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Nepal Teachers’ Federation launched a Kathmandu-centric protest on Wednesday against the Education Bill tabled in the Federal Parliament, with around 15,000 teachers of government schools hitting the streets by disrupting teaching-learning activities as well as road traffic in Kathmandu in their bid to ‘teach’ some lesson to the government and the Parliament about the possible consequences of ignoring their demands.  

Per the federation, the bill has failed to address issues like job security of temporary teachers, creation of non-teaching staff positions, concerns of pre-school teachers, promotion of teachers, appointment of the principal, transfer of teachers as well as performance appraisal. The bill’s provision on empowering local units to evaluate and transfer teachers has also not gone well with the federation, which earlier boycotted a meeting that the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology had called.

The protesting teachers gathered at Maitighar Mandala and marched to Baneshwor Chowk, causing traffic congestions along various stretches, including the Maitighar-Baneshwor-Tinkune-Koteshwor section, and forcing traffic police personnel to reroute traffic.  

Meanwhile, the Kathmandu Metropolitan City has urged teachers not to disrupt teaching-learning activities. In a notice, KMC stated that the teachers’ act of depriving children of education so as to press for the fulfillment of their demands is not acceptable.

The school is a zone of peace and school closure a violation of the law, it said, calling teachers not to shut schools but to opt for some other forms of protest to raise their concerns related to professional development.

If a school within the Kathmandu Metropolitan City is closed or forced to close or if it is found that the children’s right to education has been violated by closing educational institutions, stern legal action will be taken and the concerned individual will be held fully responsible, the KMC warned.

KMC Spokesperson Nabin Manandhar said they have urged teachers to resume classes from tomorrow. “The students’ right to education should not be violated by closing schools,” he said. 

The recent G7 foreign ministers’ meeting urged China to force Russia to end its war with Ukraine.  Neither China nor the US can handle the international crisis on its own. If China can play a role in ending this war, it can also play a role in the creation of a new global order not acceptable to the west.

Together, the US and China can play a role in tackling global crises, including the Russia-Ukraine war, using three measures—formation of ‘G2’ by adopting a 4Cs approach (consultation, communication, coordination and cooperation); G2 mediation between Russia and Ukraine for ending the conflict and leading the world and transformation of G7 into G10 by bringing China, India and Russia on board by securing Russia’s commitment to Ukraine’s sovereignty. These measures reflecting a “new economic and political reality”can help create a new global order, apart from achieving ‘win-win results’ through fair competition.

The author is geopolitical analyst

The Pushpa Kamal Dahal-led government is apparently teetering on the edge of a precipice. Its failure to deliver has sparked waves of anger and discontent within the primary ruling coalition partner, Nepali Congress. 

Within the ranks of NC, many leaders are convinced that Sher Bahadur Deuba, the party president, has allowed the government to run amok, with no accountability to the public. They are of the view that this coalition is firmly in the grip of Dahal's decision-making monopoly.

Deuba’s rival in the party, Shekhar Koirala, is the foremost critic of the Dahal administration. He has been openly advocating for seeking an alternative to the faltering government. Congress, the largest party in the House of Representatives, finds itself in a coalition with Maoists and various fringe parties, all united in their mission to prevent CPN-UML from seizing power. Yet, party leaders lament that Deuba remains conspicuously passive, failing to provide valuable input to the government or curb its penchant for unilateral decision-making.

Nine months into its tenure, the Dahal-led government struggles to maintain good governance, generate employment opportunities, resuscitate the flagging economy, and tame the surging inflation rate—a source of mounting discontent among the populace. But NC President Deuba, Prime Minister Dahal’s main coalition partner, has seemingly turned a blind eye. 

Dahal has been attempting to tout an anti-corruption drive as a major accomplishment of his government, a claim hotly disputed by many NC leaders. While Deuba and his supporters, who hold crucial ministerial positions, favor continuing the current coalition, others within the party harbor deep reservations.

Recent times have seen the Dahal-Deuba relationship grow frostier, though it has not reached the point of coalition dissolution. Deuba is dissatisfied with the Dahal administration’s selective approach to investigating corruption scandals. In a recent meeting, Deuba pressed Dahal to remove Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayan Kaji Shrestha, primarily concerned about the arrest of his close aide, Bal Krishna Khand, in the fake Bhutanese refugee scandal. 

