It is a huge irony that none of the chief ministers (CMs) elected in the seven provinces of the country over the past couple of days are women. Women make more than half of Nepal’s population and the Constitution of Nepal 2015 has a provision for mandatory 33 percent women’s participation in all state organs. But the implementation of this constitutional provision has been challenged ever since it was made. It would be a matter of some consolation even if at least one of the seven CMs were a woman.

Nepal is once again in the media headlines around the world for a news that should have been a matter of the past. Amid failure and unwillingness of each successive government in the past several years, Nepal has been facing a stalled transitional justice process for almost two decades.

The House of Representatives (HoR) has shown overwhelming trust in Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal who, despite being the leader of a distant third party in parliament, has succeeded in becoming the PM for a third time. As many as 268 of the 270 HoR members present in the parliament meeting last Tuesday backed Dahal’s bid for a vote of confidence.

Nepal embraced a federal system of governance with three tiers of governments, namely federal, provincial, and local government, in 2015. Each level of government has its own set of responsibilities and powers, as outlined in the constitution promulgated through the Constituent Assembly in 2015. Provincial governments, in particular, play a crucial role in delivering public services and acting as bridges between federal and local governments to implement plans and policies of the federal government.

Today is Paush 27, the day in the lunar calendar when King Prithvi Narayan Shah (1723-1775), the founder of modern Nepal, was born exactly three centuries ago. In the past, the Day would be celebrated as Prithvi Jayanti and Rastriya Ekata Diwas (national unity day) across Nepal with much fanfare, apart from being a public holiday.

Addressing the first meeting of the newly-elected House of Representatives (HoR) on Monday, top leaders of all political parties represented in federal parliament have expressed commitment to work for the cause of people and the country. As the five-year term of the new parliament officially begins with the meeting, the countdown of the days for the lawmakers to fulfill their promises also starts earnestly.

Universities play a crucial role in the creation and dissemination of knowledge, and it is knowledge which shapes the direction of development for a country. As centers of higher learning, universities are expected to provide students with the opportunity to engage in advanced study and research in a wide range of fields – from the sciences and engineering to the arts and humanities.

Inaugurating the Pokhara Regional International Airport in Pokhara on January 1, Dahal mentioned that construction of the Nijgadh International Airport is necessary as aerial connectivity for a landlocked country like Nepal is the most effective means of connectivity. As a newspaper, we have closely followed the government's plan to build a modern international airport in Nijgadh, which was recommended as the most suitable location for an international airport out of eight different sites after a pre-feasibility study carried out in 1995.

A jumbo cabinet is not a popular political concept in any country and Nepal is not an exception. Similarly, single-party governments are considered better than coalition governments for various reasons. There are some clear disadvantages and difficulties of a jumbo government. In the first place, a jumbo cabinet increases the administrative costs of the country, because a larger cabinet requires more resources to operate, including staff and funding for salaries, benefits and other expenses

The decision of the Department of Passports (DoP) to halt the distribution of passports until further notice has hogged the headlines. Ordinary people have taken to social media to criticize the DoP for its alleged inefficiency and the government as a whole for failing to provide even essential services to the people.