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London — The cloth screen to be used for the most sacred part of the religious ceremony at the Coronation of King Charles III at Westminster Abbey in London on May 6 will have strong Commonwealth symbolism with each of the member-country names, including India, sewn into the fabric, Buckingham Palace has revealed.

The “anointing screen” was unveiled this weekend to show a central design of a tree with branches filled with 56 leaves representing the Commonwealth nations, which the palace said is reflective of the 74-year-old monarch’s “deep affection” for the organisation.

The anointing, historically regarded as a moment between the Sovereign and God with a screen or canopy in place given its sanctity, takes place before the crowning of a British monarch.

London – A London-based Chartered Accountant, Mayuri Chordia, has been awarded the ‘Young Achievers Award.’

The award was presented by Sarah Owen MP, Minister for Local Government & Faith, in the House of Commons of the UK Parliament. The award was given to Chordia in recognition of her contribution in the social, religious, economic, cultural and business fields.

Accepting the award, Ms Chordia, who is financial director of Sunrise Financial Ltd, said that she is committed to the welfare of the society and her main objective is to bring significant improvements in the global economy, social welfare, environment impact and economic empowerment.

“My ultimate aim is to bring peace, non-violence, love and harmony in the whole world,” she added.

Minister for Trade Policy, Gareth Richard Thomas, British MPs and other dignitaries were present in the ceremony. Speaking on the occasion, Bob Blackman, MP, said the Jain philosophy of peaceful cooperation wants to make sure that the world could be a much better place to live. The whole aspect of living life in that way is very inspiring. 

A native of Ratlan, Madhya Pradesh, India, Ms Chordia has been working in London for the last 15 years.

London – The two-day Nepal Study Days (24-25 April, 2023) has concluded in Huddersfield, UK.

The event was organised jointly by Britain Nepal Academic Council (BNAC) and School of Human and Health Sciences, University of Huddersfield. During the conference, scholars and academics based in the UK, Nepal and elsewhere made their presentations on topics including health, education, gender and environment.

The 20^th Study days also celebrated the work of Prof Michael Hutt, Professor of Nepali and Himalayan Studies, at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), who took early retirement in late 2021.

Chairperson of Nepal Health Research Council (NHRC), Professor Gehnath Baral and Member Secretary Dr Pradip Gyanwali, also attended the conference.

“I am delighted to be in this conference and there are several presentations which are very much policy relevant,” said Dr Gyanwali. “The Nepal Government will incorporate these recommendations in policy and practice. We also look to collaborate with Professor Padam and his team for the development of an Evidence Synthesis Centre in Nepal.” 

Other speakers included Dr Susan Acharya from Tribhuvan University, Professor Tejendra Pherali, University College London, and Professor Simon Rushton from the University of Sheffield. 

Professor Rushton presented initial findings from the MRC-funded project on impact of Federalisation on Nepalese Health Systems, and highlighted the emerging issues and co-production of policy and practice recommendations in Nepal’s Health System during federalisation. 

Similarly, Professor Pherali discussed the politics of higher education in Nepal and Dr Acharya talked about health literacy and intergenerational learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic, as health and education are the two key pillars that plays an important role to the development of the Nepalese society. The two round-table discussions in the conference discussed the current challenges and opportunities in healthcare research and higher education in Nepal. 

Papers presented discussed about the impact of federalization on health system, impact of Covid 19 on health services delivery and education in Nepal, state of disaster research, challenges on health care research, reintegration of returnee migrants, Nepal Family Cohort Study, tuberculosis care and cost of inpatient burn management in Nepal, among others.

“We had interesting and stimulating presentations and discussions on a range of subjects related to Nepal,” said Prof Padam Simkhada, Professor of Global Health and Associate Dean at the University of Huddersfield and chairperson of the conference organising committee. “We hope these academic discussions will also be able to provide important policy recommendations to policymakers in Nepal and beyond.”

The BNAC was established in 2000 with a view to promote academic and scholarly links between Britain and Nepal through collaborative research, exchange programmes and organisation of annual lectures, and seminars on areas of mutual interest to both British and Nepali academics and researchers.

London — Captain Ram Bahadur Limbu VC, MVO, a decorated Gurkha soldier known for his bravery and valor on the battlefield, has passed away at the age of 83 on Saturday. According to his son Mohan Begha Limbu, he passed away at 3:45 am this morning while receiving treatment at Mediciti Hospital in Lalitpur. He had been unwell for the past six months and was initially treated at B&C Hospital in Jhapa for kidney and heart-related issues.

