SAARC MEET ON NATURAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT ANTI-TERRORISM GETS UNDERWAY; TOP PARTICIPATION BY INDIA, USA

SOUTH ASIAN SEMINAR ON MANAGEMENT OF NATURAL DISASTERS, COUNTER TERRORISM GETS UNDERWAY
Kathmandu, 3 April: A three-day first South Asian seminar organized by Nepal Army (NA) on Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance Operation and Counterterrorism got underway in the Nepali capital Tuesday. capital.
Army Chief Gen. Chatraman Singh Gurung launched the seminar.
Lt Gen Nepal Bhushan Chand said the conference will provide a platform
for SAARC nations to share their practices to deal with disaster management and humanitarian assistance.

NA Spokesman Brigadier General Ramindra Chhetri, said
the seminar would help the participants identify the areas of bilateral and
multilateral military assistance for disaster management and mobilization of humanitarian assistance.
Commanding
General Lt. Gen. Kenneth J Glueck of USA III Expeditionary Force based
In Japan arrived to participate in the conference.
Indian Army Chief VP Singh is also participating
The size of his team has been rimmed and duration of Nepal has been halved following a controversy on his age, Indian media reports said.
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A VOW BY PM TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
Kathmandu, 3 April: Prime Minister Dr. Baburam Bhattarai has said the government of Nepal is fully committed to bring perpetrators of gender-based violence (GBV) to book by adopting zero tolerance on domestic violence, RSS reports.
Bhattarai said, ´Nepal government had marked 2010 AD as ´ Ending of Gender-based Violence; National Campaign Year´ to put an end to gender-based violence and discrimination.
Addressing a program on ´Media´s Role in Eliminating Gender-based Violence´ here on Tuesday, he said number of GBV has not witnessed decrease despite the preparation and implementation of plan of action against gender-based violence and discrimination.
Stressing the need of rescue operation and safe shelter for women facing different forms of violence, he said collective effort is imperative to provide justice to victim women.
Women should establish their rights on body, property, labour and power ´, the Prime Minister added.
Minister for Women, Children and Social Welfare Dan Bahadur Chaudhary underlined the need to bring about changes in behavior and mindsets to end gender-based violence.
Constituent Assembly (CA) member Sapana Malla Pradhan said the role of media is crucial to make the state responsive to end gender-based violence.
Also speaking on the occasion were chief Secretary of the Nepal government Madhav Prasad Ghimire, Chairperson of National Women Commission Shekh Chandtara, Secretary at Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Dr. Trilochan Uprety, Chairperson of Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Shiva Gaunle and Sancharika Samuha Chairperson Babita Basnet.
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