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Two million face statelessness as India publishes citizenship list

Posted on by SAT News Desk

AFP, Guwahati, India,

Almost two million people in northeast India were left facing statelessness on Saturday after they were excluded from a citizenship list aimed at weeding out “foreign infiltrators”, in a process the central government wants to replicate nationwide.

A total of 31.1 million people were included in a National Register of Citizens (NRC), but 1.9 million were deemed ineligible, according to an official statement. A large chunk of those excluded were expected to be Muslims.

Shahibul Haque Shikdar, a Muslim college teacher, was distraught after two of his children made it to the list but he was left out.

LARGE INFLUXES

“Even my father’s name is there in the final NRC but I have been left out,” the 39-year-old told AFP.

Assam has long seen large influxes from elsewhere, including under British colonial rule and around Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence when millions fled into India.

For decades this has made Assam a hotbed of inter-religious and ethnic tensions. Sporadic violence has included the 1983 massacre of around 2,000 people.

Security was beefed up in Assam ahead of the release of the NRC, with some 20,000 extra personnel brought in and gatherings banned in some locations. There were no disturbances reported on Saturday however.

CHECK NAMES

Anxious residents had started queueing up since early morning, braving rain and bad weather to check their names on the list.

Only those who can demonstrate they or their forebears were in India before 1971 could be included in the list.

But navigating the complex process is a huge challenge for many in a flood-prone poor region of high illiteracy where many lack documentation.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party runs Assam, and critics say the NRC process reflects the BJP’s goal to serve only its co-religionists.

In January India’s lower house passed legislation that would grant citizenship to people who moved to India as recently as six years ago — as long as they are not Muslims.

This has stoked fears among India’s 170-million Muslim minority for their future.

EJECTION
Home Minister Amit Shah, Modi’s right-hand-man, has called for the ejection of “termites” and said before the BJP’s thumping re-election victory in May that it would “run a countrywide campaign to send back the infiltrators”.

Those left off the NRC have 120 days to appeal at special Foreigners Tribunals, which the government says are being expanded in number.

But activists say that tribunal members are often underqualified and are subject to “performance” targets, and that the process has been riddled with inconsistencies and errors.

Instances of people being declared foreigners because of clerical errors, such as differences in the spelling of names, are “appallingly common”, Amnesty International said Saturday.

Local lawmaker Ananta Kumar Malo, whose name was missing from the list, said he was appalled by the process.

PROBLEMS

“There are some problems with the system, otherwise how can they exclude my name?” he told AFP.

The number of mistakes and the fact that those left off the NRC were expected to include large numbers of Bengali-speaking Hindus has also turned some in the BJP against the process.

With many “genuine Indians” left off, the party is mulling a “fresh strategy on how we can drive out the illegal migrants”, said Himanta Biswa Sarma, a local BJP minister.

Those rejected by the tribunals who have exhausted all other legal avenues can be declared foreigners and — in theory — be placed in one of six detention centres with a view to possible deportation, although Bangladesh is yet to signal its cooperation.

Ten new such camps have been announced. One with space for 3,000 is being constructed in Goalpara, west of Assam’s biggest city Guwahati.

SUPREME COURT

The camps currently hold 1,135 people, according to the state government, and have been operating for years.

Nur Mohammad, 65, spent almost 10 years in one such camp until a Supreme Court order saw him released this month.

“I was born here and lived in Assam all my life,” he told AFP this week. “I don’t know if my name will be in the NRC or not.”
Media reports say there have been more than 40 suicides caused by concern over the NRC.
Samujjal Bhattacharya from the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU), a key driver behind the NRC, said the register was necessary to protect Assam’s indigenous “sons of the soil”.
“We are not ready to live here like a second-class citizens in our own motherland,” he told AFP.