Captain Limbu was transported to Kathmandu for further treatment as his condition failed to improve. With the assistance and coordination of Gorkha Welfare and Armed Police, a helicopter was chartered to bring him to the capital city. Initially, Limbu was transported to and from his home in Nakhipot to Nepal Mediciti Hospital for the first two months. However, he was eventually admitted to the hospital last month.

Captain Limbu will be remembered for his heroic actions during the Borneo Confrontation in November 1965, when, as a 26-year-old Lance Corporal serving in the 2nd Battalion of the 10th Princess Mary’s Own Gurkha Rifles, he rescued two of his men under intense enemy fire and, after securing their safety, fought valiantly against enemy soldiers. He then served in the 2nd Battalion of the 10th Princess Mary’s Own Gurkha Rifles.

London — The 6th Nepal-United Kingdom Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) meeting was held on 26 April 2023 at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in London. During the meeting, the two sides reviewed the overall state of Nepal-UK relations and discussed ways to enhance engagements in various areas of mutual interest.

The delegations exchanged views on the longstanding friendship and cooperation between the two countries and discussed progress made in major aspects of the bilateral relations, including development cooperation, trade, investment and tourism, education and human resource development, consular matters, and people-to-people linkages. They also discussed the British Gurkha issues, climate change, and sustainable development, as well as working together on agendas of mutual interest in multilateral forums. The meeting also reviewed the ongoing talks on Ex-Gurkha issues and agreed to continue discussions towards addressing the grievances.

The UK side highlighted the changing shape of its development cooperation portfolio and shared the priority areas of future cooperation with Nepal, including support in transitioning to a middle-income country and progress towards sustainable development goals, help in mobilizing investment and climate finance, support in expanding access to education, and addressing gender inequalities. The Nepali side appreciated the valuable development cooperation provided by the United Kingdom as one of the largest development partners and emphasized the need for continuity and enhancement of such support at a critical time of graduation from the least developed country status.

The two sides agreed to work towards further consolidating and widening cooperation and engagements in productive sectors such as trade, investment, energy, and tourism. It was also agreed that scaling up investment in Nepal’s clean energy would not only foster economic growth but would also help address the agenda of climate change. The two sides also discussed the utilization of investment windows such as British International Investment and the possibility of channelizing more resources from British Investments Partnership.

The two sides renewed their willingness to cooperate on various matters of common interest at multilateral forums, such as advancing the agendas of climate change, poverty alleviation, and sustainable development, among others. The United Kingdom appreciated Nepal’s contribution to UN peacekeeping as the second-largest troops providing country currently.

In a separate meeting, Foreign Secretary Mr. Bharat Raj Paudyal and the Permanent Under-Secretary at FCDO Sir Philip Barton had a productive discussion on a range of topics, including marking the centenary of the Friendship Treaty, exchange of high-level visits, and bilateral cooperation. Overall, the meeting was seen as productive in terms of furthering the Nepal-UK relationship and exploring new avenues for cooperation.

London – British NGOs and charities working in Nepal have called for enhanced support to countries like Nepal amid the global food, fuel, and climate crisis.

Taking part in a day-long conference organised by the Britain-Nepal NGO Network (BRANNGO) on Thursday, representatives of various British NGOs showcased their activities and called for continued support to Nepal, especially in the areas of education, health, and combating climate change.

The fundraising director of Community Action Nepal (CAN), which is working among remote mountain communities in the Solukhumbu region, Nicola Terry, said that the global cost of living crisis, increased prices in Nepal and food insecurity, climate change, and urban and overseas migration were major challenges.

A well-known travel writer, Lisa Choegyal, said that Nepal should focus on eco-tourism as it will bring benefits to local communities. Developing new destinations will help. We need help to develop refreshing, exciting destinations, she said.

Ruby Glasspool, Deputy Director of The Glacier Trust, which is working in the Kavre region, said that there was a lack of education regarding agriculture techniques among local communities. “We should encourage people to stay where they are and keep working on the land they own,” she said. She also described how her organisation was helping local communities to grow high-value crops like coffee.

