The Mechinagar Municipality in Jhapa district has run a campaign against gender-based violence (GBV) in 10 schools in the municipality.
Students from grades 9 to 12 are attending the event which is primarily focused on ending gender-based violence. The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens and the World Bank have supported the intervention.
Chief of Women and Children Section of Mechinagar Municipality Jayanti Kharel said the program was started at Jyamirgadhi Secondary School and will be run in the remaining schools in the municipality.
Expert of the Gender-based Violence Prevention and Response Project Kamala Upreti said that the municipality was selected for the intervention, as the Mechinagar Municipality has recorded the highest number of GBV cases in the province.
The schoolchildren will be made aware about the gender-based violence, and will be trained on ways to counter, raise voice and file complaints in case of gender-based violence, officials said.
The students have shared ideas on the 'bad touch' and 'good touch', and also the role of teachers and schools to prevent the possibilities of GBV.
Former Asian Development Bank vice president and Chancellor of the University of Nepal Dr Biswo Nath Lohani hasidentified policy uncertainty, regulatory fragmentation, overlapping agencies, weak contract enforcement and lack of accountability as major barriers to attracting investment in Nepal.
Addressing the 31st Annual General Meeting of the Nepal–India Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI), Lohaniurged the government to act as a “partner, not a gatekeeper,” stressing the need for a mindset shift from approvals to facilitation. He warned that without policy certainty, speed and reliability, investments could bypass Nepal.
Similarly, former Indian ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri asking Nepal to figure out the market, said that Nepalis fortunate to have huge potential, and now needs to incubate new sets of private players.
Delivering the special remarks, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Indian Embassy Dr Rakesh Pandey informed Embassy’s initiatives in strengthening the Nepal India economic relations.
“Nepal is the most hydro-happening country,” said executive member of NICCI and vice-president of IPPAN UttamBhlone Lama. “After successful hydropower generation, the private sector now wants to focus on high- capacitytransmission lines,” he added.
The event featured a panel discussion on private sector collaboration and cross-border power trading, where officials fromNepal and India highlighted growing opportunities for private participation in hydropower and electricity trade. NepalElectricity Authority Managing Director Hitendra Dev Shakya welcomed private sector involvement, while Indian officials shared India’s experience and invited Nepali power producers to participate in India Energy Week.
Finance Minister Rameshwor Prasad Khanal said NICCI could play a key role in strengthening investor linkages betweenNepal and India and encouraged the private sector to better understand market dynamics. He also awarded certificates to top tax-paying NICCI members and launched a baseline survey on Nepal’s fruit candy (Titaura) industry, highlighting itsexport potential and role in women-led MSMEs.
Industry, Commerce and Supplies Minister Anil Sinha said foreign direct investment has increased in several sectors.
NICCI President Sunil KC outlined the chamber’s activities, while leaders of major Nepali business associationsreaffirmed NICCI’s role in deepening Nepal–India economic ties.
On the occasion, Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FNCCI) President Chandra PrasadDhakal, Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI) President Birendra Raj Pandey, and Nepal Chamber of Commerce(NCC) President Kamlesh Kumar Agrawal highlighted the role of NICCI in strengthening the bilateral trade andeconomic relations between Nepal and India.
