Badri Acharya is currently at the helm of the public health office in Pokhara, but worked in the field leading and delivering essential public health provisions in the isolated Manang district during the Covid-19 pandemic and the extensive devastation triggered by 2021 climate-induced flash floods.&nbsp; “I walked for two days with our medical team to reach the remote village, Naar, up to the mountain, and did Covid-19 vaccinations,” Acharya explains. He described the perilous journey, during which he navigated through active landslides and steep slopes. “We walked that path with courage, relying on tree roots to avoid falling into deep crevasses,” he adds. Manang is known for its Himalayan terrain and the livelihood of locals, which is primarily based on indigenous knowledge. During the Covid-19 pandemic, places like Manang, Mustang, and Humla, became locked and isolated, where access to basic necessities was already nearly out of reach for villages like Naar and Fu. However, these places managed to provide jabs smoothly during the high influx of Covid cases, showcasing the dedication of healthcare workers. “It was because of micro planning and coordinated efforts from every stakeholder,” Acharya adds.&nbsp; The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized it as “<a href="https://www.who.int/about/accountability/results/who-results-report-2020-2021/an-unwavering-voice-for-vaccine-equity">exemplary efforts in ensuring vaccine equity</a>...which helped protect communities that might otherwise have been overlooked.” In 2021, the infection rate was going upward, and there was a limited vaccine supply, Still, places like Manang and Mustang were able to carry out immunsations without disruption, thanks to a well-coordinated implementation plan of vaccination from the federal to provincial to local levels.&nbsp; According to<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/abhiyan-gautam-59082a142/"> Dr Abhiyan Gautam</a>, the head of the Child Health and Immunization Service Section at the<a href="http://dohs.gov.np/"> Department of Health Services</a>, it was an uphill battle to combat the pandemic situation, especially for a country like Nepal where resources are limited, and distribution is challenging due to difficult road connectivity.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230828130824_dafff20c8c3076963eeba11e122f447f945339a91054625b01e8a6d0d12eb73f.jpg" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="20230828130824_dafff20c8c3076963eeba11e122f447f945339a91054625b01e8a6d0d12eb73f" data-rendition-name="original" width="630" height="473" loading="lazy" alt="IPS NT"> <figcaption>Dr Abhiyan Gautam, the head of the Child Health and Immunization Service Section at the Department of Health Services. Photo: TANKA DHAKAL</figcaption> </figure>  “Vaccine supply is always a major issue in geographically challenging areas, and with Covid, there was added pressure to vaccinate all eligible individuals,” Gautam says. “Thanks to back-and-forth discussions on policy, continuous guidance from experts, and dedication from healthcare workers on the ground, we were able to overcome challenges.” There were existing challenges, including the lack of a cold chain to safely store vaccines and vaccine carriers to reach villages in the mountain region. In the midst of the pandemic, mountain districts like Manang and Mustang faced <a href="https://kathmandupost.com/gandaki-province/2021/06/15/floods-wreak-havoc-in-several-settlements-in-manang">flash floods in 2021</a> that swept away roads, bridges, and houses. Public health expert Gautam says, “At that time, it was difficult to transport vaccines. Health workers used ropes to transfer vaccines from one place to another.” Acharya, who was the head of the Public Health Office in Manang for two years from November 2020 to March 2022, recalls the distress he experienced and how he and his team navigated that pressured situation. “Already difficult situation worsened due to the flash flood,” he recalls, “There was no electricity for a week, and solar power also didn’t work for an extended period. We sought help to bring ice packs from Pokhara to preserve the vaccine.” Physical distancing and other Covid-related precautions were impossible during the flood, adding the risk of infection spread and other public health concerns. “We didn’t halt the vaccination drive and pursued an equity-based approach to vaccine rollout,” Acharya explains, “The situation in Manang and Kathmandu differed; treatment access was available in Kathmandu but not feasible in Manang, so we emphasised preventive measures, focusing on vaccination for all eligible individuals.”  