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The United Nations has declared Dec 21 as the World Meditation Day, aiming to raise awareness about the benefits of meditation for mental and physical health. Rooted in ancient traditions, meditation has evolved into a universal tool for enhancing personal well-being, offering individuals a way to achieve emotional calmness, mental clarity, and physical relaxation.

Meditation, which involves focusing attention through techniques such as mindfulness and concentrated thought, has been shown to reduce stress, improve focus, alleviate anxiety and depression, and improve sleep quality. It also contributes to better physical health, including lowering blood pressure and managing pain.

As meditation becomes more accessible through digital platforms and apps, its practice is now embraced worldwide. People of all ages and backgrounds are turning to meditation to foster well-being and emotional balance.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has highlighted the mental health benefits of meditation, particularly mindfulness, as an essential tool for stress management and overall well-being. WHO stresses that even short daily meditation sessions can help improve focus and reduce anxiety, contributing to healthier lives.

Meditation also plays a significant role in promoting global peace. The United Nations has recognized the importance of meditation in fostering harmony, with the Meditation Room at the UN headquarters in New York symbolizing the power of silence and introspection in achieving global unity.

World Meditation Day underscores meditation’s alignment with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 3, “Good Health and Well-Being.” By encouraging meditation, the UN aims to promote healthier lives and mental well-being worldwide, creating a more resilient and inclusive society for all.

For the first time, Nepal hosted a student-level international engineering expo. With participation from neighboring countries India and Bangladesh, the event was organized at the Sagarmatha Engineering College in the capital. Named Orbit Engineering Expo 2.0, the fair was organized by Engineers Vlogs. Although this was the second edition of the expo, it was the first international conference of its kind, according to Ayush Karn, CEO of Engineers Vlogs. “This is the first time an engineering exhibition of this scale has been organized in Nepal, with international participation from India and Bangladesh,” he said.

The exhibition, held over three days, was inaugurated by Minister for Communication, Information, and Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung on Dec 6. The event provided an international platform for engineering and medical students to showcase their innovative projects, with the Nepal Police and Nepal Army also presenting their technologies.

Karn stated that the expo covered a wide range of engineering fields, from school-level projects to master’s level, including disciplines such as computer science, civil engineering, and electrical engineering. It also highlighted the latest developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning, making it the first international engineering expo of its kind in Nepal.

This year’s Orbit Engineering Expo 2.0 also offered an opportunity for both engineering and medical professionals to present their projects on the same platform. The event was organized with the approval of the Ministry of Communication, Information, and Technology, with Sagarmatha Engineering College as the title sponsor. 

The Expo was an action-packed event, featuring more than 20 activities across 101 stalls. Participants engaged in competitions such as the International Robo War, International Robot Soccer, Junior Robot Race, and Future Projects, along with a 48-hour hackathon, CAD competition, survey challenge, code-decode competition, UI-UX design competition, tech-debate, and other exciting activities.

In addition, a three-day free health camp was held, offering free checkups for eyes, ears, nose, throat, and teeth. Blood donation drives were also organized. On the second day, the Engineers Musical Night provided a free concert for attendees. The event attracted about 30,000 visitors over its three-day run.

In the competitions, Bootminds won in Robo War, Bootminds triumphed in Robo Soccer Three vs Three, Nexon won in Robo Soccer One vs One, and Nakshatra claimed victory in the Robo Race. Team Cathford won the Project Demonstration (Civil) competition, while Akash Choudhary (Pulchowk Campus) and Anand Choudhary (LEC) won the Survey Challenge. AB Strikers (Pulchowk Campus) won the Mix Design competition, and ACIT won the Project Demonstration (Computer) category.

In the UI/UX competition, Pluto the Planet won Best Visual Aesthetic, Control Plus Alter Plus Design & 303 won Best User Experience, Penguin won Best Innovative Design, Sparker Squad won Best Presentation, and Code Odyssey won Best Problem Solving.

The Volunteer for Change (VFC) Youth Cohort of Lalitpur successfully led the final river clean-up campaign under Project CAP, making a lasting impact at the Bagmati River in Bungamati. The event, which saw 75 participants, including 22 Nepal Army personnel, four Armed Police Force officers, and volunteers from the Rotary Club Balaju, resulted in the collection of an impressive 1,120 kilograms of waste from the riverbanks.

The campaign was part of Project CAP (Collaborative Approach for Preventing Plastic Leakages in Rivers of Nepal), a joint initiative aimed at combating plastic pollution and promoting sustainable practices. Funded by the PLEASE (Plastic Free Rivers and Seas for South Asia) Project and implemented by the South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme, with support from the World Bank and UNOPS, the project has been a crucial step toward protecting Nepal's rivers.

Trained under Project CAP, the VFC Youth Cohort played a pivotal role in organizing the clean-up, showcasing the vital role of youth in environmental action. Jamadar Ishwari P. Bhattarai from the Nepal Army also participated in the event, underscoring the importance of collaboration across different sectors to address plastic waste.

"This cleanup wasn’t just about removing waste from the riverbanks; it was about fostering community action and inspiring others to carry forward the mission of sustainability," said a representative from the youth cohort.

Though this marks the final clean-up campaign under Project CAP, the broader initiatives of the project continue, focusing on empowering communities and tackling plastic pollution at its source. 

Bal Krishna Sah, a reporter for The Himalayan Times, received a Global AMR Special Mention Award in the Southeast Asia regional category of the Global AMR Media Awards 2024. He shared this recognition with Dr Tin Maung Htwe, a senior columnist for Standard Time, a Burmese-language newspaper in Myanmar, and Rindi Salsabilla, a journalist with CNBC Indonesia.

The Global AMR Media Alliance presented the award during its fourth Global Media Forum, held virtually on Thursday, Nov 7, after reviewing 413 applications from 43 countries.

Launched this year, the AMR Media Awards invited submissions from all six WHO regions, selecting winners in both regional and global categories.

Shobha Shukla, founder of the Global AMR Media Alliance, said the awards aim to encourage sensitive and responsible reporting on antimicrobial resistance (AMR).