Bride trafficking racket busted, 4 Chinese nationals among 10 arrested

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Kathmandu [Nepal], (ANI): The Anti-Human Trafficking Bureau of Nepal Police on Saturday arrested 10 people including four Chinese nationals for allegedly running a bride trafficking racket.
The four Chinese nationals were arrested from Tribhuwan International Airport in Kathmandu. They were Zhen Xianjdong, Zhang Donghui, Quan Zhan Peng and Qin Liyang of China’s Hubei province.
The remaining Nepali operatives were identified as Rina Tamang Bibirani, Parbati Gurung, Amrita Gurung, Usha Ghimire, Roj Tamang and Bharat Tamang, Senior Superintendent of Police Ishwar Babu Karki said.
“They were involved in trafficking Nepali girls and women to China as brides,” he said.
“At first, we arrested two Chinese — Quan and Qin with two Nepali brides from the Tribhuwan International Airport on Wednesday as suspicion grew over them. We later came to know about the racket. We arrested the eight others and rescued five victims,” Karki added.
The Nepali operatives working for the Chinese used to lure girls and women from remote parts of Nepal with the promise of providing lucrative jobs in China.
This comes as a part of “bride-buying practice” which is prevalent in some parts of China where the married females from Nepal are re-sold as personal property to others by their own “groom”.
Chinese grooms paid one million rupees to the Nepali operatives for arranging a bride who should be uneducated and hailing from a financially backward family, but should be good looking and unsuspecting, police said.
Girls and women who fell prey to the trafficking racket hailed from Kaski, Chitwan, Sunsari and Lamjung districts.
One of the Nepali operatives had rented a house in Tokha to train the victims to become ‘perfect brides’ for Chinese men, police said.
The grooms were provided with an opportunity to have a video chat with their ‘prospective brides’ before preparing fake marriage documents.
The police have seized 12 mobile phones, 2.2 million Nepali rupees and other foreign currencies. (ANI)

Is Boris Johnson’s parliamentary prorogation constitutional? How to understand the UK system

Posted on by SAT News Desk
By : Michael Gordon, University of Liverpool

Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue parliament is intensely controversial. It shows a clear disregard for values which are crucial to the operation of the UK’s constitutional system. The process of leaving the EU had already placed the UK’s political institutions in constitutional overload, but that had not yet escalated to a constitutional crisis. Now the country is edging ever closer to a crisis being manufactured by a prime minister determined to engineer a no-deal Brexit on October 31, if a new withdrawal agreement cannot be negotiated with the EU by then.

The UK has a “political constitution” rather than a single written constitutional text. This means the constitutionality of government action can be evaluated in three different ways: compatibility with the law, political convention and constitutional principle.

First, from a legal perspective, the order to prorogue parliament is difficult, if not indeed impossible, to challenge. The legal power held by the Queen to prorogue parliament is a very broad one, and the courts will be reluctant to become involved in adjudicating on a highly political act of this kind. It is difficult to see any legal standards which this decision has violated, especially since the government is presenting the decision to prorogue parliament as a normal preparatory step for the announcement of a new legislative agenda in a Queen’s speech on October 14.

Second, from the perspective of political convention, there was no possibility that the Queen would act as a “constitutional safeguard”, rejecting the prime minister’s request to suspend parliament. As a hereditary monarch, the Queen’s role in the UK constitution is to act as a formal head of state, remaining above party politics, rather than exercising significant discretion herself. By political convention, the Queen acts on the advice of her prime minister, and in this case she has done so in textbook fashion, approving the order without delay. It would be unrealistic to expect that, in a democratic system, an unelected monarch would take on the role of “guardian of democracy” by resisting a recommendation from her government.

End of story?

So if the prorogation of parliament was lawful, and executed by the Queen in accordance with well established political conventions governing her conduct, what are the constitutional grounds for objection?

We can look to a third perspective, based on constitutional principles. The UK’s political constitution is constructed around the relationship between parliament and government.

The House of Commons is the elected element of the UK’s central institutions, and it is from there that the government draws its authority, by obtaining and sustaining the confidence of the Commons. To retain this confidence, and to remain in office, the government is accountable to parliament. It is subject to scrutiny by MPs and peers. These constitutional principles are central to the operation of the UK’s democratic system.

When the government does not have the support of the House of Commons for a policy it intends to deliver, the response should be to change that policy, persuade parliament to back it, or for the government to fall.

The House of Commons does not support leaving the EU without a deal on October 31. But rather than engaging with parliament, the prime minister has had it prorogued.

It’s problematic enough to shut down parliamentary scrutiny for multiple weeks just as the government is trying to negotiate a Brexit deal – one of the most disputed political issues of the current era. But it is even more objectionable when the prorogation also considerably reduces the time available for parliamentarians to organise against a no-deal scenario. With such a truncated timetable, they are limited in their ability to produce legislation to delay it or organise a vote of no confidence in the government.

In these circumstances, the prorogation of parliament shows a clear disregard for substantive constitutional values. It limits the possibilities for a majority in parliament to challenge the government’s agenda. It sidelines parliament at a moment when political decisions of immense importance will be made. And it challenges the core democratic constitutional idea that the government is accountable to parliament.