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230828130828_71664f8d04032235fde3cce28f715d4f9d18c58cc616808be4249f0f9907ce6e.jpg" data-media-id="editor_5" data-image-id="20230828130828_71664f8d04032235fde3cce28f715d4f9d18c58cc616808be4249f0f9907ce6e" data-rendition-name="original" width="630" height="354" loading="lazy" alt="IPS NT"> <figcaption>Residents of Manang's Meta village with their Covid-19 vaccination card. Photo: BADRI ACHARYA</figcaption> </figure>  Initially, there was no formal authority from the federal level, but the provincial authority provided enough vaccines to cover all eligible individuals. “Only a few thousand individuals were eligible for the vaccine, yet we provided jabs to all village residents,” Acharya recalls, “A later federal-level decision was made to ensure vaccine equity in remote areas, which greatly aided us.” According to the 2020 census, Manang is the least populated district in Nepal, with 5,658 people, while Mustang is the second least populated, with a population of 14,000. In the first week of August 2021, Manang became the first district to vaccinate all individuals aged 18 or above (4,198), followed by Mustang, which administered jabs to 9,300 eligible residents at that time. As of July 2023, the Family Welfare Division of the Department of Health Service states, “The Government of Nepal vaccinated 83.9% with the first dose and 83.4% with the full/second dose for the total population.”&nbsp; “Nepal achieved the milestone of vaccinating 70% of the total population with the full dose on July 20, 2022, thanks to the exemplary work carried out by the unexpected frontrunners, Manang and Mustang,” says Gautam.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20230828130828_876dbed04c1abe6d7924db9a2d81e406e03dbb896dafe38a4bb7f2ad08ced1a9.jpg" data-media-id="editor_6" data-image-id="20230828130828_876dbed04c1abe6d7924db9a2d81e406e03dbb896dafe38a4bb7f2ad08ced1a9" data-rendition-name="original" width="630" height="473" loading="lazy" alt="IPS NT"> <figcaption>Badri Acharya (second from right) with his team heading to Meta village at NaarFu, Manang. Photo courtesy: BADRI ACHARYA</figcaption> </figure>  Both Gautam and Acharya, who invested long hours heading vaccination efforts during the pandemic era, emphasise that the battle is not yet over, but they harbour less concern about the situation now and hold hope for the future. “The health institution itself was destroyed by the flood in some villages. However, the health workers did not give up,” Acharya recalls. “We provided encouragement. Health workers take pride in being part of this endeavour and remain prepared to act whenever required.” Detailed micro-planning and the dedication of healthcare workers to serve the public good are the factors that enabled success in hard-to-reach areas of the upper mountains. Adds Gautam: “We are now better equipped to store vaccines, with ultra and supra cold chain facilities. We feel more prepared than ever to confront a pandemic-like situation in the future. The Covid-19 pandemic tested and enhanced our ability to combat widespread infections.” <a href="https://www.ipsnews.net/2023/08/nepals-covid-19-immunization-campaign-unlikely-frontrunner">Republished</a> under an arrangement with Inter Press Service (IPS).This story was supported by the Sabin Vaccine Institute and Internews.

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At the frontlines of Nepal's Covid vaccine drive

<img width="1513" height="1019" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110141124/636cfc299c7e80680e0a0b72jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>In recent weeks, Nepal has resumed nationwide vaccinations against the Covid virus in earnest. While this is a crucial step towards ending the pandemic – with only 7.34% of the population fully vaccinated, <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/vaccines-or-no-vaccines-mask-and-distance/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">we are not out of the woods yet</a>, not by a long shot. 
<a style="font-size: 15px; letter-spacing: 0.01em;" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/context/cdc-breakthrough-infections/94390e3a-5e45-44a5-ac40-2744e4e25f2e/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Leaked information from the US Center for Disease Control</a> last week has added renewed complications in this fight against Covid-19. 
The<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/vaccines-variants-and-a-third-wave/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Delta variant</a> was the dominant strain in Nepal, and caused more than 200,000 reported infections across the country within 30 days between May and June 2020. This has now become the main strain of the virus on the planet. 
Evidence now suggests that it is more transmissible than the viruses that cause MERS, SARS, Ebola, the common cold, the seasonal flu, and smallpox. This is one of the most effective virus variants to face modern society, spreading as effectively as the ubiquitous (but mostly harmless) chickenpox. 
When the Delta variant was first isolated, the global public health community understood that it transmitted more effectively, but many questions remained about whether or not it was more deadly or likely to cause serious complications. 
One of the first sources about the severity of Delta included a <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)01358-1/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)01358-1/fulltext&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1628338257263000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGrOA9yy_1CCG3ZKEzLPdBkRu_zAg">study</a> from Scotland which demonstrated that it was about twice as likely to result in hospitalisation for unvaccinated individuals than the original Alpha variant. 
