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Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli today held discussions with the leaders from two major ruling partners, the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML. 

The Prime Minister, who also serves as the UML Chair, held the meetings at the Prime Minister's official residence, Baluwatar. 

NC President and former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, NC Vice President Purna Bahadur Khadka,  UML Vice Chair and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Bishnu Prasad Paudel, NC leader and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak  and the Prime Minister's chief advisor Bishnu  Prasad Rimal were present on the occasion.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli encouraged courageous and optimistic young entrepreneurs to take the lead in fulfilling the national aspirations of 'Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali'.

PM Oli said so at a program titled 'Startup Entrepreneurs with PM' organized by the Industrial Enterprise Development Institute at the PM's official residence, Baluwatar, today.

Oli urged them to move forward with optimism and a vision of a developed country as well as with 'We can do!' attitude. 

"We will be graduating into developing country status in 2026. After that we will be a developing country. No one will come and build our nation. We have to do it ourselves," asserted the septuagenarian leader.

He viewed that through the use of technology, innovation and practical application, we can move towards modernization and optimum production.  "If we are committed to propel it, we can do it. Nepal will rise," said the Head of the Government. 

Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Development Ramnath Adhikari said that the government is committed to ensuring the right to food as a fundamental right as a welfare state.

Addressing an inaugural session and ministerial roundtable of the UN Food Systems Summit Stocktake (UNFSS+4) held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from July 27-29, Minister Adhikari asserted that the right to food has been enshrined as a fundamental right by the Nepal's Constitution. 

The minister also apprised the delegates of the summit that the government of Nepal has issued the Food Rights and Sovereignty Act and related regulations to enact the Right to Food.

Minister Adhikari noted, "It is not only a legal provision but also a political and ethical responsibility which will guide the national efforts."

He emphasized the need for a small economy like Nepal to develop the local food system and strengthen it to tackle the problems emanating from climate-related vulnerabilities, fragile mountainous terrain, degraded ecosystem, loss of biodiversity, rising food and agricultural imports and increasing consumption of unhealthy foods among others.

Shedding light on various government initiatives to support and empower the local farmers, women and youths as a part of development of local food system and strengthening program, the minister mentioned that priority has been accorded to the production of nutritious local and indigenous crops and development of value chain.

He also informed about the government's initiatives to incorporate locally produced food items in the school midday meal which, he added, had contributed in addressing the malnutrition among the school-going children thereby positively impacting their learning outcomes.

This effort, according to him, had also supported the rural economy and aiding the development of a resilient local food system. 

He shared about various sustainable and resilient agricultural practices being exercised and promoted in Nepal such as environment friendly agriculture, organic farming, climate-friendly agriculture and agricultural biodiversity and agroforestry systems.

He said that Nepal, as a low-income country, lacks the financial and institutional strength to transform its current food system into a sustainable, resilient and inclusive one in order to improve food security and nutrition. 

Highlighting the growing challenges caused by climate change in food production and the security system, the minister called for international support to address these issues.

Speaker Devraj Ghimire has said power of the Parliament rests on digital access and public trust. 

He said this in the 'Sixth World Conference of Speakers of Parliaments' organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and the United Nations (UN) in Geneva, Switzerland on July 29-31 today. 

Delivering his remarks on the topic 'What will be the role of parliamentarians in shaping our digital future?'Ghimire noted, "The strength of the Parliament today is not merely in the papers but rests on digital access and public trust". 

Highlighting the need of increasing budget in the technology sector, he said it has been of utmost importance to assure resources in digital infrastructure, cyber security, internet literacy and data protection. 

He argued that the Parliament should be developed as a leading institution rather than keeping itself behind in the era of digital transformation. 

"The parliamentarians have been successful in straightly holding dialogue with the citizens and receive their responses through social networking sites and digital media, as well as reflect the people's mandate in policy formulation", he shared. 

“However, the challenge of misusing technology for spreading misinformation and propaganda are on the rise. Parliaments have the responsibility to promote digital literacy along with the use of technology”, Ghimire mentioned. 

Speaker Ghimire expressed confidence that Parliaments can make their operations more effective by practicing technologies like machine learning, data centers, digitization, and speech-to-text technology, and that such technologies will strengthen the relationship between the parliament and the public. 

“I would like to inform you that a study is being conducted on the use of artificial intelligence in legislative management in the federal Parliament  of Nepal”, the Speaker shared, adding, “We are working on the artificial intelligence bill and the social media bill in the country. 

He informed that digital technology has provided an important opportunity to enhance the transparency, efficiency, and public participation in the functioning of the parliament. 

Technologies like online broadcasting, e-parliament systems, digital records, and electronic voting systems have contributed to the effective operations of the Parliament.