Attention to employees and supply chains will help define the “S” in ESG leadership

How Covid-19 lockdown triggered a positive change in Nepal’s e-governance system and digital economy

The United Nations has fallen far short of its goals to “maintain international peace and security,” “develop friendly relations among nations’’ and “achieve international cooperation in solving international problems.”

September 11, 2001. That was the black day of terror for the world. Today, 19 years later, we still feel its reverberations. The 9/11 attack was the deadliest attack on the US soil since the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II.

As the impacts of COVID-19 take their toll on human health and well-being around the world, the imperative of producing and ensuring access to healthy food for each and every one of us must not be overlooked. The food systems that must give daily sustenance to all humans on this planet are under threat by the pandemic. If we want to avoid what could be the worst food crisis in modern history, we need robust and strategic international cooperation at an extraordinary scale.

In 2016, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) contributed to 66 percent of the total deaths in Nepal. For the United States, this number stood at 88 percent and for OECD countries it was 87 percent. It is a feature of the developed world that NCDs be their greatest challenge and a feature of ours that children in remote villages like Jajarkot die every year from communicable diseases such as diarrhea. When our country cannot even at times provide access to adequate amount of Jeevanjal and paracetamol, it would be quite naïve to expect them to deliver a vaccine efficiently and uniformly—if and when that arrives.

The memories of fierce clash between Chinese PLA and Indian militaries in Galwan of June remain. And yet fresh tension has emerged at Line of Actual Control (LAC). The Indian military is now caught in an uncertainty as to where the agreement of status quo with Chinese forces will end. The chase for holding tactical north as well as south bank of Pangong Tso Lake where the LAC passes has raised many questions. Indians think the tactically important high grounds such as Black Top, Helmet, Gurung Hill, Maggar Hill,  Spanggur   gap  along with some other on the south bank of Pangong Tso, ground between Rechin La-Rezangla-Mukhpari and Magar Hill, if  held  and sustained, would provide them advantage to dominate PLA’s position and prevent surprise incursion from them.

WASHINGTON, DC - The same deep tension lies at the heart of the fight against COVID-19 and climate change, particularly in democracies. In each case, the measures necessary to save everyone entail costs that widen existing inequalities. At a time when the United States and other democracies need solidarity, the resulting civic turmoil and division are feeding (and being fed by) populism.

In this unprecedented time of international politics, when the strategic pendulum swings towards the Indo-Pacific region and the US emphasizes partnership with India, it wouldn’t be surprising if someone asks what India’s grand strategy is. Although some even doubt whether India actually has a grand strategy, as a rising power with almost 1.38 billion populations, the Indian grand strategy would be a matter of great interest not only to the small and big states in the region but also to great powers and the global community.

Nepal was quick to follow the international trend of imposing restrictions to contain COVID-19 infection soon after reporting a few coronavirus cases. Starting with restrictions on international air-travel on March 22 to sealing land borders with India and announcing a nation-wide lockdown on March 24, Nepal’s strategy to prevent spread of the coronavirus and flattening the disease curve was well appreciated until collateral damages started becoming visible. The demerits of the decision easily exceeded its benefits to a point that many public health and other experts now state the lockdown was a mistake.