The government may have developed a pretext to justify the prorogation of parliament. It has most likely followed a course of action which is lawful. But in doing so, it shows disdain for the core idea of democracy on which the UK constitution is based.

(This story was originally published in The Conversation )

Economic growth rate of India drops to slowest in six years

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NEW DELHI—India’s economic growth slowed to a six-year low last quarter as debt problems at banks choked business and consumer spending in Asia’s third largest economy.

The gross domestic product growth slipped to 5.0% in the three months through June compared with a year earlier, the government said Friday, its worst performance since the end of 2012. The figures show one of the world’s engines of growth is weakening amid other warning signs that global economies are slowing, The WSJ reported.

In a spate of announcements within the space of a week, the government eased foreign investment rules, gave concessions on vehicle purchases and encouraged banks to make loans cheaper to spur growth from a five-year low. It also secured more fiscal space to stimulate the economy with a windfall from the central bank in excess of $24 billion.

Data due Friday is expected to show gross domestic product growth slowed for a fifth straight quarter to 5.7% in the three months ended June. That’s slower than the 5.8% expansion in the previous quarter.

While the slowdown last quarter reflects, for the most part, a slump in investment before the election, high-frequency indicators since then suggest the economy’s lack of momentum has persisted, the Bloomberg reported.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is still considering whether to use the windfall from the central bank to cut borrowings or boost spending. The other measures announced so far, like the easing of foreign investment rules, will also do little to boost consumer demand in the near term.

“Since the major contributors to the economy’s investment pie are households and private corporations, their spending hold the key for reviving broad-based investment activity in the economy,” said Sunil Kumar Sinha, principal economist at India Ratings and Research, the local arm of Fitch Ratings, in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who returned to power in May with a bigger margin than in 2014, is witnessing the worst slowdown so far under his watch. Unemployment is at a 45-year high, car sales have slumped the most in almost two decades in July and infrastructure output grew at the slowest pace in more than four years.

“We recognize that consumption will have to be given a boost,” Sitharaman said in the eastern Indian city of Guwahati Thursday, adding that the government will unveil more measures that address demands from businesses.

The Reserve Bank of India has already cut interest rates by 110 basis points this year to the lowest in nine years to boost loans and revive investment, while signaling it’s ready to do more. It has been pumping in liquidity to tide over a cash crunch in the banking sector.

What Bloomberg’s Economists Say

“India’s slowdown is taking longer than anticipated to turn around, with the slump likely extending into the April-June quarter. The reasons — a slow roll-out of a fiscal support package for farmers, and weak transmission of the Reserve Bank’s rate cuts.”

— Abhishek Gupta, India economist

The government added to that with a decision to immediately inject 700 billion rupees ($9.8 billion) to recapitalize state-run banks and encourage them to lend.

The moves were initially cheered by the market, but those gains faded by Thursday as concerns on the slowing local economy and trade talks between the US and China dominated investor sentiment.

“The government has done only some tweaks to existing policies, but nothing that’s really big-bang,” said N.R. Bhanumurthy, an economist at New Delhi-based National Institute of Public Finance and Policy. “Markets seem to be awaiting more measures. The government shouldn’t keep them in waiting.”

In the absence of any substantial fiscal stimulus, some economists feel the RBI may have to do more heavy lifting to support growth. Prakash Sakpal, an economist at ING Groep NV in Singapore, expects the central bank to cut the key rate by another 50 basis points before the end of this year.

“Despite all easing this year, there are no improvements in the monetary indicators,” he said. “RBI is under pressure from the government for more interest rate and liquidity support for the economy and it will continue cutting policy rates.”

India’s National Defence College delegation visits Nepal

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DD News- A delegation from the 59th course of National Defence College (NDC) India comprising 15 senior officers from civil services and defence forces of India, UK, Japan, Mongolia and Bangladesh visited Nepal.

During three day visit which was concluded on Wednesday, the team led by Vice Admiral Srikant, AVSM, Commandant NDC called on Nepal’s Chief of Army Staff, General Purna Chandra Thapa and discussed matters of mutual interest.

The delegation was briefed about various functions of the Nepali Army during its visit to Nepali Army headquarters. The team also visited Western Division Headquarters at Pokhara as well as the prestigious Mountain Warfare School at Jomsom.

The delegation also paid a courtesy call on Nepal’s Foreign Minister Pradeep Kumar Gyawali and Defence Secretary Reshmi Raj Pandey.

