BIRATNAGAR, Feb 24: Senior litterateur and linguist Prof Bal Krishna Pokharel passed away this morning. He was 85.
He died at his residence in Biratnagar-8 at 1:00 am today. Following low blood pressure, Pokharel was admitted to the hospital on Saturday.
Pokharel has more than 115 creations to his credit, including the popular History of Khas community, Nepal Brihat Sabdakosh and 100 Barsa, according to litterateur Min Kumar Shrestha.
He is survived by his son and two daughters. Pokharel will be cremated at the local Paropakar Ghat later today, according to family sources.
Finland is considered a country rich in intellectual and educational reforms. Its initiation on a number of novel and simple changes over the years have revolutionized Finland’s educational system. The country has outranked the United States and is currently gaining on Eastern Asian countries.
Finland’s education system has been widely appreciated because of its holistic teaching environment and common-sense practices. This country does not believe in cramming on robotic schedules.
The reasons why Finland’s education system is getting popular:
It does not have a standardized testing
Finland does not believe in standardized tests. It has, however, a National Matriculation Exam — a voluntary test for students at the end of an upper-secondary school. Students in Finland are graded on an individualized basis and a grading system set by their teachers. The Ministry of Education carries out the students’ overall progress.
Teacher’s Accountability
Teachers in Finland are required to have a Master’s degree before entering the teaching profession. If a teacher is not performing well, the principal will take care of the teacher. They are not blamed since there is often no reason to have a rigorous “grading” system for teachers.
Cooperation not competition
In Finland, they believe that real winners do not compete since they do not worry about arbitrary merit-based systems. They do not believe in top performing schools or teachers. The education system is not an environment of competition in Finland. Cooperation is the mantra.
Basics is the priority
Instead, they looked to make the school environment a more equitable place.
Finland focusses on making the school environment a more equitable place because they believe education should be an instrument to balance out social inequality. All students in Finland receive free school meals, and have access to health care, psychological counseling and individualized guidance.
School at an older age
In Finland, students are enrolled to schools when they are seven years old. This is to give free reign in the developing childhood years, which means that it is a way to let a kid be a kid. A Finnish student is required to attend only 9 years of compulsory school. All things past the ninth grade or at the age of 16 is optional.
Professional options
Finland offers options that are advantageous for the students continuing their education. They have also a three-year program, which prepares students for the Matriculation Test. The test determines their acceptance into a university. They have also a vocational education, a three-year program, which trains students for various careers.
Students wake up late
Students in Finland usually start school anywhere from 9:00 to 9:45 am. According to research, early start times can be detrimental to the well-being, health, and maturation of the students. Schools in Finland usually end by 2:00 or 2:45 am. They also have longer class periods and longer breaks in between. The system is to create an environment of holistic learning.
Consistent instruction
Schools in Finland has fewer teachers and students. Students often have the same teacher for up to six years so that the teacher can take on the role of a mentor. This will ensure mutual trust and bonding.
Relaxed atmosphere
Finland schools believe in more caring, less stress, and less unneeded control. Students usually have a couple of classes, several times to eat, and have recreational activities or generally just relax. They also have 15 to 20-minute intervals where the students can get up, stretch, grab some fresh air and decompress. Teachers can lounge about and relax, prepare for the day or just simply socialize.
Less homework
Students in Finland have less homework. They spend only half an hour a night working on homework or assignment. They get everything they need to get done in school, and that too without added pressures. (Agencies)
Directed by Manchhiring Tamang, documentary ‘A Day in the Life of a Himalayan Shepherd’ is based on the day of a shepherd of a northernmost part of Nepal’s Dhading district.
The documentary focuses on a Tamang community; an ethnic group that depends on cattle rearing for the last three centuries.
The film features shepherd from this culturally rich community who is in dilemma whether to ask his children to continue his profession or to let them find opportunities elsewhere.
The documentary will be shown at the 2019 Colony Short Film Festival beginning March 1 in Ohio.
KATHMANDU: Kanchhi Maya Koju succeeded in clinching the ‘Pinkathan Half Marathon’ title of its third season.
She won the title by completing the race held today at 1 hour 21 minutes and 44 seconds.
Kanchhi Maya of the Armed Police Force (APF) received a cash prize of Rs 51,000. This is her third straight win. She had won the marathon in the two previous seasons.
Likewise, Rajpura Pachhain, the first runner-up, completed the race in 1 hour 24 minutes and 33 seconds. Pachhain of Nepal Police received a cash prize Rs 31,000.
Similarly, APF’s Pushpa Bhandari completed the race at 1 hour 27 minutes, 30 seconds to become the second runner-up. She bagged a cash prize of Rs 21,000.