Founder and CEO of Pipal Tree, a British NGO that has been working in Nepal since 1999, Lt Col (Retd) Philip Holmes said that the elephant in the room is climate change. Saying that there are 22,000 Community Forest User Groups in Nepal, Mr Holmes said indigenous knowledge and local communities should be mobilised to combat climate change. He said that his organisation was working in Dhanusha and Kathmandu and had already created 13 forests using the Miyawaki method.

Camilla Sugden, Deputy Head, South Asia region at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), said that Nepal and UK are celebrating 100 years of peace and friendship treaty this year. The maternal mortality rate (MMR) in Nepal stood at 900 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1950 but has come down to 151 per 100,000 live births now. “It’s a fantastic achievement. The UK government is committed to supporting Nepal’s socio-economic transformation.”

Nepal became a Lower Middle-Income Country (LMIC) in 2020, but its graduation is fragile. Drop in remittances could see Nepal return to the Low-Income Country (LIC) status, she warned.

‘Nepal focusing on inclusive and accelerated economic growth’

Addressing the conference organised at the Nepali embassy in London, Ambassador of Nepal to the UK, Gyan Chandra Acharya, appreciated the work of British NGOs in Nepal.“The work you do is very critical to enhance the quality of education in rural areas.  Your work is critical in providing and delivering services to people. We need to do more and do better. After the earthquake and pandemic, Nepal has now moved towards green development and towards achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) agenda, among others. Nepal is focusing on inclusive and accelerated economic growth, making it sustainable and resilient from disaster, and degradation of the environment, we look forward to working with you all,” he added.

President of Non Resident Nepali Association International Coordination (NRNA ICC), Kul Acharya, appreciated the fantastic work British NGOs were doing in Nepal. “NRNA always stands ready to work together with BRANNGO and assist your members in whatever way possible. We look forward to work closely with you all in the days to come,” he added.

A member of the British Parliament and Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Nepal, Virendra Sharma said the rise of India and China will continue to impact Nepal as a crossroad of Asia. “The UK must support Nepal to continue its own roots for the future. It will be the government of Nepal and civil society that will fight against climate change and eradicate poverty.”

“In this interdependent world, no country is an island. The UK is the largest bilateral donor to Nepal. Successful but sustainable and responsible businesses have to be part of prosperity. Govt oversight is also equally important,” he added.

The participants also called upon the British government to increase its Overseas Development Aid (ODA) commitment to 0.7 percent of its Gross National Income (GNI).

The United Nations has set a target for countries to spend 0.7 percent of their GNI on ODA. In 2013, the UK achieved this target for the first time. But in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, the British government reduced its ODA to 0.5 percent of GNI from 2021 “as a temporary measure.”

“Countries like Nepal need more assistance now, not less,” said Nick Hinton, chairman of BRANNGO. “Our members are committed to helping the people of Nepal to help themselves. But we also need help from the British government and the public.” He urged the Nepal government to facilitate the works of British NGOs so that they could support local communities more effectively.

BRANNGO was established in 2018 to support its members and share their expertise and experiences of working in Nepal. BRANNGO has developed Working Groups broadly aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals in relation to Nepal.  Education, Health, Environment, Conservation, and Climate Change are its primary focus areas. It also organises ‘virtual coffee mornings’ online providing a useful forum for informal inquiries and discussion.

London – Nepali officials as well as tech entrepreneurs have said that Nepal is all set to emerge as a tech hub. 

Addressing an event organised by the Embassy of Nepal in London on Tuesday, Nepal’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, Gyan Chandra Acharya, said that as the world was passing through the fourth industrial revolution, time had come for Nepal to leapfrog through technological revolution. 

“We have a young, dynamic population and the country is moving towards socio-economic transformation. Nepal government’s policy is to support the promotion of Information Technology (IT),” said Ambassador Acharya adding, “We are looking for partnership with all – IT experts, private sector and international agencies. We can make Nepal a tech hub if we put our resources together,” he added. Saying that  broadband internet connectivity was over 60 percent in Nepal and there was a huge talent pool in the country, Ambassador Acharya urged the British investors to invest in Nepal including in the IT sector. He said Tuesday’s event was just a beginning and that the Embassy will be organising a big investment event in September 2023.

Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, Anil Kumar Dutta, said that the government of Nepal was promoting the use of ICT (Information and Communication Technology) in almost all sectors of governance. Mr Dutta said that Nepal adopted the Digital Nepal Framework in 2019 and was implementing it now with a view to provide transparent and efficient services to the general public. “The government welcomes investment in the IT sector and we have so many prospects in this area,” he added. He also informed that the government was ready to reform existing laws and regulators so as to facilitate foreign direct investment in the IT sector. 