The National Defence College of India is a premier institute of its type in Asia, providing instruction to senior defence and civil service officers in the wider aspects of higher direction and strategy of warfare. The course is attended by senior officers of the Indian Defence Forces and Civil Services as well as armed forces officers of friendly foreign countries.

Presently one officer of the Nepali Army is also attending ongoing course whereas nine serving and nineteen retired officers of the Nepali Army have graduated from the National Defence College, New Delhi.

Applications open for Chevening South Asia Journalism Programme Fellowship

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London —Applications for the UK Government’s prestigious Chevening South Asia Journalism Programme (SAJP) Fellowship have opened for journalists across Pakistan.

The Chevening SAJP Fellowship is aimed at mid-career journalists from South Asian countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives; and enables them to learn, build on their experience and unleash their potential.

Applicants can apply for the fellowship by submitting their online applications at http://www.chevening.org/programme/south-asia-journalism until 9 October, 2019.

Acting British High Commissioner to Pakistan Richard Crowder said:

“I am delighted to announce that applications for the UK’s Chevening SAJP Fellowship 2020 are now open.

Media is one of the most important pillars of democracy with the UK championing the work of journalists and media freedom worldwide, including through the recent Global Conference for Media Freedom held in London this July.

Applicants will have the opportunity to join an exclusive club of over 45 journalists from Pakistan that have benefitted from the SAJP fellowship; the programme provides a unique opportunity to build a local, regional and global network of professional significance, further strengthening the great links between our two countries.

I would particularly welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply; our ambition is to have an equal split between women and men who are awarded Chevening scholarships from Pakistan.”

Through the Chevening SAJP Fellowship, fellows will undertake a bespoke eight week programme titled ‘Good Governance in a Changing World: the Media, Politics and Society’ at the University of Westminster in the UK. The programme explores the different ways in which the media play a part in holding democratic processes to account, including government, the civil service and security, as well as the broader political system in both the South Asia region and the UK.

The SAJP fellowship offers full programme fees, living expenses for the duration of the fellowship and return economy flight for the UK. To be eligible for a Chevening SAJP Fellowship, applicants must have at least seven years work experience prior to applying and a postgraduate level qualification at the time of application. Applicants should be mid-career journalists working in the political or economic sectors in Pakistan and have good working knowledge of English (which may be assessed by a qualified English language assessor) Visit www.chevening.org/fellowship for detailed information on the eligibility criteria and award specifications.

The fellowship programme will commence in March 2020. The fellowship is hosted by the University of Westminster and funded by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

The Chevening programme was established in 1983 and recently celebrated its 35th anniversary. In that time over 50,000 outstanding professionals have had the opportunity to experience the UK and develop their careers through Chevening. There are more than 1,500 scholarships on offer globally for the 2019/2020 academic year, demonstrating the UK’s long-standing commitment to developing the leaders of tomorrow. The name ‘Chevening’ comes from Chevening House in Sevenoaks, Kent – currently the joint official residence of the UK’s Foreign Secretary.

Hot Brexit debate after the Queens approval on government’s proposal to suspend the UK parliament

Posted on by SAT News Desk

London– In a move prompting an agressive political row, parliament will be prorogued in the week beginning 9 September until 14 October.

This is the date on which a new Queen’s Speech – detailing the legislative agenda of Mr Johnson’s administration – will be held.

Queen has approved the government’s request for a five-week prorogation at a meeting of the Privy Council at Balmoral Castle, Scotland, on Wednesday.

The prime minister’s decision to suspend Parliament has prompted  backlash from MPs and opponents of a no-deal Brexit.

The government said the five-week suspension in September and October will still allow time to debate Brexit, BBC reported.

The pound is down about 0.5% against both the euro and US dollar. So £1 is now worth €1.10 and $1.22.

The FTSE 100, made up of stocks that could benefit from a devaluation of sterling, ended 0.4% ahead to 7,114.71.

Boris Johnson’s decision to prorogue Parliament dominated the front pages of Britain’s newspapers this morning.

The Independent dubbed the episode “The Johnson Coup,” with the paper saying: “an unelected prime minister has made himself unaccountable to MPs for five weeks.”

In its editorial, the Independent said the move was a “devious” and “underhand” attempt to override democracy and that it must be defeated in parliament, which sits again next week.

