, on behalf of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, had presented a proposal in the meeting of the HoR on Monday. 

Discussions on the government’s policies and programs had begun in the National Assembly since last Sunday.