FOUR POLICEMEN ACCUSED FOR HELPING PAKISTANI INMATE FLIGHT RELEASED ON BAIL

AFTERSHOCKS RECORDED IN FAR-WEST

Kathmandu, 6 April: Aftershocks were recorded in the far-West Tuesday after an earthquake measuring 5.7 on the Richter scale damaged two dozen houses and triggered landslides in the region one day earlier.
A quake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale was recorded at Banjyang in Darchula.
The jolt also triggered a forest fire in the district bordering India and Tibet.
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CHINESE ENVOY’S FAREWELL CALL ON PRESIDENT

Kathmandu, 6 April: Chinese Ambassador Qiu Guohong Tuesday paid a farewell call on President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav.
His successor hasn’t been named yet.
The ambassador returns home Friday.
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MAOISTS FORM ANOTHER ETHNIC GROUP

Kathmandu, 6 April: Maoists have formed another ethnic group.
Khas Rashtriya Morcha was formed Tuesday amid widespread dissatisfaction the group has been sidelined.
The Morcha it will fight inequality and discrimination.
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FOUR POLICEMEN CHARGED FOR ABETTING PAKISTANI

Kathmandu, 6 April: Four policemen charged for abetting the flight 27 March of Mohammad Jamil from a hospital in the capital were released Tuesday on a bail of Rs.5,000 by Kathmandu district court.
They were charged for helping the escape of the Pakistani charged for trafficking in counterfeit Indian currency.
The fifth policeman couldn’t pay the Rs.5,000 and continues to be detained.
Jamil was transferred to hospital for Central Jail for a heart procedure when he escaped.
Central Jail houses French serial killer Charles Shobraj who has been sentenced for murdering an American and Canadian backpacker.
Yunis Ansari, who escaped an assassination attempt inside prison last month by hired Indian killer, is also the same prison.
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MONITOR BOOKS AT SCHOOLS

Kathmandu, 6 April:: The Ministry of Education today [Tuesday] directed Department of Education (DoE) to keep tabs on school textbooks that distort Nepali culture and traditions, The Himalayan Times reports.

The ministry said it has been receiving complaints saying that private schools were using textbooks irrelevant to Nepali context.

Mahashram Sharma, joint secretary at MoE, said the ministry has urged schools not to use textbooks that “misguide” students. “The government has a separate body for preparing textbooks. Some private schools are not following the rules and regulations,” he said.

However, Rajya Laxmi Nakarmi, chief of Educational Materials Management Section, said her office was yet to receive directives from the ministry. She said, “If any school is found using textbooks that question our sovereignty, we will take action against them.” According to her, the government can even cancel the licences of schools that prescribe textbooks without government approval.

Rajesh Khadka, president of Private and Boarding Schools Organisation Nepal, said foreign textbooks were being prescribed in schools not because of financial incentives but purely for “quality education.” He said, “We don’t get any commission from the textbooks.”

Suprabhat Bhandari, president of Guardian’s Association Nepal, alleged that private schools were exploiting guardians by charging exorbitant fees in the name of school items.

“Schools are meant to impart quality education, not to carry out business.”

GAN called on MoE and DoE to prohibit the use of foreign textbooks, which are “irrelevant” to Nepali context and take action against schools that are using such books.
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CIAA TO QUERY LAND REFORM MINISTRY





Kathmandu, 6 April: Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Tuesday decided to write to Ministry for Land Reform and Management to halt all the works being carried out by Commission for Resolution of Problems of the Landless at the district levels and submit all files and documents to the concerned district administrations, The Rising Nepal reports.
CIAA also decided to write to Home Ministry to instruct the district administrations for taking control of all such documents and doing necessary investigation over them.
According to a press release by the anti-graft body, the Commission made the decisions owing to complaints it received that the Banke district commission for Resolution of Problems of the Landless had distributed land ownership certificate to the landless in a willful manner
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