Despite the Prime Minister claiming it was designed to allow him to enact a “bold and ambitious legislative agenda”, the paper said it was undoubtedly a device to silence parliament before the October 31 Brexit deadline.

“Mr Johnson is hijacking powers symbolically vested in the crown and wielding them in aggression against his parliamentary opponents,” the paper said.

“That he does it in pursuit of a hard Brexit is distressing for pro-Europeans. That he is prepared to do it at all should alarm everyone who values the traditions of British democracy.”

Donald Trump waded into the row on Wednesday, fresh from showering praise on Johnson at the G7 summit in Biarritz over the weekend. The US president claimed it would be “very hard” for Corbyn to win a no-confidence vote, because Johnson was “exactly what the UK has been looking for”.

Lately today BBC has reported that Ruth Davidson has quit as leader of the Scottish Conservatives after eight years in the job. On the other hand, the cross-party alliance along with the rebel conservative MPs are reported of having a series of meeting to stop no-deal Brexit. Jeremy Corbyn has written to the Queen requesting a meeting “as a matter of urgency” in a bid to stop Boris Johnson suspending parliament.

Domestic, Chinese investment leads Nepal to self-reliance in cement

Posted on by SAT News Desk

Xinhua, Kathmandu– Nepal has largely become self-reliant on cement due to increased domestic production thanks to increased investment from Nepali and Chinese investors in the sector, Nepali officials and industry leaders said.

They said that Nepal hardly imports cement from foreign countries while import of clinkers, the raw materials for producing cement, is also being imported at the modest quantity.

In the last fiscal year 2018-19 that concluded in mid-July, Nepal imported cement worth 11 million U.S. dollars, a slight rise from 10 million U.S. dollars from the previous fiscal year 2017-18.

But the import of clinkers nosedived to 102 million U.S. dollars in the last fiscal 2018-19 compared to 263 million U.S. dollars in the previous fiscal year.

According to Cement Manufacturers’ Association of Nepal, a body representing domestic cement manufacturers, the total market demand for cement in the Himalayan country stands at around 10 million tonnes worth around 1.3 billion U.S. dollars.

“A meager import figure of cement in the last fiscal year suggests that Nepal is more or less self-reliant on cement,” Dhurba Raj Thapa of the association told Xinhua on Wednesday.

“It is due to Nepal’s high potential in the sector, the government’s policy of supporting the industry through extension of access road and electricity supply to the project site and increased investment from domestic and foreign investors, particularly from China.”

A video message to Prince Harry and Meghan from Children of Nepal

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London — MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry have shared a heartwarming video to round off their Forces for Change monthly theme, focusing on a Nepalese project they pledged their support to, The Sun Reports.


At the start of August, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex asked the public to suggest small organisations making a big difference to the world for them to publicise on their Instagram account, SussexRoyal.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Yesterday we received this message from @BlinkNowOrg, an account that you suggested we follow for this month’s theme of Forces For Change, and we wanted to take this opportunity as the monthly theme comes to a close, to shine a light on this amazing organisation in Nepal and the work they are doing. The Blink Now organisation’s journey started on the very real concept where one young woman decided to help one young girl, hoping to make one small difference. Today the Blink Now organisation provides a loving home for over 40 children, a school for 350 young students, a safe house for 10 of their most at-risk female students, a new school campus made from the earth and many more incredible initiatives. • “We have the power to create the world we want to see every day” – Founder Maggie Doyne Their mission is to change the world by empowering Nepal’s children. They do this by providing quality education, a safe environment and through inspiring others, but almost more importantly, they do this by believing in community first. They believe that if given the proper tools and initiatives, people and communities anywhere in the world can raise themselves out of poverty. We want to thank you @BlinkNowOrg for the kind message and for continuing to be a #ForceForChange. To discover ways to get involved, create something, and build and brighter future for the children and women on Kopila Valley, visit @BlinkNowOrg Video © @BlinkNowOrg

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal) on

A video message to Prince Harry and Meghan from Children of Nepal
The couple shared a video from the BlinkNow Foundation, a small organisation changing the lives of children in Nepal, explaining they wanted to ‘shine a light’ on the ‘amazing work they are doing’.

In the clip, excited children from the foundation thank the royals for their support: “Namaskar, Meghan and Harry. We’re so thankful that you chose to support BlinkNow as a Force for Change.”

The youngsters go on to introduce a guided tour of the Kopila Valley children’s home and the subsequent school, which is the ‘greenest’ in Nepal due to it being powered entirely by solar energy.