Likewise, Santoshi Shrestha of APF won the title of the 10 kilometers race. She received a purse of Rs 31,000. Chandra Raut and Saraswoti Kathayat got second and third positions respectively. Raut and Kathayat received Rs 21,000 and Rs 11,000 respectively.
The Pinkathan, which is initiated by Indian actor Milind Soman, has gained wide popularity in India. The initiation has been aimed at building a healthy family, a healthy nation and a healthy world through women empowerment.
According to Namaraj Joshi, Managing Director of Leisure Port Nepal, which is responsible to organize the event, said around 2,500 women participated in this year’s event.
KATHMANDU: Former Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal has stressed on making the country’s administrative mechanism disciplined.
Addressing the second annual general meeting of the National Micro Entrepreneurs Federation Nepal today, he urged the government to punish non-performing office-bearers and government employees.
He also emphasized on coming tough on those officials abusing the authority. Former PM Nepal also stated that the country would be weakened if the government failed to control anarchism.
VENEZUELA: Venezuelan troops opened fire on indigenous people near the Brazilian border killing two people, reports said.
This, agencies said, has been a move of President Nicolas Maduro to block U.S.-backed efforts to bring aid into the country.
The United States has been storing aid in the Colombian town of Cucuta this weekend.
Despite shortages of food and medicine in the country, Maduro has been denying of a humanitarian crisis in Venezuela. (Agencies)
SAPTARI: Police arrested two men on the charge of raping a 20-year-old girl in the district.
The culprits have been identified as Bhim Mukhiya and Bharat Mukhiya of Kanchanrup Municipality-5.
The duo have been accused of luring the differently-abled girl and raping her by taking her to the Koshitappu Wildlife Reserve.
KATHMANDU: CYC Attariya won the third edition of the Dhangadi Premier League (DPL) defeating Mahendranagar United by three wickets.
Winning the toss, Mahendranagar United decided to bat first and scored 123 runs with the loss of seven wickets in allotted 20 overs game played at the Fapla International Cricket Ground in Dhangadi.
Receiving the target of 123 runs, CYC Attariya hit 127 with one run remaining. Sunny Patel of CYC scored the highest 47 run (not out) in 26 bowls with three fours and three sixes.
Deependra Rawat and Dipendra Sing Airee took two wickets, and Sunny Patel took a single wicket for Attariya.
Likewise, Mohammad Naveed and Sagar Dhakal took two wickets whereas Abhinash Bohara and Shahab Alam took a single wicket each for their team.
Sunny Patel was declared as the player of the match and man of the series.
Attariya has bagged Rs three million cash prize and a trophy and while Mahendranagar received Rs 1.2 million along with a trophy.
KATHMANDU: Karin Kneissl, Austria’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, flew to Bhutan today after completing her three-day official visit to Nepal.
She had arrived in Kathmandu on a three-day visit at the invitation of Minister for Foreign Affairs, Pradeep Kumar Gyawali.
While in Kathmandu, she announced an economic and technical assistance on behalf of the Austrian government for the conservation efforts of the Lalitpur Durbar Square.
On Friday, she held a delegation-level bilateral meeting with Minister Gyawali. She also paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister KP Oli the same day.
KATHMANDU: Usha Manandhar, 25, a nurse at the Medacity Hospital was heading towards her residence at around 8 o’clock on Friday night at Nakhhu in Lalitpur when she heard a loud bang of a bomb that exploded near the Ncell office.
She got injured in the explosion and fell down unconscious. When she gained her sense, she was in the hospital.
Pratikshya Khadka, 26, a resident of Bagdol in Lalitpur, too, was heading towards her residence and fell victim to the same explosion. Both Manandhar and Khadka are improving gradually, according to Dr. Anil Acharya at the Medicity Hospital.
However, victim Singha Prasad Gurung, 49, a resident of Bhainsepati area lost his life. Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa has assured that the government will bear the treatment cost of the injured and that the culprits in the incident will be brought to justice.
Likewise, a few moments later after the Nakhhu incident, a pressure cooker bomb was found near the Aangan Sweets, a restaurant at Kamalpokhari in Kathmandu. A bomb squad from the Nepal army immediately diffused the bomb.
Likewise, Ncell towers were torched in different locations yesterday night, one at Chandrakalika hill in Pokhara and the other at Shuklaphanta Municipality-4 in Kanchanpur district.
Series of blasts in several parts of the country by unidentified groups has alerted the police administration. “We are now on high alert,” said Uttam Raj Subedi, spokesperson of Nepal Police.
The police has initiated a manhunt after the incident, said Rabindra Dhanuk, the Chief at the Lalitpur Metropolitan Police.
Police have taken some people in custody in connection with the incident but are yet to identify the culprits. The police suspect that Biplab group is behind the incident. That is because the Biplab group, a breakaway faction of the then Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) had issued warnings to Ncell over charges of not paying tax to the government, not following the Supreme Court order, and deceiving its clients.