Despite this tension, leaders assert that Deuba has not committed to leaving the coalition just yet, fearing it would open the door for Dahal to form alliances with the UML and Rastirya Swatantra Party. 

Deuba, with no plans to vie for the party presidency again, intends to retire from active politics by becoming prime minister for a record sixth time. This ambition has led him to overlook the government's inefficiencies.

However, senior party leader Koirala is actively working to dismantle the existing coalition. It remains uncertain whether this is a mere bargaining tactic with Deuba or a genuine effort to change the government. Koirala has been reaching out to influential youth leaders in the party, such as Gagan Kumar Thapa, Bishwa Prakash Sharma and Pradeep Poudel, to build a united front and exert pressure on Deuba to remove Dahal from the government. 

To compel Deuba to consider leaving the current coalition, Koirala called a meeting with his supporters, including Thapa, Sharma and Poudel, on Tuesday. During the meeting, leaders argued that the government’s failure to address the country’s critical issues necessitates an alternative. 

Central Working Committee member Jeeven Pariyar says that despite being in the government, the people have not felt its impact. The government's inability to fulfill its objective duties and meet even the minimum expectations of the people have left many disillusioned, he adds.

But Thapa, who is himself aspiring to vie for the post of party president against Koirala, seems to have softened his stance on the government in recent months. As Deuba remains passive and Vice-President Purna Bahadur Khadka focuses on party matters, Thapa is working to strengthen his position within the party.

Koirala, on the other hand, has become more vocal and aggressive against the current coalition. In a recent public address, he did not mince words when it came to criticizing the government. He accused Prime Minister Dahal of fostering conflict and confrontation in the country through his rhetoric, particularly his endorsement of identity-based federalism. 

Koirala emphasized that with 90 seats in the Parliament, the NC was discussing the way forward internally. He added that the continuation of the current government would be disastrous for the country. He even urged Deuba to assume the mantle of the next prime minister.

Some see Koirala’s suggestion for Deuba to take over the premiership as an act of extending overture to win the latter’s endorsement for the Congress presidency. 

The Koirala faction’s displeasure with Deuba’s monopoly over intra-party affairs is no secret. They believe Deuba has failed to take a consultative approach in decisions related to the crisis in Koshi province, the selection of parliamentary committee heads, and appointments in the party’s sister organizations. In an attempt to draw attention to these issues, Koirala met with Deuba at his residence on Wednesday.

However, Koirala and Thapa combined lack the authority to make decisions regarding coalition changes and intra-party matters, as Deuba wields significant influence in both the party’s Central Committee and the Parliamentary Party. Nevertheless, the pressure is mounting on Deuba in light of the government’s performance.

Despite having nine ministers in the coalition government, Congress has been unable to steer the Dahal-led government toward effectively addressing the pressing issues facing the country. As the Dahal government shows no signs of improvement and public frustration mounts, Deuba is under increasing pressure from various quarters to reconsider the NC’s role in the coalition. 

Some observers suggest that the fate of the current government will ultimately be sealed upon Prime Minister Dahal’s return from his China visit.

In recent years, population and sustainable development issues are increasing priorities of the governments, political parties, development partners, youth-led civil society, media, private sector and communities at large. Looking back at history, the landmark International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) was held in Cairo in 1994. This conference enormously transformed the global thinking as well as narratives of population and development with a bold political and development agenda. More importantly, placing people’s dignity and rights are at the heart of sustainable development.

While 179 countries including Nepal adopted the key strategic priorities of the ICPD, there is increasing recognition that inclusive sustainable development demands a clear focus on  human rights, including reproductive rights, empowering women and girls, and addressing inequalities as well as the needs, aspirations and rights of people. Therefore, the national commitments of the ICPD have been highly relevant to adapt to inclusive development policies, strategies, plans and programs, which help promote people-centered development.

Almost 30 years after the ICPD conference, among many others, there has been remarkable progress in the health and population sector. Despite significant health gains, there still are challenges to ensure the rights and choices of women and girls, mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the full realization of the sexual and reproductive health and rights agenda. The ICPD agenda and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are closely aligned to eliminate poverty, achieve gender equality and secure the health and well-being of all people.

