Reports related to the poor performance of students from public and community schools in the Secondary Education Examination has been featured in most national dailies along with the American Embassy seeking explanation regarding the deportation of an American citizen.
Here is a summary of important, ignored and interesting stories covered by the Kathmandu press this morning.
Important
Poor showing of public and community schools in SEE
Rajdhani, Annapurna Post, Kantipur and Republica report that the performance of public schools in the Secondary Education Examination (SEE) continues to remain dismal despite decentralization in the education system.
Two years on since the government decided to decentralise the system, the results show public schools lagging far behind the private schools in terms of the grades scored by students.
Public schools account for only 15 per cent of students securing GPA 3.60 to 4, or A+, while they make up a whopping 92 per cent of those securing GPA 2.00 to 2.40, or C, or below. Grade A+ is considered extraordinary, while C+ is considered average. Grades below C are considered below average although these wouldn’t prevent students from pursuing higher education.
US Embassy seeks clarification
Kantipur, The Himalayan Times and The Kathmandu Post reports that the Embassy of the United States in Kathmandu has sought clarification from the government regarding Saturday’s deportation of a Nepal-born US citizen on suspicion of being an agent of exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama.
The US embassy was troubled that the Nepal government deported a US citizen at the request of a foreign government and asked whether a US citizen entering Nepal needed clearance from foreign governments.
Acting on a blacklist provided by the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, immigration officials at Tribhuvan International Airport, on Saturday, sent back Penpa Tsering, who they believed to be working for the Dalai Lama.
Ignored
NRB seeks written commitment from commercial banks for merger
The Himalayan Times reports that Nepal Rastra Bank on Thursday summoned chairpersons and chief executive officers of all 28 commercial banks in operation to discuss possible mergers and acquisitions in the future. During the meeting, NRB told bankers to submit names of banks that they wanted to merge with or submit a commitment letter for the merger to NRB before the Monetary Policy is announced in mid-July.
As per the announcement of the budget for fiscal 2019-20, NRB has urged banks to submit written commitments that they are ready for M&A, said Laxmi Prapanna Niroula, spokesperson for the central bank.
Tatopani border seldom used
The Kathmandu Post reports that despite reopening the Tatopani-Khasa border point to much pomp and ceremony last month, only five trucks have entered Nepal since, a dismal showing for a trade point that was expected to revitalise bilateral trade with China.
Four trucks crossed into Nepal on the day the trade point opened, and since then, just one more truck carrying wool has arrived, according to Nepali traders.
Nepali workers transferring goods from Chinese trucks are now expected to don Chinese uniforms, said local officials. Traders, too, say they have been barred from opening offices across the border with Nepali importers required to contact Chinese exporters on mobile phones or online to ascertain the time at which the goods are being shipped across the border.
However, government officials said that the border is functioning better than what’s been reported.
Interesting
Lalita Niwas land grab case: CIAA yet to summon Gurung and Paudel
Kantipur reports that even though the CIAA has summoned various people involved in the land grab case including Shovakant Dhakal, Ram Kumar Subedi, and their wives, the anti-graft body is yet to summon NCP General Secretary Bishnu Paudel’s son Nabin Paudel and owner of Bhat-Bhatini Super Store Min Bahadur Gurung. Both Paudel and Gurung bought the government-owned land from Dhakal and Subedi.
On the other hand, Naya Patrika reports that a former employee of the anti-graft body Hupendra Bahadur KC who had been summoned by the CIAA is on the run. KC was also an officer at the land revenue office Dillibazar and was one of the officials who transferred the disputed land to Dhakal and Subedi.
INR 200 to be banned in Nepal
Nepal Samacharpatra reports that the government has put a ban on INR 200. The cabinet has decided that the recently launched Indian currency will not be deemed legal in Nepal. The government has also put a ban on INR 500 and 2,000 notes.