“At our Kopila Valley women’s centre, over 200 women have participated in vocational training and empowerment workshops,” continues one of the children. “When women are empowered, the entire community is uplifted.”

UN committee faults Nepal in child labour, abuse case

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AFP — A United Nations committee has ordered Nepalto compensate a man who suffered years of forced labour and torture in custody as a child.

The ruling on Tuesday came in response to a complaint from a man from the Tharu ethnic minority, who worked as a domestic worker in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, from the age of nine.

He was identified as Bholi Pharaka.

The UN Human Rights Committee found Pharaka’s employer – an officer in Nepal’s army – forced him to work without compensation between 2010 and 2012, when he was a minor.

Pharaka told the committee he was forced to work from 4am until 10pm each day and was not allowed to go to school. His tasks included cooking, kitchen work, attending visitors and massaging feet.

He said he was subjected to physical and psychological abuse and was never paid.

In 2012, when he was 14, he said he escaped to his home village.

But his employer filed a police complaint accusing him of theft.

While in custody, Pharaka said the police beat him with plastic pipes and electrocuted the tips of his fingernails to force him to confess.

Nepal’s government denied the allegations.

But the committee ruled in Pharaka’s favour, citing his “credible” testimony and medical reports.

Blocked from seeking justice 

It also said Nepal’s judiciary failed to investigate the boy’s claims in court that he had been tortured.

Nepali authorities also ignored multiple complaints filed by his family regarding his treatment in custody and the forced labour he was subjected to, the committee said.

In the ruling, it called on Nepal to bring perpetrators in the crimes against Pharaka to justice, and “provide effective reparation and appropriate measures of satisfaction” to him.

“The life of someone is shattered after enduring torture and forced labour as a child. Access to justice and accountability are essential for victims to rebuild their lives and recover their dignity,” said Helene Trigroudja, a member of the committee.

“It is our hope that Nepal will take all necessary measures to protect and help victims of such acts regain their lives,” she added.

The committee also called on Nepal to remove all existing obstacles hindering victims of forced labour and torture from filing complaints.

While child labour is prohibited in Nepal, the practice remains common.

Children from minority and marginalised groups are especially vulnerable. Approximately 37 percent of Nepalese children between the ages of five to 14 are working.

The team of 18 independent experts monitors whether countries adhere to their human rights commitments, but does not have enforcement powers.

Bangladesh court orders ‘virgin’ removed from marriage certificate

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DHAKA (AFP) – The word “virgin” must be removed from Muslim marriage certificates in Bangladesh, the country’s top court has said, a landmark verdict after campaginers challenged the “humiliating and discriminatory” term.

Under the South Asian country’s Muslim marriage laws, a bride has to select one of three options on the certificate – whether she is a Kumari (virgin), a widow or divorced.

In a brief verdict on Sunday, the court ordered the government to remove the term and replace it with “unmarried”, deputy attorney general Amit Talukder told AFP.

The court is expected to publish its full verdict by October, with the changes to the certificate expected to come into effect then.

“It is a landmark verdict,” Aynun Nahar Siddiqua, a lawyer for the groups which filed the case challenging the term in 2014, told AFP on Monday (Aug 26).

Rights groups have long criticised the term – used in certificates since they were introduced in 1961 – saying it is “humiliating and discriminatory”, and that it breaches the privacy of the woman getting married.

The judgement also ordered authorities to introduce the options “unmarried, widower or divorced” for the groom on the certificate.

Bangladesh is the world’s third-largest Muslim majority nation and nearly 90 per cent of its 168 million population are Muslims.

Nepal, India launch Kathmandu-Siliguri bus service

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PTI— A bus service was launched on Monday between Kathmandu and Siliguri, the 10th bus service between Nepal and India.

The Kathmandu-Siliguri bus service was launched during a programme in the outskirts of Kathmandu on Monday. Minister for Transport Management Raghubir Mahaseth and Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri jointly flagged off the bus service.

The Kathmandu-Kakarbhitta-Siliguri bus service will operate on a daily basis, according to the bus operators. India will operate buses on the route in the beginning.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Mahaseth said that the people of Nepal and India have historical links since the time of Ramayan and Mahabharat, which will be further strengthened through this bus service.

The direct bus service will not only benefit visitors of the two countries but will also help to expand trade links, he said.

This is the 10th bus service between Nepal and India. The Kathmandu-Gorakhpur direct bus service will also start in the near future, he said.

