The 12th CAN Info-Tech-2006, a gala exhibition organized with the objective to give information on the latest developments in the information and technological sector, concluded Tuesday.
According to Computer Association of Nepal (CAN), the organizer of the gala IT event, more than 250,000 people visited the fare that was showcased at the Birendra International Convention Centre in the capital from 23rd March. Over 230,000 people had visited last year’s exhibition.
Organizers were expecting 300,000 visitors this year. Talking to Nepalnews, Ganesh Dhungana, an official at the CAN, informed that the number of visitors decreased this year due to the School Level Certificate (SLC) examination.
The SLC exams kicked off on Monday. The organizers, however, described the fair as grand success.
A total of 110 companies, including four Indian companies, working in information and communication technology (ICT) participated in the exhibition. Most of the stalls at the show were promoting their sales offering various kinds of discounts thereby attracting a huge crowd of people.
“The number of visitors was very encouraging but the business could not be as encouraging as we had expected due to various hurdles,” said C N Upadhaya, coordinator of this year’s CAN Info-Tech.
“The government should provide some discounts for such fairs, which will contribute for the development of the IT sector in the country,” Upadhaya added.
“Participants have been able to learn about new developments in the IT sector so the fair is important in terms of providing information about latest development in the field of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) along with sales of hardware,” he added.
The IT conference was another attraction in the annual IT fair. Altogether 38 experts including 17 professionals from ten countries presented working papers during the conference.
SchoolNet-Japan also organized a two-day winter camp for school teachers to give information about the use of IT in the education sector at the sidelines of the CAN Info-Tech. Some 100 teachers teaching at 10+2 participated in the camp.
According to CAN, three teachers will get opportunity to visit Japan for further training. SchoolNet-Japan will announce the names of the winners on Wednesday at the concluding ceremony of the 12th CAN Info-Tech.
The annual IT fair scheduled for January 25-30 in Kathmandu was postponed due to the uncertain political situation of the country.
The Association has been organising the IT event annually for the last 12 years.
The Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) has said that over 8029 Maoists have been killed in security actions since its deployment against the rebels in November 2001.
Army officials informed reporters during a regular press briefing at the RNA headquarters in Kathmandu on Tuesday that of the total 8029 Maoists killed in security actions, 5086 were killed after the breakdown of ceasefire in August 2003. An additional 1723 Maoists could have been killed till today while 401 Maoists were killed in security actions since September 03, 2005 when the rebels declared unilateral ceasefire. Similarly, 461 Maoists were injured in the clashes with the security forces.
A statement distributed in the press briefing said altogether 635 army personnel lost their lives in clashes with the Maoists since the breakdown of peace talks in August 2003 till today. It said the 3869 Maoists have given in till date.
The Maoists have killed 1237 civilians including political activists since the onset of the insurgency, RNA statement said.
Speaking at the press briefing, RNA spokesperson Brigadier General Nepal Bhushan Chand said the RNA was committed to improve its human rights record. He informed that as many as 265 army personnel found guilty of human rights violation have been penalised as per the military law.
He said the army has responded to 74 percent complaints and concerns pertaining to human rights coming from various sides until March 24 this year while homework is on to respond to all of them. Chand added that except for a few hardcore Maoist cadres all others have been transferred to civil authorities.
Chanda also said the RNA has allowed national and international human rights organizations like the National Human Rights Commission, OHCHR and the ICRC to visit its barracks and assess the condition of detainees.
The US ambassador to Nepal, James F Moriarty, met with Nepali Congress president, Girija Prasad Koirala, at the latter’s Maharajgunj residence, Kathmandu, on Tuesday, discussing the current political situation in Nepal.
During the hour-long meeting in the morning, the US envoy and the NC president shared views on the existing political stalemate in the country, a NC source said.
Koirala apprised Moriarty about the upcoming movement of the seven political parties for restoration of democracy, the source added.