Considering the emerging needs of advancing the ICPD agenda in the context of formulating 16th Periodic Plan which is led by the National Planning Commission, the Ministry of Health and Population recently organized a national conference on population and development with support from UNFPA and other partners. The conference provided a unique opportunity for governments, political leaders, development partners, youth-led civil society, media and communities to share the country progress of the ICPD and discuss critical issues, challenges and opportunities for actions.

More importantly, among many others, Nepal’s commitments and progress in the health and population sector were reviewed and discussed at the conference. These include integration of comprehensive sexuality education in school curriculum, legalization of safe abortion, ensuring availability and accessibility of safe abortion services and adolescent-friendly health services. There has been remarkable progress in improving access to sexual and reproductive health services, advancing gender equity and women's empowerment, and integrating population dynamics in development policies, strategies and plans.

While reviewing some health and population indicators, the maternal mortality ratio has come down from 281 per 100,000 live births (2006) to 151 (2021). The births attended by skilled health personnel have gone up from 9 percent (1996) to 80 percent (2022). The total fertility rate has decreased from 4.6 (1996) to 2.1 (2022). The adolescent fertility rate has decreased from 127 (1996) to 71 (2022). The modern contraceptive prevalence rate has gone up from 26.0 percent (1996) to 43.0 percent (2022), whereas the unmet need for family planning has slightly dropped from 24.6 percent (2006) to 20.8 percent (2022).

Nepal has given priority and respect for international human rights treaties and signed political commitments that recognise reproductive rights. The Constitution of Nepal, 2015 guarantees the right to safe motherhood and reproductive health as fundamental rights. Over the years, the government has adopted several policies, strategies and plans to guarantee women’s access to reproductive health services. In 2018, the government enacted the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act, which defines the right to reproductive health and provides the necessary foundation for safe, accessible and quality reproductive health services.

Despite these significant gains, it is necessary to strengthen health systems so that they can deliver equitable health outcomes on the basis of a comprehensive approach. There are increasing needs for health financing, human resources for health, strengthening procurement and distribution of medicines and vaccines, infrastructure, information systems and service delivery at the local level.

On the other side, governments should focus on universal access to comprehensive and integrated quality sexual and reproductive health services for all women, men and young people to reduce the unmet need for family planning. Particular attention is needed in ensuring access for adolescents and youth for universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support.

More notably, the Nairobi Summit on ICPD+25 took place in Nairobi, Kenya from 12 to 15, November 2019, to mark the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD+25). During the Nairobi Summit, Nepal made important national commitments to advance the ICPD agenda that largely focuses on universal access to sexual and reproductive health rights, women’s empowerment and their rights in order to achieve sustainable development goals (SDGs).

The commitments largely aim to end violence against women and children, early and forced marriage, ending preventable maternal deaths and ending unmet need for family planning. We need significant investments in young people including their health and well-being by ensuring that they are able to exercise their reproductive rights through upscaling of adolescent-friendly services and comprehensive sexuality education.

There are critical needs to ensure the basic humanitarian needs of affected populations, including sexual and reproductive health care and gender-based violence prevention and response, are addressed in humanitarian contexts. Moreover, health financing policies, instruments and structures are essentially needed to ensure effective implementation of the strategic priorities of the ICPD agenda in the changed context.

In order to accelerate the progress of the ICPD agenda in the federal context, Nepal has prioritized  poverty reduction, health, sexual and reproductive health rights, education, gender equality and women empowerment, adolescence and youth, international migration, urbanization, data and evidence for policy-making.

Population aging is also a matter of concern for development. At the implementation level, there are increasing needs of capacity enhancement of provincial and local governments to mainstream the ICPD priorities in their policies, plans and budget. Meaningful participation of adolescents, youth, people with disability, migrants, sexual and gender minorities, media and civil society representatives from poor and marginalized communities can ensure the inclusive population and development policies at all levels.

Additionally, there are emerging challenges of climate change, pollution, food insecurity, increasing risks of non-communicable diseases, health emergencies, pandemics, disasters and migration for foreign employment. In order to effectively address these issues, multi-sector coordination mechanisms or platforms are needed to harness the partnerships and collaborative actions to create synergies at all levels.

While population and sustainable development are inextricably linked, it is also necessary to consider the population distribution, socio-cultural and political dynamics, ethnic and indigenous diversity, religion and sustainable livelihoods of communities across the country. With a holistic people-centered approach, the essence of ICPD agenda and SDGs can be further harnessed.

The author is Health and Population Consultant at UNFPA