Ambassador Puri said the Kathmandu-Siliguri route is an important land route between Nepal and India as it connects eastern Nepal with Siliguri and Darjeeling in West Bengal. This will further strengthen people-to-people links between the two countries, he added.

Kashmir effect to pegged Nepali currency :falls further as Indian currency depreciates against dollars

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Kathmandu : Nepali rupees has suffered continuous fall as it has depreciated further against US dollars for the last one month.

Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) has fixed the selling rate of one US dollar at Rs.114.96 for Sunday while it has fixed the buying rate of a US dollar at Rs 114.36, according to the exchange rate report of NRB, The Rising Nepal reports.

Under the current system, the market exchange rates quoted by different commercial banks may differ, according to the NRB.

In a month, Nepali rupees depreciated by Rs. 3.69 per US dollar. As of July 25, 2019, a dollar could fetch Rs. 110.67.

Nepali rupee depreciation reached all-time low in October of 2018 as the value of Nepali rupee slid to 119.33 against a US dollar. But after a few weeks the value of Nepali rupee improved to Rs. 110 against a dollar.

According to NRB executive director Dr. Gunakar Bhatta, the value of the Nepali rupee has declined due to the depreciation of the Indian currency against the dollar.

“The devaluation of the Indian currency against the U.S. dollar has directly affected the Nepali currency as it is pegged to the Indian currency,” he added.

Nepali rupee has a fixed exchange rate of Rs 160 for IRs 100.

According to him, foreign investors who are investing in India were encouraged to withdraw their investment from the country due to Kashmir crisis resulting in the depreciation of Indian rupees.

He said that appreciation of US dollar against Nepalese currency would push inflation because the price of imported goods would increase following the depreciation of Nepali rupee.

Sarzana wins Miss Bangladesh title in Miss South Asia Australia

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Dhaka —Bangladeshi girl Sarzana Asif Jyoti wins the title of Miss Bangladesh in an Australian beauty pageant, Miss South Asia Australia, on Sunday, Dhaka tribune reports.

This title win allowed her to become the ambassador for the South Asian Australian community. She has already received a contract for walking in the Melbourne Fashion Week.

Sarzana moved to Australia in 2015 for pursuing Masters in professional accounting and is currently employed in the field of her study. However, as a child she always enjoyed playing ‘dress up’ with her mother’s dresses and make-up. She would stand in front of the mirror and sing, dance and act. Just like most children of Bangladesh, Sarzana was also told to prioritize studies in order to achieve financial independence, however she always had the secret passion of being a model and a performer in arts.

New UN project in Nepal to advance women entrepreneurship

Posted on by SAT News Desk

UNESCAP— The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), in partnership with Global Affairs Canada and the Government of Nepal, today held a national consultation in line with a new project to support the growth of women entrepreneurs as a strategy for poverty reduction, social well-being and sustainable economic growth.

The five-year project titled ‘Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship: Creating a Gender-Responsive Entrepreneurial Ecosystem’ aims to create an enabling policy and business environment that enhances women entrepreneurs’ access to capital through innovative financing mechanisms as well as increase their use of ICT and digital solutions. The project is undertaken with the financial support of the Government of Canada provided through Global Affairs Canada.

“Developing women’s entrepreneurship presents an invaluable tool for boosting Nepal’s economy as well as empowering women. Yet women’s entrepreneurship is hindered by lack of access to finance and ICT tools for business development. The case for investing in women’s economic empowerment is compelling. Women are true agents of change whose innovations can lift companies, communities, and countries. Together, governments, the United Nations, civil society and the private sector can improve women’s and girls’ prospects,” said United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP Ms. Armida Alisjahbana on the occasion.

The consultation event was inaugurated by H. E. Tham Maya Thapa, Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizen of Government of Nepal . Inaugurating the event, H. E. Thapa said, “The Government of Nepal is committed to achieve ‘Prosperous Nepal: Happy Nepali’, and welcomes any initiatives to achieve this end.” She also added, “since, women are half of the universe, prosperity and happiness cannot be achieved without achieving gender equality in all spheres of life. As a matter of fact, economic empowerment is the strongest means of achieving this equality.” She also showed her hope that the three major components of the project, i.e. the empowering policy for women entrepreneurship, access to finance and use of ICT could help the women entrepreneurs to uplift their skills, build the capital and enlarge their market linkages.