The meeting between the US envoy and the top leader of the seven-party alliance is the latest after the ‘second understanding’ between the parties and Maoists on March 19. Immediately after the publicising of the MoU, the Maoists ended their blockade while the parties announced a four-day nationwide general strike beginning April 6.
Armed Police Force (APF) authorities barred Nepal Bar Association (NBA) president Shambhu Thapa and CPN (UML) leader and advocate Subash Nemwang from meeting detained UML general secretary Madhav Kumar Nepal at the APF barrack in Kakani, Nuwakot, on Tuesday.
Thapa and Nemwang went to Kakani barrack in the morning to meet Nepal but were not allowed to see the latter. Officials said they had orders “from above” not to allow anybody to meet Nepal, a press statement issued by the UML central office said.
The UML said the act of authorities was an indication that the government was working against the norms of rule of law and the refusal to let the lawyers from meeting the general secretary was “height of autocracy”.
The UML general secretary was transferred to the APF detention centre in Kakani last week after a prolonged house arrest in his Koteshwor residence.
The Nepalese team boosted by goals from attacking midfielder Pradeep Maharjan and Manang Marsyangdi Club’s Sagar Thapa, defeated Indian powerhouse East Bengal 2-1 to end its three friendly matches in a high note in Kolkata.
Earlier, Shyam Thapa’s men had defeated Sports Authority of India (SAI) 1-0 and East Bengal U-19 2-0. Head Coach Shyam Thapa was pleased with the team performance and hoped for a good result in the AFC Challenge Cup. “I am happy with my boys’ performance and hopefully, they ride on it to beat the three teams to reach the quarterfinals of the AFC Cup, he said.”
The Nepalese team will leave Kolkata on 31st March to take on Bhutan on 2nd April.
Nepal Esperanto Association (NEA) has said four Polish trekkers remain “missing” for the last five days from Jiri area of Dolakha district – east of capital, Kathmandu.
Talking to Nepalnews, general secretary of NEA, Bharat Kumar Ghimire, said they last heard from two of the Esperanto speaking Polish trekkers from Jiri area on March 23 saying that they were “abducted” by the Maoist rebels. “We haven’t heard from them after that,” he said. Ghimire said he was not aware if the rebels had made any demands from the trekkers.
The trekkers — Marzena Staniszewska, Wojcich Mysiara, Konrad Kakolewjki and Maria Los from Poland– – were on their way to Lukla, a popular tourist destination in the Everest region. Lukla is nearly five days trek away from Jiri.
There has been no word from the Maoist rebels as yet regarding the incident.
There have been reports of the rebels levying “revolutionary tax” upon the trekkers but they have never harmed the tourists in the past. A leading tourism entrepreneur expressed concerns saying that if proved true, the “abduction” of Polish trekkers could have devastating impact upon Nepal’s already fragile tourism industry.
When contacted by Nepalnews this morning, chief executive officer of the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB) Tek Bahadur Dangi said he did not have any authentic information as yet regarding the reported “abduction” of the Polish trekkers. “We are still gathering information and will swing into action as soon as we have details,” he added.
According to NEA, some two million people speak Esperanto around the world. Late ‘Mahakavi’ Laxmi Prasad Devkota was said to be a fluent Esperanto speaker. But the language—that aimed to be an alternative to English—could not popularize itself in the wake of strong waves of “globalised English,” according to experts.
The School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examination kicked off from today (Monday) with a total of 332,181 students sitting for the examination. There are 260,047 regular students and 72,134 from the exempted group, according to the Office of Controller of Examination (OCE), Sanothimi.
Students queuing to enter a School Leaving Certificate (SLC) Examination Center at Padmodaya High School in Kathmandu, Monday. The SLC examination has began from today all over the country, Mar 27 06. nepalnews.com/rh
Students queuing to enter a School Leaving Certificate (SLC) Examination Center at…
Only 75 students are appearing in this year’s SLC exam from Manang district, while more than 25,000 students are sitting for the exams from Kathmandu.
