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The security of your email account is non-negotiable. Whether with Gmail or another provider, your email is so much more than just an inbox for messages to land. It’s a focal point that connects you to a sea of web-based services and contains a vast treasure of private and professional information. Think about it: you likely needed an email address in order to download apps from the App Store, Google Play Store, or Microsoft Store onto your devices. Apart from that initial access, email today has become the backbone of business communication, enabling seamless discussions, exchange of useful attachments, and storage of useful records of conversations.

Indeed, email addresses are a necessity for nearly all those who are browsing the net. General usage makes your email account the hijacker and hacker’s first choice, thereby emphasizing the urgent need to load robust security tools. The fate of an exploited account is grim, as attested to by the scary fact:

Think of a burglar stealing not only your house keys but also the key to every safe and lockbox in your possession. This is the harsh reality of a hacked email account. Hackers who get unauthorized access can usually:

Access saved passwords: Saving passwords for various sites and services in one’s email account or related browser settings is a very common practice. A hacker who gets access to your email can easily locate this gold mine of credentials and gain access to your banking, shopping, and other related sensitive accounts.

Take over social media profiles: Your email address is likely your go-to recovery method for your social media accounts. If a hacker controls your email account, you'll be able to reset your Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter account passwords, leaving yourself locked out, and, as a potential malicious purpose, they might wind up using your accounts for evil deeds.

Keeping your email account secure basics

Enabling 2-factor authentication

Activating Two-Factor Authentication adds a priceless extra layer of security beyond just your password. When you log in, you’ll be prompted to enter not only your password but also a unique security code. This will most often be generated by an authenticator app on your cell phone or sent via text message. Even in the highly unlikely event that one of those ‘hacking pro’s’ gets through to steal your password, they won’t have any access to your account if they don’t possess this time-limited, backup code. In effect, two gates on your front door—a whole lot less likely for thieves to break in!

Strong, unique passwords

While 2FA is important, your good password remains your first defense. Do not use easily accessible information like your name, birthdate, pet name, or common words. Incorporate passwords that are:

Long: The larger the number of characters, the harder it is to crack. Use at least 12 characters, but the better.

Complex: Alternate the use of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters (!@#$%^&).

Unique: Do not ever use the same password for multiple online accounts. If one of them is compromised, the others will be safe. Utilize a password manager to safely store and generate strong, unique passwords for all your accounts.

Being vigilant about phishing attempts

Cybercriminals also try to trick you into giving your login details or other data with fake emails known as phishing. Such emails typically appear to be from legitimate organizations like banks, social media organizations, or even your email service provider. Be careful of:

Suspicious emails: Especially those that ask for personal information, passwords, or financial details.

Poor grammar and spellings: Legitimate companies have proper communications.

Fishy links: Don’t click on a link until you roll your mouse over it to see the actual web address. If the link looks strange or has nothing to do with the person who sent it, don't click.

Desperate requests: Phishing email induces a sense of urgency to get you to do something without thinking.

Keeping your recovery information up-to-date

Email services have recovery options in case you forget your password or your account is hacked. Your recovery email address and phone number must be current and accessible. This is crucial for the retrieval of your account if required.

Monitoring account activity and associated devices

Most email services allow you to review recent activity on your account, including locations logged in from and devices used to log in to your account. Review this information regularly. If you see anything unusual or unfamiliar devices, respond right away to lock down your account and change your password.

Being safe on public wi-fi

Public Wi-Fi networks are not as secure as your home or office network. Don’t log in to sensitive accounts, such as your email, when on public Wi-Fi. If you need to, think about using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to encrypt your online traffic.

Keeping your devices and software updated

Software updates often include security patches that fix known weaknesses. Ensure your operating system, web browser, and any security tools you use are current at all times.

By performing these straightforward but fundamental security measures, you can efficiently prevent your email account from being broken into and keep your valuable online life safe. Keep in mind that caution and good security manners are your most effective defense against the constantly changing landscape of cyber threats. Don’t let your digital existence be on the line—get these simple measures done today and secure your email and, in turn, your online world.