Another analysis of 38,805 cases in England revealed that the Delta variant posed a 2.61 times higher risk of hospitalisation than Alpha. 
One reason for this faster spread is a mutation on the spike protein, which the virus uses to enter human cells. The Delta variant has <a href="https://covariants.org/variants/21A.Delta" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://covariants.org/variants/21A.Delta&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1628338257263000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFeDyT6pXrRRitXys-T0BmqKODhOg">a particular mutation called ‘D614G’</a>(colloquially referred to as ‘Doug’) <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33243994/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33243994/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1628338257263000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFdbibR-uEEpwa7sjZ1qDZKgs9Xxg">that packs the surface of the virus with spike proteins</a> which, in turn, help it avoid the natural antibodies that human cells use for defenseand <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33558493/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33558493/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1628338257263000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHAjuQ_dXz0EpZ-6MCfRroVslX3gA">enter our cells more easily. </a>
As if this wasn’t enough, Delta also has<a href="https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/variant-info.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/variants/variant-info.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1628338257263000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEoIFGa5Um_pxXGHNQwDefBsxQ6Pg"> a spike mutation called P681R</a>, which appears to produce higher viral loads in patients, making it easy to spread to more people, more quickly. A study in China demonstrated that people infected with Delta have <a href="https://virological.org/t/viral-infection-and-transmission-in-a-large-well-traced-outbreak-caused-by-the-delta-sars-cov-2-variant/724" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://virological.org/t/viral-infection-and-transmission-in-a-large-well-traced-outbreak-caused-by-the-delta-sars-cov-2-variant/724&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1628338257263000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEmgWymHmdImGh5su5H_IBjs9607A">1,000 times more viruses in their respiratory tract</a>. 
This means that there is more Covid virus per droplet that we expel. People exposed to the smaller droplets with higher concentrations of virus can be infected more quickly and when standing much further away from one another. 
This makes the virus much more likely to spread between people even with very limited contact: a review of CCTV footage from a shopping mall in Sydney, Australia proved that the virus was transmitted between two persons who were only casually passing by.
Delta has <a href="https://virological.org/t/viral-infection-and-transmission-in-a-large-well-traced-outbreak-caused-by-the-delta-sars-cov-2-variant/724" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://virological.org/t/viral-infection-and-transmission-in-a-large-well-traced-outbreak-caused-by-the-delta-sars-cov-2-variant/724&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1628338257264000&amp;usg=AFQjCNGIeRz4ZJuEq04MfnF6C2FmeOQZzw">an incubation period of only four days</a>, rather than six. This means that people are contagious sooner and end up infecting more people. A patient with the original Alpha variant would infect, on average, two or three other people. With Delta, this number soars to an average of eight. 
The good news is that vaccinations still offer significant protection against the Delta variant. While there is mounting evidence breakthrough infections do occur, and may result in death, the chances of ending up in the hospital or a morgue are vastly reduced once you’ve had a full dose. 
The bad news is that even if you are fully vaccinated, you can still be a major spreader of the virus. A <a href="https://khub.net/documents/135939561/390853656/Impact+of+vaccination+on+household+transmission+of+SARS-COV-2+in+England.pdf/35bf4bb1-6ade-d3eb-a39e-9c9b25a8122a" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://khub.net/documents/135939561/390853656/Impact%2Bof%2Bvaccination%2Bon%2Bhousehold%2Btransmission%2Bof%2BSARS-COV-2%2Bin%2BEngland.pdf/35bf4bb1-6ade-d3eb-a39e-9c9b25a8122a&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1628338257264000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHB5XqQ5B6aTBMVodh1VEJCSX1nJQ">Public Health England study</a> of more than 365,000 households found that full vaccination with either Pfizer or AstraZeneca was associated with only a 40 to 50% reduction in household transmission after a vaccinated person tested positive. 
The leaked documents from the CDC go so far as to suggest that the likelihood of further transmitting the virus is nearly the same for vaccinated and non-vaccinated individuals. This is particularly worrying for Nepal given that full vaccines for the majority of the population – including children in particular - <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/once-nepal-gets-vaccines-they-need-to-be-fairly-distributed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">are still a long ways away</a>. 