‘Promoting Nepal as an emerging tech hub’

Making a presentation on the theme ‘Promoting Nepalas an emerging tech hub,’ Anjani Phuyal, founder and Global CTO of Genese Solution– a multinational digital transformation company,’ said that besides hydropower and tourism, Nepal now is being seen as a country with vast IT potential. 

“Nepali IT professionals are now working in major IT companies in the US, Europe and other countries and Nepali IT companies based in Nepal are providing  their services to global businesses,” said Phuyal adding, “Nepal is now producing almost 70,000 graduates every year in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) subjects.”

In 2019, CDC Group, the UK’s development finance institution, invested approximately US$12 million in WorldLink, the largest private sector internet service provider in Nepal.  In addition to this, the ISP also secured a combined Series B investment of  $15 million – $8.2 million from British International Investment and $6.2 million from Dolma Impact Fund. In 2022, the World Bank provided a concessional loan of  US$140 million (equivalent to NRs. 17.79 billion) to the government of Nepal to implement the Digital Nepal Acceleration (DNA) Project. The project will mobilise private capital to increase access to broadband services in rural areas and will also support and secure the delivery of digital government services through improvements in Nepal’s public data infrastructure and cybersecurity capabilities, among others.

“These are but a few examples and illustrate the potential of the IT sector in Nepal,” said Phuyal adding, “Nepal has a distinct advantage in terms of global competitiveness due to the establishment of AWS, Microsoft, and Google academies. These academies have made it possible for individuals to attain internationally recognized certifications and develop expertise in these technology platforms. This, in turn, can help Nepal produce a pool of skilled resources that can compete at a global level. Nepal now has progressive legal and infrastructure framework, offers a skilled workforce and there is an advantage of time zones also.”

Mr Phuyal said that the government of Nepal should emulate policies of the UK, India, Israel and Singapore governments, for example, to develop the country as an IT tech hub. He also called upon the government of Nepal to adopt the Cloud First policy, reduce minimum FDI threshold, promote ICT education in collaboration with AWS & Microsoft Academy and introduce policies like e-residency. “Global investors can begin to create a connected Nepali workforce,” he said.

Taking part in the panel discussion, Chief Executive Officer of Dolma Impact Fund, Tim Gocher said that the companies they’ve invested in now combinedly employ around 10,000 people. “Infrastructure is already there and many talents are there. The cost of doing business is much lower in Nepal compared to other countries in the region.”

Mr Tim Gocher said that besides hydropower and health sector, his company was now investing in Nepali  IT companies including CloudFactory and Fusemachines Inc. 

“The process to get money into Nepal is quite tedious and it can take up to a year. The delay on part of the government can change the mind of the investors. Delays are destroying. Nepal should learn from India where the FDI regime has been turned automatic,” said Gocher adding, “Remote working potential is very good in Nepal as  there are a lot of highly skilled personnel in Artificial Intelligence (AI), BigData, and cloud computing. Tech can create employment in a big way.  Tech sector is highly beneficial for Nepal in terms of employment, income taxes and corporate taxes. Nepali companies should also be allowed to have a foreign subsidiary.”

Chairman and CEO of MBI MBO Ltd, Bryan Duffy, said that technology could transform either business or consumer products. “Nepal should provide great innovator service, great value, and less bureaucracy. Businesses need to be agile because we are living in a changing world,” said Duffy adding, “It’s all about people and culture. You should create a culture that can inspire generations. Innovation is about looking at problems and trying to resolve them through a different perspective.”

Mr Bryan Duffy said that Nepali tech has a great future. “Nepalese are intelligent, hard working and creative. The government should also focus on Research and Development.”

Richard Slater, a UK-based consultant, said that the level of cyber security is still weak in Nepal. “Nepal is highly susceptible to cyber attacks, especially the banking sector. It could be a huge opportunity forinvestors to try to address that,” he added.

During the panel discussion moderated by Anjani Phuyal, panellists Tim Gocher and Bryan Duffy responded to queries from participants. Deputy Chief of Mission at the Nepali embassy in London, Mrs Roshan Khanal, delivered the vote of thanks while Rambabu Nepal, Second Secretary at the embassy hosted the event. 

The event, organised in collaboration with Genese Solution Ltd, was followed by a networking reception.