PREPARATIONS FOR SLC COMPLETE Kathmandu, 20 Feb.: Preparations for the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations-2013 have reached the final stage, the Ministry of Education, Office of the Controller of Examinations, Sanothimi has stated., RSS reports. The SLC exams this year are being conducted March 14 through 22. A total of 547,165 candidates are appearing in the exams this year. Among them, 430,097 are appearing under the regular stream and 117,068 under exempted category. The Office stated that 1,786 exam centres have been fixed throughout the country for that purpose. Similarly, 1,786 superintendents, 2655 assistant superintendents, 21 890 invigilators, 7297 assistants and 19, 860 security personnel are to be mobilized for conducting the examination. Speaking at a programme organised by the Education Network here on Wednesday, Examination Controller Khagaraj Baral said that the answer sheets have reached the headquarters of all the 75 districts and the question papers the headquarters of 69 districts. He said the guidelines needed for conducting the examinations and the authorization for the expenses have been issued to the District Education Offices. Examination Controller Baral said that preparations for the SLC exam have been almost completed and requested the candidates to demonstrate their skills without any fear and inhibition. Manang district has the lowest number of candidates sitting for the SLC exam this year. Only 78 candidates are appearing from Manang. Similarly, 113 canndidates are appearing from Mustang. Nnnn 103-YEAR-OLD MAN SETTLES PROPERTY DISPUTE WITH SON Kathmandu, 20 Feb.: A centenarian man from Nuwakot has agreed to share his property with his son, after giving up a long-fought battle in the court, RSS reports.. A case related to sharing of parental property between 103-year-old Man Bahadur Rai from Ratamate VDC-1 of Nuwakot and his son was finally settled under the coordination of mediation center at the Patan Appellate Court. Through mediation, Rai was convinced to transfer ownership of one ropani and four anna of land to his eldest son Gopi Rai. Court former judge Bodhari Raj Pandey mediated to settle the father-son dispute. The dispute between the father and son arose after the former did not give a share in the land that he sold some six years back. Claiming his ancestral right to the sold land, Gopi had filed a case at the Nuwakot District Court and the court issued a verdict in favor of the son. Following the court´s decision, Man Bahadur and his youngest son Raj Kumar moved the appellate court, seeking a review of the case. The case was under consideration in the court for the past two years. According to Pandey, the mediation center has been successful in winning people´s trust day by day. Nnnn FORMER MAOIST RUNS PROFITABLE SOAP FACTORY Kathmandu, 20 Feb,: A soap factory established by a former Maoist combatant is flourishing in terms of business, RSS writes from Tulsipur, Dang.. The Srijana Soap Industry established at local Bijaur-1 by Dev Bahadur BK, a former Maoist combatant who returned home some months back choosing voluntary retirement, is doing good business. Washing soap produced by the factory is finding big market in all the five districts of the Rapti Zone, according to the proprietor BK. The factory was established with the joint investment of eight hundred thousand rupees by BK and two of his comrades—Krishna Rokaya of Rukum and Sudip Tamang from Kathmandu. Rokaya and Tamang are also former Maoist combatants. The factory employs five people and currently produces soap for washing clothes. The proprietors plan to upgrade the factory in near future and start producing bathing soap as well. Tamang said they decided to establish the factory to develop positive attitude towards the former Maoist combatants in society and to forget the wounds of the war. "We started this factory to forget the sufferings from the People´s War and to explore the means for sustenance. Our product is selling well and we are all happy with this," he said. Nnnn YCL LEADER LAUNCHES PARTY Kathmandu, 20 Feb. : A new communist party led by Young Communist League (YCL) leader Baliram Devkota has been formed, RSS reports from Parasi. Devkota announced the formation of the party naming himself as the chairman and nominating nine central committee members at a programme here today. It is said the party will be 51-member one. Other CC members of the party include leaders of the Unified CPN (Maoist), CPN-Maoist, CPN (UML), Matrika Yadav led CPN (Maoist) who quit from their respective parties, said Devkota. Devkota, who was also the member of the Abadh State Committee of the UCPN-Maoist, has been working in Nawalparasi and is the permanent resident of Kalikot district. Sushila Yogi, Karna Bahadur Roka, Arjun Adhikari, Raj Kumar Khadka among others have been nominated to the central committee so far. The new communist party has stressed on making a single communist centre but categorized the UCPN-Maoist and CPN-UML as rightist, and CPN-Maoist and Matrika-led CPN (Maoist) as the leftist force. Nnnn MOHOTTARI FATHER KILLS DAUGHTER Kathmandu, 20 Feb.: A man has been arrested by police on the charge of murdering his daughter, RSS reports.. Jathuni Sada, a resident of Mayepura in Bagada VDC-9, Mahottari was arrested by police on the suspicion of murdering his nine-year-old daughter Suntala Kumari, according to District Police Office. Accused Sada has already confessed his crime before the police. He allegedly beat his daughter to death after she asked for some money to buy some goods, according to Superintendent of Police Pawan Prasad Kharel. nnnn