“Kaal Sanga Kusti” is an unconventional biography of a man who has lived and fought death throughout his life both as a former Gorkha soldier and as a cancer survivor. The book authored by Chun Bahadur Gurung encapsulates all the ups and downs of Captain Aash Bahadur Gurung’s memorable and determined life, from his difficult childhood in rural Khewang (reidentified today as Okhle), Syangja, his experience at the British Army, his stint with the Gurkha Reserve Unit (GRU) in Brunei, as a virtuous social worker, and finally, to his valiant defeat of stage-four prostate cancer at the age of 82. 

What makes this biography unconventional is the author’s approach to not only depicting Captain Gurung’s life but also enriching the readers by providing overlooked and neglected narratives, such as the tale of the once glorious Mukhiya system of Kewang, the might of Duma Gurung, who defied the Bhirkote Rajas, the struggles of being a “Laure,” and the science behind the holistic approach to healing.

At its core, however, the book centers on Captain Gurung, starting from his agrarian days when he worked for days on end, tirelessly, as a “Bause” in his native village of Kewang. Those days were both difficult and formative for him, particularly after the death of his father. The book captures the wonderful ethos of traditional Nepali society, much to the credit of the author. Similarly, the book’s focus on Daxmi Gurung, Captain Gurung’s mother, is emotional and might hit home for many readers. Daxmi endured much during her life. Widowed young, she raised Gurung and his three siblings independently. Her wisdom and tenacity continue to influence Captain Gurung even to this day.  

In his late teens, Gurung’s aspirations grew, and the desire to enroll in the British Army intensified. The book covers his conscription process in Paklihawa, setting up the readers for the next phase in his life. The biographer, Chun Bahadur Gurung, then, places the readers right in the middle of the 1962 Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation, where Gurung, now a “fit for fight” British Gorkha soldier, showcases his ability to navigate through various impediments in the dense jungles of Indonesia. This section of the book is an interesting read as it grabs the readers’ attention with its tension and realism. The book also brings forth the inequality prevalent in the British Army, as Captain Ash recounts he and his fellow Nepali soldiers being subjected to unfair treatment.

Lasting eight chapters and chronologically tied, the author takes some time to get to Captain Gurung’s battle with cancer. And here, the focus is on the holistic approach to healing, which Captain Gurung credits as his remedy. The author accentuates the importance of the combination of spiritual, medical, ayurvedic, and familial harmony against a debilitating and soul-crushing disease like cancer. This, today, is unorthodox and might even surprise modern readers. But the intention of the book is to highlight how effective alternative remedies can be if synergized with medical science. And while the book lapses into over-expositions for evidence, it just about manages to keep the narrative interesting. 

The author’s dedication towards telling an authentic story is discernible as sufficient references are provided to back his argument. But the book sometimes digresses and bears the burden of being an academically credible work. This results in regular fluctuations in the pace it strives to maintain, which might throw off some readers. Also, the constant shift from B.S to A.D. and vice versa creates unwanted confusion. Nevertheless, the book addresses various contemporary social issues by drawing on historical analysis and the experiences of Captain Gurung, which makes it a unique reading experience, and with simple language, the book is seamless, despite its issues with pacing. “Kaal Sanga Kusti” is a must-read as you get a first-hand account of victory over cancer by a man whose life is nothing short of a parable. The journey is emotional, enlightening, and definitely thought-provoking.

The Bagmati river is revered as a sacred lifeline, deified for its purifying waters and deeply entrenched cultural and religious significance. It serves as a ritual site for cremation and spiritual cleansing in the pursuit of salvation, embodying the belief that its sacred flow can absolve karma and unite the soul with the divine, forming a transcendent cycle where birth, death and eternity converge.

Flowing through the heart of Nepal’s Kathmandu valley, the Bagmati is more than just a body of water, it’s a sacred thread woven into the spiritual, cultural and ecological fabric of the nation. Revered in both Hindu and Buddhist traditions, it has for centuries been a symbol of civilization, sanctity and continuity, a giver of life and a pathway to salvation.
Yet today, the same river that once nourished an entire valley has been reduced to a toxic sewer. Its waters are blackened by sewage, choked with industrial waste and biohazards, and fouled by an unbearable stench. In its putrid current lies a haunting question: Can the Bagmati still be called holy or has it become a public health hazard?