In recent years, Nepal has made significant progress regarding its socio-economic status. Yet women are estimated to own only three per cent of Micro, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises and face various barriers to entrepreneurship, which include, amongst others, limited access to finance and ICT infrastructure, lack of financial and business knowledge, and discriminatory social norms.

“Promoting gender equality and empowering women and girls is the most effective approach to achieving the sustainable development goals,” said Ms. Amanda Strohan, Acting Deputy Ambassador of Canada to Nepal. “However, women entrepreneurs continue to face barriers. Tackling the unique challenges faced by women entrepreneurs will require innovative approaches, including innovative financing mechanisms and new financial technologies. Canada is pleased to support the Catalyzing Women’s Entrepreneurship project to provide women-owned enterprises in Nepal with the resources, skills and enabling environment needed to grow their businesses and generate sustainable and inclusive economic growth.”

The national consultation was attended by H. E. Tham Maya Thapa, Minister of Women, Children and Senior Citizen, Government of Nepal; Mr. Khomraj Koirala, Joint Secretary of the National Planning Commission; Mr. Chandra Kumar Ghimire, Secretary, Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizen, Government of Nepal; Ms. Ayshanie Medagangoda-Labe, UNDP Resident Representative in Nepal; Mr. Shiva Raj Shrestha, Deputy Governor of Nepal Rashtra Bank; Ms. Amanda Strohan, Acting Deputy Ambassador of Canada to Nepal and Dr. Srinivas Tata, Director, Social Development Division, ESCAP.

During the consultation, ESCAP and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) announced the winners of the project’s Women Fintech MSME Innovation Fund and thanked the Government of Canada, the Dutch development Bank (FMO) and Visa Inc. for their support to this initiative. Nepal’s Aeloi Technologies and Khalti (SparrowPay) were among the 10 winning innovative business models. The solutions that the two companies are developing are quite diverse.

Aeloi Technologies is proposing to introduce a green energy mobility platform to Kathmandu. Sonika Manandhar, Co-Founder of Aeloi Technologies stated “we are excited to partner with the Women MSME Fintech Innovation Fund, which will help us kick-start our pilot to turbocharge impact finance for a green economy. We are starting with women-owned green transport targeting key underserved market of women-only night time transportation and move beyond into women-led green microenterprises.”

Khalti on the other hand, is developing a mobile wallet and payment gateway for the unbanked in Nepal. Khalti intends to onboard women MSMEs by providing financial and digital literacy training through their local partners. Amit Agrawal Cofounder and Director of Khalti stated, “Khalti is on a mission to take the payment industry online making it simpler, accessible and convenient for every Nepali; and to drive financial inclusion and literacy by empowering a nationwide network of smart “chhoris” (daughters). We are certain that the support from UNCDF and UNESCAP will help propel our mission.”

More than 110 policymakers, MSME representatives and other stakeholders participated in this national consultation on integrating women’s needs and considerations into policy and other initiatives supporting entrepreneurship, financial inclusion and enabling environment – including ICT solutions – for businesses.

Nepali Mela to showcase Mini Nepal in the UK

Posted on by SAT News Desk

London–  The 11th episode of  Nepali Mela– one of the biggest Nepali community events in the UK–  is going to be held on Sunday (25th of August) at Kempton Park Racecourse.

Photo : Shiba Bhandari

The Nepali fair—being  hosted by Tamu Dhee UK and supported by the Embassy of Nepal in London with its highest award ambassadors Cup — showcases vivid Nepali culture at the heart of the United Kingdom.

This year a total of 28  Nepali cultural organisations will demonstrate their cultural identity and  performances, 11 group dances, 6 stalls of the food and more than 25 stalls will be set up by Nepali  business organisations, the organisers said.

 

“more than 100,000 people from the Nepalese community live in the U.K and the motto of the Nepali Mela is to promote Nepali art, culture and the diverse identity in the United Kingdom,” said Nanda Jung Gurung, President of Tamu Dhee UK, at a press meet.

“The entry fee of the fair is £5 and the parking fee is £5 whereas children below 12 years will have to pay only £3,” said Rohit Gurung, spokesperson of the Tamu Dhee UK.

“The chief minister of Gandaki Province of Nepal Mr Prithvi Subba Gurung is the Chief guest of the program. Similarly , More than 300 guests along with special guest Dr. Durga Bahadur Subedi, the ambassador of Nepal to the UK have been invited”, Major (Retired) Krishna Gurung, Coordinator of the event hospitality, said.

Nepali Mela is being organised in the UK annually since 2009.