The examination will end on April 5. The OCE has fixed a total of 994 examination centres throughout the nation, with 994 superintendents, 1,988 assistant superintendents, 16,609 supervisors, 14,910 security personnel and 5,803 helpers, totaling 40,304 as manpower assigned for the SLC examination.
The Office has appealed to all examinees, parents, teachers, employees, security personnel, intellectuals, civil society members and professional organisations to help from their respective sectors in holding the SLC Examination in a healthy and fearless environment.
The OCE said an additional time of 90 minutes will be given to the visually impaired and differently-abled persons. Those who are unable to write can take the help of others who have passed the 8th grade.
Meanwhile, the student wing of the Maoists, All Nepal National Independent Students’ Union-Revolutionary (ANNISU-R) appealed to all to make the environment conducive for the smooth running of the SLC examinations.
The ANNISU-R has also asked human rights activists, civil society, journalists and stake holders to directly monitor the exams.
The Supreme Court (SC) has issued a notice to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) to attend the hearing of an appeal filed by suspected international serial killer Charles Gurmukh Sobhraj, scheduled for April 9.
In the appeal, Sobhraj has challenged his two-year old conviction eight months ago by the Kathmandu District Court and the Patan Appellate Court’s decision that endorsed his conviction, according to reports.
A division bench of Justices Rajendra Kumar Bhandari and Gauri Dhakal issued the order.
A few months ago Sobhraj appealed against the Kathmandu District Court (KDC) verdict that convicted him on August 28, 2004, and which was upheld by the Patan Appellate Court.
An appeal filed by the government challenging the courts’ clean chit to Sobhraj on a fake passport case was also presented in the hearing along with Sobhraj’s appeal.
Based on circumstantial evidence, the lower courts convicted Sobhraj of murdering American backpacker Connie Jo Bronzich in 1975 at Manahara Khola, Sinamangal, Kathmandu. Now the Supreme Court will interpret whether or not a person can be convicted on the basis of circumstantial evidence.
Chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Pashupati Shumsher Rana has said that the government was conspiring to push parliamentary parties out of the ambit of the constitution.
Speaking at a program in the capital Sunday, Rana said, “The government frequently talks about unity among the constitutional forces but it is trying its best to force the seven-party alliance to go outside the constitutional framework.”
Rana squarely blamed cabinet vice-chairman Dr Tulsi Giri and Home Minister Kamal Thapa for not creating an atmosphere for talks between the royal palace and the political parties.
The RPP chairman said the cabinet duo were the major obstacle to the parties-king dialogue, which is essential to bail the country out of the present crisis, adding, “The conspiracy to widen differences between the king and the parties is aimed at denying the king even a constitutional status that is well-accepted by the parties.”
The government should take the initiative for dialogue and understanding between the constitutional forces, he added.
He further said that the arrest of CPN-UML general Secretary Madhav Nepal, seizure of communication equipment and computers from his home and search of his residence were examples of arbitrariness.
He alleged that the government promoted anarchism in all the government mechanisms including army, police and civil servants.
Stating that anarchy would prevail in the country until peace and democracy were restored, Rana further said even civil servants were feeling demoralized in the present situation.
Over 80 houses belonging to 28 families and dozens of cowsheds were burnt to cinders when a major wildfire engulfed settlements in Taksar VDC of Bhojpur, on Sunday afternoon.
Entire settlements in Paharpani, Paiyapani and Thutenala villages of ward-8 have been completely destroyed by the wildfire. Although dozens of domestic animals reportedly died due to the fire, no human casualties have been reported as yet, according to reports.
Reports quoted locals as saying that the fire spread to the village from a nearby forest at around 1:30 p.m. Over 150 persons rendered homeless have appealed to the government for immediate help.
The Kathmandu valley also witnessed four separate fires on Sunday.
According to the police, fires broke out at Bijuli bazaar, Lubu Sisneri and Kandagahri of Lalitpur and at Narayanthan, Budhanilkantha on Sunday afternoon.
As many as 12 incidents of fire occurred in the last two days damaging property worth millions. At least three people including a minor lost their lives in the incidents.