GOVT., REBEL GROUP AGREEMENT

AGREEMENT BETWEEN GOVT., NEPAL DEFENSE ARMY

Kathmandu, 25 Aug.: Government and rebel NEPAL Defense Army reached an accord Wednesday by signing a five-point agreement.
The rebel group will give up its rebel activities and government will ensure security of the group’s talks team.
The group will handover a dossier of its weapons.
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REAPPOINTMENT OF 10 TEMPORARY JUDGES OF APPELLATE COURTS

Kathmandu, 25 Aug.: Judicial council has recommended the reappointment of 10 temporary judges of appellate courts.
The recommendation was made to the chief justice.
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PROHIBITORY ORDER DEFIED TO STAGE SIT-IN IN FRONT OF PARLIAMENT

Kathmandu, 25Aug.:Defying prohibitory orders-- three organizations, including Former Parliamentary Forum Nepal, began a sit-in in front of parliament Naya Baneshwor Wednesday demanding promulgation of a constitution by the 31 August deadline.
Police didn’t intervene to break the sit-in.
Federation of District Development Committees and
National Federation of VDCs and Nepal Municipal Association also joined the sit-in.
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HARI KUMAR SHRESTHA CONFORMED AMBASSADOR TO BANGLADESH

Kathmandu, 25 Aug.: A delayed parliamentary hearing committee Wednesday confirmed the nomination of
Retired foreign ministry joint secretary Hari Kumar Shrestha ambassador to Bangladesh.
The committee has begun hearing process on the confirmation of Foreign Secretary Madan Kumar Bhattarai as ambassador to Japan by asking for complaints against his nomination by government ,
Bhattarai retires 31 August; he’s former ambassador to Germany.
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FIVE SENTENCED FOR TAMPERINGWITH DIPLOMATIC PASSPORTS
Kathmandu, 25 Aug.: Gopal Baniya, Prithivi Chhantyal, Manoj Kumar Karki, Devendra Poudel and Dil Bahadur Karki, were sentenced and sent to jail Wednesday by a full bench of special court for tampering with diplomatic passports.
The court demanded Rs.2.5 million bail each from Baniya, Karki and Gharti while Rs 1.4 million was sought from Chhantyal and Rs.34,000 from Poudel.
They have been charged for replacing photos of lawmakers Gayatri Sah and Bishwonath Prasad Yadav with those of Prithivi Chhantyal and Sita Chhantyal for flight to Australia.
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OCE TOLD TO SHOW ANSWER SHEETS ON DEMAND


Kathmandu, 25 Aug : The National Information Commission (NIC) on Wednesday directed the Office of the Controller of Examinations (OCE), Sanothimi, to allow interested School Leaving Certificate (SLC) students to see their answer sheets after the publication of results if they are not satisfied with their marks, The Rising Nepal reports.

The decision comes in response to the petition filed by a student, Asesh Neupane. He had filed a case on July 18 complaining that he was barred from seeing his answer sheets of SLC examinations in violation of the rights to information.
Acting on Neupane’s application, NIC had sought reason with OCE on July 20 why he had no access to his answer sheets as demanded.
The OCE furnished its clarifications which failed to satisfy the NIC, leading to Wednesday’s instruction.
Ambika Regmi, joint-controller at OCE said that his office is yet to receive a letter regarding the NIC directive. The OCE board will take appropriate decision after the letter is received, he said.
Binaya Kasaju, Commissioner at the NIC said, "Showing answer sheets would help to maintain transparency."
Earlier, NIC had issued a directive to Tribhuvan

University (TU) allowing concerned students to see their exam answer sheets.
However, challenging the NIC decision, Bhim Raj Adhikari, on behalf of TU had filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court demanding a null and void
of the NIC directive. The SC responded that there was no need to issue an interim order in the case.
On May 18, the SC had ruled that applicant students can see their answer sheets if they are not satisfied with the marks they secured. This ruling inhibits officials from challenging the demands of students to see their answer sheets.
However, no student has been allowed to see his answer sheets till date.
Daya Man Karmacarya, controller of the OCE of TU said that his office has not still received a copy of the SC verdict.
Once the letter is received, the OCE would formulate necessary procedure to avail students of their answer sheets, Karmacharya said.
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AMIUS CURIE OKAYS CA TERM EXTENSION

Kathmandu, 25 Aug.: The amicus curiae that the Supreme Court sought to help it take a decision on the row over the legality of the extension of Constituent Assembly has given a clear message to the apex court bench that there is no ground on which to invalidate the three-month extension of the CA but any ruling to that effect should not give the government a free rein, The Kathmandu Post reports.
Though the amicus curiae is yet to complete its arguments, the advocates who have spoken so far since the hearing began on Tuesday converge at one point that the court need not go for a judicial review of the three-month extension as it has already gained political and legal legitimacy.
Pleading at the bench on Wednesday, Senior Advocate Badri Bahadur Karki, a member of the amicus curiae, argued that the CA could amend its tenure provision but in the process the basic structure of the Interim Constitution had to be kept intact and the extension should follow the "doctrine of necessity"--which means the parties have to show the progress, chart out the timeline and explain the necessity. The ruling should also be the basis for judging future extension.
Advocate Tikaram Bhattarai, another member in the amicus curiae, asked the bench not to go for a judicial review of the three-month extension, which the petitioners have challenged. He also clarified that the fraud on the constitution has not occurred as the CA has been performing its mandated task of writing the constitution.
On Tuesday, another member of the amicus curiae, Purman Shakya had suggested that the bench could evoke Doctrine of Fraud as deterrent. The doctrine implies that if the CA is found to be not working in accordance with its stated objective, the extension could be deemed a fraud.
Regarding the possibility of a six-month extension, Bhattarai argued that though there is a provision of the extension in case of an emergency, it could also be used at normal times. Bhattarai had also questioned the Attorney General for failing to present the progress made by the CA during the extended period. The hearing on the case is slated for Thursday.
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