Sacred shrine to sewer stream

The Bagmati river originates from Bagdwar in the Shivapuri Hills of the Mahabharat range at an elevation of 2,690 meters, where it once flowed crystal clear, pure, life-sustaining and revered. It travels southward through the Kathmandu valley (15 percent basin area), descending into the Tarai plains through eight districts before crossing into India to merge with the Ganges. For Hindus, the Bagmati is more than a river, it’s the earthly embodiment of the divine, intimately linked to Lord Shiva at the Pashupatinath Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage since 1979, where its waters are believed to carry souls toward moksha (liberation).
The river, steeped in legend and divine embodiment. According to mythology, the Bagmati began flowing when Bodhisattva Manjushree cleaved the hills surrounding a primordial lake, draining it and making way for human settlement. This act gave birth to the ancient city of Manjupattan on its banks. The Bagmati has served as a spiritual and cultural lifeline shaping early Kathmandu and marking historical trade routes at Teku Dovan and cremation sites such as Kalmochan and Pachali Ghat preserving 3,000 years of ritual heritage and royal legacy.
Today, however, the Bagmati paints a very different picture. Its once-pristine waters are choked with industrial effluents, raw sewage and biohazardous waste, primarily via anthropogenic pressures. A 2017 UN report estimated that over 95 per cent of wastewater in the valley is discharged untreated into natural water bodies much of it ending up in the Bagmati. This unchecked pollution now poses a grave hazard to both environmental and public health hindering water reuse and ecological sustainability.
The riverbanks, once adorned with temples and terraced greenery, are now strewn with plastic bags, decaying waste and the remnants of discarded ritual offerings. Despite the presence of existing and rehabilitated wastewater treatment plants, their capacity remains woefully inadequate to handle the overwhelming waste burden. Key degradation contributors are unmanaged urbanization, indiscriminate waste disposal and the direct discharge of domestic and industrial sewage further exacerbated by poor planning, fragmented governance and the rapidly growing valley population, now nearing 3m. Unlike artificial canals, the Bagmati is a natural river, whose sandy riverbed has been stripped bare by decades of toxic dumping. Though efforts to clean and preserve the river are urgent, the prospect of restoring it to its former sanctity is uncertain. In many respects, the damage may already be irreversible.

Health hazard—a nightmare

The Bagmati river now embodies a profound ecological and public health crisis. Scientific studies have revealed alarming levels of microbial and chemical contamination. A 2019 study published in the journal ‘water’ identified 709 bacterial genera in the river, including 18 potentially pathogenic such as Arcobacter, Acinetobacter and Prevotella. Thakali et al (2020) further detected reservoirs of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs), transformed the Bagmati as a hotspot for antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Shrestha et al. (2023) reported that 80 per cent of river microbial isolates possessed multidrug resistance, while Ghimire et al. (JNHRC 2023) confirmed 241 of 615 coliform samples were resistant to common antibiotics.
Beyond microbial threats, a 2015 study estimated that 70,000 plastic micro- and macro-fragments pass through the river daily. Recent analyses have detected heavy metals like lead and mercury, and carcinogenic compounds capable of causing neurological damage, developmental disorders and organ failure. Despite Nepal’s abundant freshwater sources, cities like Kathmandu suffer from water scarcity. The World Bank 2016 reported 19.8 deaths per 100,000 in Nepal are linked to unsafe sanitation, hygiene and waterborne diseases. The environmental collapse is stark: fish stocks have vanished, aquatic birds are gone, and sludge, algal blooms and chemical foam dominate the landscape. Its decline is a warning not only for Nepal but for the world, a reminder that environmental neglect has irreversible consequences.

Revival possible?

Since 2013, the weekly Bagmati Clean-Up Campaign has mobilized volunteers and raised public awareness, but these efforts remain inadequate against the overwhelming scale of pollution and ecological decline. While new wastewater treatment plants are under construction, the pace of infrastructure development continues to lag behind escalating contamination levels. Legal frameworks to penalize polluters do exist, yet enforcement is weak, and often symbolic. What is urgently needed is a strict implementation of environmental laws, holding industries and hospitals accountable through regular audits and real-time monitoring. Solutions like bioremediation with pollutant-degrading microbes, installation of plastic traps at drainage outlets and widespread adoption of household waste segregation must be prioritized. Equally vital is mobilizing spiritual leadership: religious figures can champion environmental stewardship as a sacred duty and promote eco-conscious rituals.
The Bagmati mirrors Nepal’s soul, sacred, yet deeply wounded. Its revival lies not in miracles, but in unified action, scientific innovation and spiritual responsibility. 

