India’s reluctance to heed Nepal’s appeal to resolve Kalapani issue diplomatically has exasperated Nepali people in and outside the country. The facts support the claim of Nepal on Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura. The world has come know to know about it.

A usual calendar would have allowed this time of the year for plus two schools and colleges to spread their charismatic slogans throughout the country. A series of billboards would have produced the most photogenic smiles of the students of the given college flaunting their successes, presumably because they have studied there. Voices would have emerged from television and radio channels, reminding its audiences the most important phone numbers of the year—that of the plus twos. Most importantly, in their spade card—their prospectus—they would have declared their jewels: their highly qualified and experienced faculties, well-lit spacious classrooms, fully equipped laboratories with research lab and/or spacious hotel management labs, rooftop/hygienic cafeterias, separate hostels for boys and girls, fitness centers, peaceful and safe environment (irrespective of their location), the best transport facility and so on.

DHADING, July 1: Most of the private schools in the country, basically those affluent ones, have run digital classes amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.  Millions of children, however, have not been able to attend such classes, thanks to the lack of digital technologies at their home.

LONDON – Decades of privatization, outsourcing, and budget cuts in the name of “efficiency” have significantly hampered many governments’ responses to the COVID-19 crisis. At the same time, successful responses by other governments have shown that investments in core public-sector capabilities make all the difference in times of emergency. The countries that have handled the crisis well are those where the state maintains a productive relationship with value creators in society, by investing in critical capacities and designing private-sector contracts to serve the public interest.

Crises have been a normal feature of human history. Nations have faced natural disasters, political and economic upheavals. The fact that they emerged stronger each time is a tribute to the amazing abilities of human imagination. The differentiator, however between progressive and regressive nations, has been the response each posed depending upon the gravity of the situation.

As a part of preventive measure taken in response to COVID-19 outbreak, judicatures across the globe have announced the closure of non-urgent proceedings. Superior courts issued scores of orders, some of which were intended to remind the state of its welfare functions, while the others were related to the release of inmates and juvenile delinquents.

With now almost four months, the corona pandemic has resulted in over 100 thousand deaths. The modeling based on a number of tests and recovery data to date indicates some positive trend of recovery but it has not been very effective. The world focused on isolation measures, developing drugs and vaccines but various other options. Let me talk about those options. Vaccination is an ultimate cure as it helps the body to make an antibody to fight virus attacks. Scientists were able to quickly sequence the genetic materials of COVID-19 as early as in January and manipulate its gene sequence to develop a vaccine. A vaccine developed earlier for corona epidemics—SARS in 2002-04 and Mers in 2012—was never used as the virus was contained. These vaccines are now being trialed against COVID-19 by Novavax company and ready for human trials this spring. A biotech firm Moderna also claims that their vaccine will go for clinical trial soon in Australia. China is also on the race to try its own vaccine for clinical trials. A vaccine needs testing in animals first and then in humans in three-phase trials for approval. Thus it could cost several hundred million dollars.

The government postponed Secondary Education Examinations (SEE), board exams of grade XI and XII and all university examinations as the nation enforced lockdown to ensure the safety of citizens amid COVID-19 pandemic. The students who were preparing for the examinations are now locked up in their own houses and classes for other students have stopped altogether. In this situation, people have started to express concerns about the education of their children. Educators are likewise worried. Meanwhile, the debate has started on alternative ways of educating people while maintaining social distance.

VIENNA – Europe is experiencing one of its worst crises since World War II. In response to the COVID- 19 pandemic, its countries should turn to a classic democratic tool for dealing with existential challenges: national unity governments supported by broad parliamentary coalitions.