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Around 100, 000 tourists visited Nepal in March this year. According to the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB), 99, 426 visitors entered Nepal in the month.  Of them, 33, 454 were from the SAARC nations, 15, 643 from other Asian nations, 23, 265 from Europe and 3,958 arrived from the countries of the Oceania region. Similarly, the country welcomed 1,707 from Canada, 557 from the United States of America and 10,375 from the Middle-East. The highest number of tourists had arrived from India and they make-up 25,911 and this figure was 15,013 in the corresponding period in 2022. Similarly, the tourist arrivals from the US in March were almost double in the corresponding period last year. In 2022, 4,896 tourists from the US had visited Nepal.   The high tourist flows were from India, the US, the UK, Germany and Sri Lanka. The data shows that Nepal's tourism industry is on the path of recovery following COVID-19 pandemic.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha has assured the agitating loan shark victims of resolving their problem. The government has reached an agreement with them and their problem would be resolved soon, he said. Following the agreement, the protesting people, who were in the Kathmandu to join a protest all the way from Tarai, are set to return home. "You (the victims) can return home rest-assured. It will not take long to address your demand as per the agreement," the DPM and Home Minister said. Before their departure, they got COVID-19 tests from a team of Bir Hospital. "They are all prepared to return home. They came to Kathmandu around two weeks ago. So, they got health checkups and treatment," he said. Medical officer of Bir Hospital Dr Sanjaya Dharel said the health of all victims was normal. "Their health is normal. We have recommended some of them suffering from chronic diseases for their further checkups and counseling," he said. The victims said they were assured that their problem would be resolved. They also demanded that the government manage transportation for them to return home. "We are convinced that the problem would be resolved," said Shyam Kumar Thakur, a loan shark victim of Siraha district.

Rastriya Swatantra Party has made public the preliminary name list of the candidates vying in the April 23 by-election. The party published the name list of the candidates as per Article 71 of the party's statute. As per the name list, Rabi Lamichhane will contest from Chitwan constituency 2, Dr Swarnim Wagle, Ishwor Lamichhane and Dr Rupak BK Ghimire from Tanahun 1, and Ramesh Kharel and Yubaraj Neupane from Bara 2. The timeframe for filing complaints against the preliminary candidacy is 11am today, said the party's general secretary and spokesperson Dr Mukul Dhakal.

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has wished a bright future for the students sitting for secondary education examination (SEE) from today. "I wish a bright future to all the students taking their SEE examinations from today," the PM has stated. Writing on his Facebook wall this morning, the PM has appealed to all concerned sides to make the SEE examinations systematic, decent, peaceful and fearless, and play roles from their respective positions. A total of 484,227 students are taking their exams though 516,591 students studying in Grade 9 filled up their registration form for the SEE. It is said that 2,037 examination centers have been designated for SEE. These include 2,036 exam centers in 77 districts and one in Japan where 14 students are sitting for the SEE exam. According to SEE Examinations Controller Bishnu Narayan Shrestha Shrestha, the students in Japan are taking their SEE from an academic institution in Tokyo which teaches Nepali curriculum with the approval from the government of Japan. The highest number of examinees are in Bagmati Province (106,959) and the lowest in Karnali Province (41,329). Around 15,000 students will be taking the exams in the technical stream. Similarly, 2,982 students from 65 schools are running courses in Sanskrit and 50 blind students are appearing in the SEE this year. Students from 11,829 schools, including 7,200 communities and 4,564 institutional ones are sitting in the SEE. Seventy-eight thousand human resources have been mobilized at the examination centers throughout the country. It is said that the Province Examination Operation and Management Committee formed under the leadership of Province Secretary in every province would operate, manage and monitor the examinations in the provinces remaining under the scope of National Examination Board's directives. The District Examination Coordination Committee formed comprising Chief District Officer, chiefs of security bodies in every district have completed all necessary tasks including designating invigilators in examination centers, imparting orientation to stakeholders.  

As there is the impact of the westerly winds in the country, partial to normal change in the weather in some areas of the country is likely this afternoon, according to the Weather Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology. The Division said that light rain along with wind and thunder is expected in some places of the country.  It said that some parts of the high hills and mountainous regions would witness snowfall as well. Currently, the weather in the Gandaki, Karnali, Lumbini and Sudurpaschim Provinces is cloudy while the weather is clear in the rest of the areas in the country. Later today, there is a possibility of sporadic rain in the Kathmandu Valley.

All preparations for this year's Secondary Education Examination (SEE) have been completed. This year's SEE is taking place across the country from 8 am tomorrow, said Chairperson of National Examination Board Mahashram Sharma. He said, "All preparations for SEE have been completed. A virtual meeting was conducted with all responsible bodies of all 77 districts for the same. We requested all to conduct the examinations in a peaceful, disciplined and systematic manner." Sharma added all examination related activities including designating invigilators at all examination centers, security arrangement, mobilization of human resources and taking question papers and answer-sheets have been completed. Examinations Controller Bishnu Narayan Shrestha said the Province Examination Operation and Management Committee formed under chairmanship of Province Secretary in every province would operate, manage and monitor the examinations in the provinces remaining in the periphery of Board's directives. The District Examination Coordination Committee formed comprising Chief District Officer, chiefs of security bodies in every district have completed all necessary tasks including designating invigilator in examination centers, imparting orientation to stakeholders, he mentioned. Around 500 thousand candidates Controller of Examinations Shrestha said although 516 thousand 591 students studying in Grade 9 filled up the registration form for the SEE in 2022, a total of 484,227 filled up the exam form in grade 10. The number has decreased by 32 thousand 364 compared to the number of applicants in Grade 9. The highest number of candidates are in Bagmati Province (106 thousand 959) and the lowest in Karnali Province (41,329). Around 15 thousand students will be taking the exams in the technical stream. Similarly, 2982 students from 65 schools running course in Sanskrit and 50 blind students are also appearing in the SEE this year. Students from 11 thousand 829 schools, including 7,200 community and 4,564 institutional schools are sitting in the SEE this year. A total 2037 exam centers have been designated for SEE. These include 2036 exam centers in 77 districts and one in Japan. Seventy-eight thousand human resources will be mobilized at the exam centers throughout the country for conducting the SEE.

The government is all set to run the National Vitamin 'A' Campaign for children from the second week of April. Director at Family Welfare Division under the Department of Health Service Dr Bibek Kumar lal said that vitamin 'A' and de-worming tablets would be administered to the children across the country on April 19-20. According to him, vitamin 'A' capsules would be administered to the children from six to 59 months and de-worming tablets to the children from 1-5 years. The Division has issued a circular to the province and local level to lend support to make the campaign a success.

The Nepali Congress has decided to field Govinda Bhattarai in Tanahun-1 and Jit Narayan Shrestha in Chitwan-2 in the by-election to the member of the House of Representatives scheduled for April 23. A meeting of the NC Central Work Execution Committee held at the party headquarters in Sanepa this morning made the decision to this effect, said Chief Secretary of NC Party Office Krishna Prasad Poudel. However, the decision would be taken later regarding the candidate in Bara-2, he said. Tanahun-1 has remained vacant after HoR member Ram Chandra Poudel was elected to the post of the President. Similarly, Bara-2 has remained vacant after Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav was elected to the post of Vice-President. Likewise, Chitwan-2 has remained vacant following a citizenship dispute of Rabi Lamichhane. The Election Commission has made preparations to hold by-election in these three constituencies on April 23.