A nation that kills its rivers kills its own future. The Bagmati’s fate rests in our hands.

The Nepal government should urgently heed the demands of conflict victims and amend the process for appointing commissioners to the country’s two transitional justice bodies, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists said today. To successfully implement the transitional justice law adopted by parliament in 2024, it is crucial to have a transparent and rigorous process that results in the appointment of credible and highly qualified commissioners, they said. 

In Aug 2024, Nepal’s parliament adopted a law that victims’ groups broadly accepted as a viable basis for the long delayed transitional justice process to address widespread human rights violations and abuses committed during the 1996-2006 conflict between Maoist insurgents and Nepali security forces. Under the legislation, there will be two bodies—a Truth and Reconciliation Commission and a Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons. However, survivors and victims’ representatives have rejected a short list of candidates published by a committee to appoint commissioners, a joint statement from the international organizations states. 

“The appointment of competent, impartial commissioners fully independent from any political party is crucial to the credibility and success of transitional justice in Nepal,” said Isabelle Lassée, deputy regional director for South Asia at Amnesty International. “The government should immediately allow a revision of the appointment process to include more candidates and strengthen procedures.”
Signed in 2006, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement included a commitment to reveal what happened to victims of enforced disappearance within 60 days, and to establish “a High-level Truth and Reconciliation Commission… to probe into those involved in serious violation of human rights and crimes against humanity.” For almost two decades, these commitments have been thwarted through political maneuvering, unnecessarily deepening the pain of thousands of victims and their families, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and the International Commission of Jurists said.
Nepal has established similar commissions in the past, which have received over 60,000 complaints. However, the previous commissions failed to deliver on their mandate, partly due to political interference in appointments and overall lack of political will to ensure their independence and effectiveness.

In 2015, the Supreme Court determined that an earlier transitional justice law was unconstitutional and violated Nepal’s international human rights obligations. While the amended transitional justice law has some positive elements, it also contains some unacceptable provisions, including allowing for amnesty of those involved in war crimes and crimes against humanity. Therefore, the manner in which commissioners interpret and implement their mandates will be of critical importance to ensure that the commissions’ work does not violate relevant international law. The appointment of highly qualified, impartial and independent people is therefore crucial.

In a statement published on May 1, 38 groups of victims and survivors wrote that the short-listed candidates are “unlikely to carry forward the national responsibility of transitional justice,” leaving victims “once again denied justice” and suffering “a deep sense of betrayal and humiliation.”
They pointed out that the “list was developed through a non-transparent, superficial, and politically influenced process based on power-sharing and (political) access, rather than merit.” The appointments committee had failed to “publicly disclose the criteria, basis and transparent procedures used to prepare the shortlist.” According to the groups, the list “includes… individuals who have defended perpetrators, and many who lack knowledge, contribution or expertise in transitional justice."

Many survivors and the families of those subjected to violations and abuses have lived in hardship for years, often suffering lasting mental harm and physical injuries. They are struggling to learn the truth about their loved ones, are longing to see those responsible for abuses brought to justice in fair trials and remain in desperate need of reparations and official recognition. The lack of accountability for serious crimes under international law has contributed to ongoing rights violations and a wider crisis of impunity. The victims said that the appointments committee had “failed to consult them even once,” resulting in “a process controlled by the perpetrators’ side.”
“Conducting a successful transitional justice process is of importance to all Nepalis, but above all to conflict victims, who have struggled for decades to receive truth, justice and reparations,” said Meenakshi Ganguly, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “It has become routine for successive governments to promise that transitional justice will be ‘victim-centric,’ but these words have little meaning unless victims’ concerns are addressed and they are able to meaningfully engage in the process.”

In their statement, the victims and survivors groups have warned that they will “be compelled to initiate the formation of a parallel civil commission” to investigate conflict-era abuses if the authorities continue to ignore their concerns and pursue a “superficial process that further inflicts pain and despair on the victims.” They said that the United Nations and “the entire international community” should only support  “a credible transitional justice process.”