Nepal

Kathmandu, June 27

The Office of the Controller of Examinations today published the results of Grade X, also called Secondary Education Examination-2019, in letter grading system. The exams were held in March/April.

As many as 459,275 students, including 449,642 from academic and 9,633 from technical schools, took the exams under regular category. Out of them, 8,469 students were disqualified for low grades.

Under the Grade Point Average system, 2,792 students from community schools scored Grade A-plus (GPA 3.60 to 4), while 14,788 students of private schools scored the Grade A-plus.

Total number of students securing A-plus accounts for 3.8 per cent compared to 3.06 per cent last year.

As many as 39,914 students from private schools scored Grade A (GPA 3.20 to 3.60), while 90,445 students from community school scored Grade C (GPA 1.60 to 2.00). Only 133 students from private school scored Grade D (GPA 0.80 to 1.20), while 4,296 students from community schools scored the Grade D.

As many as 52,336 girls scored Grade C-plus (GPA 2.00 to 2.40), while 45,789 boys got the same grade.

Students taking the exams from community schools were almost three times higher than the students from private schools.

A total of 325,330 students from community and 133,945 students from private schools sat for the exams.

The highest number of 105,006 students appeared in the examination from Province 3, while the lowest 32,966 students were from the far-flung Karnali Province.

Khaga Raj Baral, Secretary at Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said that the results were not satisfactory given the investment by all three tiers of governments and the public in school education.

&We found that over 80 per cent of students scored Grade D or less in subjects like mathematics, which is discouraging.&

Students not satisfied with the grading they received can apply for re-totalling within 15 days of the results.

Students achieving Grade C or less in two subjects are also allowed for chance examinations.

The eighth amendment of Education Act, 2016, had stipulated the provision to include Grade IX to Grade XII in secondary education system, based on which the Grade X examinations have been conducted by OCE.

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Kathmandu, June 27

Despite a series of attacks on women with needle like sharp objects reported in Kathmandu in the past few weeks, police are still in the dark about the perpetrators.

The law enforcement agency is clueless on why the attackers are creating panic among women, mainly pedestrians.

Motorcycle-borne gangs have been targeting women indiscriminately in the evening, fleeing the scene after pricking the victims in their arms with a pointed metal.

The first incident of ‘needle attack& was reported in Swoyambhu in mid-April. At least eight women have been allegedly attacked since.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Hobindra Bogati at Teku-based Metropolitan Police Range said it had registered five complaints since June 20.

Most of the victims were targeted in Swoyambhu and Thamel areas. He informed that special security arrangements were made in vulnerable places to catch the suspects. So far no one has been arrested in connection with the attacks.

According to Sukraraj Tropical and Infectious Disease Hospital, as many as eight women visited the health facility for counseling and treatment of prick wounds.

It said their health was normal. Metropolitan Police Office, Rani Pokhari has directed its subordinate police units to conduct an all-out investigation into the incident and trace the suspects. One of the victims was attacked twice, making the case mysterious.

DSP Bogati said police had launched a massive manhunt to nab the suspects on the basis of CCTV footage.

Preliminary investigation shows that at least three persons were involved in the attack.

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Kathmandu, June 27

Co-chair of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) Pushpa Kamal Dahal has been pushing for Cabinet reshuffle as he had once told party members close to him that those who have become ministers through his recommendation would be recalled after a year, allowing others an opportunity, according NCP members close to Dahal.

In the past 15 days, Dahal has made at least two public statements about imminent Cabinet reshuffle.

&He made those statements because those who became ministers under the quota given to him were told they would be recalled within a year so that others could replace them,& said an NCP leader close to Dahal, on the condition of anonymity. Two other NCP leaders confirmed this. &This was a verbal agreement,& another NCP leader said.

Eight NCP members have joined KP Sharma Oli-led government based on Dahalrecommendation. They are: Ram Bahadur Thapa, Barshaman Pun, Shakti Basket, Matrika Yadav, Giriraj Mani Pokharel, Charka Pani Khanal, Bina Magar and Ram Kumari Chaudhary. Dahal wants to recall these ministers, as those awaiting their turn to join the Cabinet are exerting pressure on him, sources said.

Dahal has been saying that the Cabinet would be reshuffled as soon as the Federal Parliament endorses the budget for the next fiscal year. Although another party co-chair, PM Oli, has not openly spoken about Cabinet reshuffle, those close to him say he is unhappy with the performance of some of the ministers. &Weakness of those ministers is tarnishing the image of the government,& said a minister and close aide of PM Oli. This means PM Oli may replace all the ministers with new ones or remove those who have not met his expectations.

&So, Cabinet reshuffle is on the cards,& the minister said, adding, &Reshuffle is necessary as it has been a year since the Oli-led government came to power.&

But there are hurdles for Dahal to make good his promise. For example, Dahal has been planning to recall Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa as per the pledge he made to party members of rotating ministers within a year. &But Thapa has now become a close aide of PM Oli and the premier does not want to remove him from the Cabinet,& an NCP leader said. &However, leaders are exerting pressure on Dahal to recall all the ministers he had sent to the Cabinet.&

&Yes, the equation has changed in the party, as you can no longer divide leaders into camps of erstwhile CPN-UML and CPN-Maoist Centre as in the past, when the two parties had just merged to form the NCP,& the minister close to Oli said.

GovernmentSpokesperson and Minister of Communications and Information Technology Gokul Baskota did not comment on the issue during todayweekly press conference. &The PM has the authority to reshuffle the Cabinet. I cannot say anything about it,& he said.

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KATHMANDU: Police arrested two persons in possession of leopard bones and hide from a guest house in Mitranagar of Kathmandu Metropolitan City-26 on Wednesday afternoon.

Police have identified the arrestees as Mishrung Chemjong (24) and Prashant Das Chemjong (30), both hailing from Phalgunanda Rural Municipality-4 in Panchthar district.

A joint team of police personnel deployed from Metropolitan Police Circle, Balaju and Metropolitan Police Sector, Gongabu raided the room in Nawa Durga Guest House where the duo was staying and arrested them after finding the animal parts hidden inside.

Meanwhile, further investigation into the case is underway, said police.

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