Op-ed pages of broadsheet dailies published in Kathmandu on Monday have given space to a variety of issues. While the Prime Minister’s visit to New Delhi continues to be analysed from different perspectives, issues such as the delay in passage of election-related bills, controversy on medical colleges and Nepal’s commitment towards investing in education have also received attention.
On Nepal-India ties
The Kathmandu Post’s Editor-in-Chief Akhilesh Upadhyay in his piece says Deuba’s visit to Delhi must be seen in the context of New Delhi’s growing relative isolation in the region and how it wants good ties with Nepal. Upadhyay says that Indian Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar has emerged as the go-to person for Nepal-related affairs in New Delhi, more so than National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. It was Jaishankar who had arrived in Nepal as Modi’s special envoy on the eve of the constitution promulgation to warn Kathmandu of dire consequences if it failed to bring all parties on board the constitution promulgation process.
He says, “India had committed its biggest foreign policy blunder vis-à-vis Nepal in recent decades, and Modi had poured cold water over his own stellar efforts the previous year in revitalising Nepal-India ties.” He adds that Modi has a chance to rekindle the warmth he received in Kathmandu when he comes to Nepal to inaugurate Arun III.
On failure of Nepal’s education system
Achyut Wagle, in his piece for Kantipur, says Nepal has failed to reap social benefits from the investment it has done in the education sector. Thousands of young Nepali fail their grade XII exam and are deemed unqualified to find meaningful jobs in the market. For this he finds Nepal’s political parties, who have politicised education, and government policies that have not incentivised better performance of teachers responsible.
On reforms in medical education
Dr Aruna Upreti, in her piece for Kantipur, says that the debate over new medical colleges will have a direct bearing on the common people. She says that while political leaders will go abroad for any kind of treatment, poor people will not get the right treatment for their ailment if the government does not introduce reforms in the sector. She accuses student unions, who created hullabaloo against schools with ‘foreign’ names, of remaining quiet on an important issue like medical education.
