UPDATE

A sceptic’s take on meditation Classically, health has been defined as complete physical, mental and social well-being of an individual or a group, and as I serendipitously discovered, meditation does not fall too far short from ticking off all those boxes Mar 25, 2017- The virtue of mastering one’s own mind has often been touted as being crucial to a satisfactory and productive life. For many, this has entailed some form of meditation or other, seeking a more “balanced” outlook towards life—an existence less affected by what one’s mind perceives as giddying highs or gruelling lows, against the backdrop of an impartial reality. Today, with the onslaught of the internet, cellphones, social media updates and constant notifications, the fluctuations in one’s experience seem even more amplified. While all these stimuli eat away at our ever shrinking attention span and feed into our endless thirst for instant gratification, one cannot help but question if our mind is really prepared to...

Mar 25, 2017- The Election Commission (EC) has written to the government asking to determine and publish the list of “minority communities” whose representation must be ensured at the local levels. The constitution has a mandatory provision that representation of “minority communities” or Dalit should be the part of new local levels. As the local level elections draw closer, the EC has requested the government to fix the list of communities so that it will make easy to ensure their representations once local polls are over. The Local Level Election Act-2017 states that the government should define the minority communities by publishing a notice in Nepal Gazette as mentioned under Article 306(1a) of the constitution. The article has defined ‘minorities’ as ethnic, linguistic and religious groups whose population is less than the percentage specified by the Federal Law, and includes groups that have their distinct ethnic, religious or linguistic characteristics, aspirations to prote...

Mar 25, 2017- Seven people died and two others were injured in a jeep accident at Rumale in Swargadwari Municipality-3, Pyuthan on Friday morning. The vehicle (Ba 1 Cha 1561), carrying pilgrims to Swargadwari from Bhingri, tipped over and fell some 700 meters from the road, said police. Chief District Officer (CDO) Yadunath Paudel said Dinesh Basnet, 45, of Talsikhel, Lalitpur, his wife Padma Basnet, 40, and their daughters Dikshya, 22, and Diya, 13 died in the accident. The other deceased are Ammika Gajurel, 42; Shristi Baral, 24; Sunita Shrestha, 52, of Lalitpur, said CDO Paudel. Two injured Saroj Ghale, 21, and Sushila Baral also from Lalitpur are receiving treatment at Lumbini Zonal Hospital in Butwal. The pilgrims had reserved the vehicle from Lalitpur, police said. Nine people, including the diver, were in the jeep. Sub-Inspector Tilak Bhatta of the Area Police Office in Swargadwari said a police team rescued the driver and other injured from the accident site. “It’s the sam...

After the cadres of Madhesi Morcha warned of foiling the CPN-UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli’s programme in Rajbiraj, the party has decided to change the programme venue. Earlier, the main opposition party had decided to organise the programme in Rangasala of Rajbiraj. Following the Morcha’s warning, the party has decided to hold the programme at the Maleth-based Gajendra Narayan Singh Industrial area, three kilomentres north from the earlier venue. The cadres have been staging demonstrations in front of the area by burning tyres since this morning to foil the programme. They had also organised a motorcycle rally this morning. Meanwhile, security has been beefed up around the venue to avert any untoward incidents. Police have heightened security at the UML office and the houses of party leaders.