Today, despite an increasing number of people receiving vaccinations, Delta has the upper hand. We cannot expect our government to take adequate and timely steps to avoid a third or fourth deadly wave of infections, and we can expect the virus to continue to mutate and find even more effective ways to continue to circulate through the global population. Ensuring the safety of ourselves and our communities is, once again, left in our own hands.
The standard practice of regular handwashing and wearing face masks is no longer sufficient to prevent the spread of COVID. 
With Delta, the most important prevention behaviour is to avoid crowded public spaces — particularly when there is poor air ventilation. A vaccine is not a passport to resume life as normal.
Indeed, the data shows that we all need to <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/keep-wearing-masks-after-the-lockdown/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">change our behavior immediately</a> and with a renewed vigour, and to amend our public messaging accordingly. If we fail to do so, the virus will win and more loss of life and prolonged, stricter lockdowns will be the inevitable result.
Sushil Koirala is a public health expert based in Bangkok, Thailand.
Ben Ayers is an American citizen based in Nepal for over 20 years.

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Delta variant’s wake-up call for Nepal

<figure><img width="1500" height="1000" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109111140/636b83bd9c7e80680e067753jpeg.jpg" alt=""/><figcaption>Photo: MONIKA DEUPALA</figcaption></figure>Ever since he was a child, Ramesh* knew he wanted to be a doctor to serve society and "do something good for others". Even now, as an MBBS student at B P Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) in Dharan, his zeal is intact. As a part of his curriculum, he is required not just to attend lectures but also complete clinical postings. And that is what he was doing till a few days ago when he tested positive for Covid-19."I started feeling unwell during the exams, and took a PCR test. The result came out positive. I have been isolating since," Ramesh told us on the phone from Dharan.In January, when the government announced the priority list for the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-begins-covid-19-vaccination-drive/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">first round of Covid-19 vaccines</a>, medical interns and doctors were on it. Many admin staff working in the hospitals also qualified for the jab. However, missing from the list were medical students who work in close proximity with the patients as a part of the curriculum. BDS and MBBS students have to do ward and clinical postings in their third, fourth and fifth years. Nursing students too have hands-on training as part of their course work."We all know that wearing a mask is one of the best precautions we can take against Covid. But as dental students, we need to treat patients when they are not wearing masks. The risk of exposure is the same for us as the interns, yet we did not get the vaccine," says a dentistry student from BPKIHS, whose friend recently tested positive as well.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/masks-and-vaccines-to-stop-nepals-2nd-wave/">Masks and vaccines to stop Nepal’s 2nd wave</a>, Sushil KoiralaAfter the first lockdown, BPKIHS like many others <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/face-to-face-classes-online/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">conducted classes online</a>. However, as the country opened up slowly, clinical postings for fourth year students started from 1 December. While they conducted PCR tests for those seeking admission in wards, those coming to the Out Patient Department (OPD) could not be monitored. "Even in wards, although patients were tested the same was not true for the visitors," says a final year medical student at BPKIHS. According to the students as many as 25 of these colleagues have tested positive over the past few months. Students say they have talked with the school administration, but were told there was no government protocol to get them the vaccine. Medical students from other schools that Nepali Times spoke to shared similar stories. "We would be a little more confident if we were vaccinated," says a medical student from Birat Medical College in Biratnagar. "It is not just about us being exposed or working, we have lost a lot of valuable time in terms of our course work.” After the first lockdown, classes here went online and the practical classes were conducted without hospital exposure. "But after the third year finals, we were called for clinical postings," says the student. "Maybe they could have given us the vaccine and we could continue with our classes."It is not just the students, new interns who recently graduated, have entered, or are soon entering the workforce were also left out.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-fights-infodemic-to-push-vaccine/"> Nepal fights infodemic to push vaccine</a>, Sonia AwaleGita* is a medical student at Kathmandu University's medical school recently passed her final exams, and is starting her internship. Even though she and friends were omitted from the priority list last year, she was planning to get the <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/the-gift-of-the-jab/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Vero Cell jab</a> this time around. Poor planning and overcrowding prevented her from getting vaccinated, then she had to return to school to start her internship. "New interns who just started last Saturday were left out from the list," says an intern coordinator at a medical school in Biratnagar. "Students don't get the same level of protection as the faculty. We have talked to interns about safety measures and precautions. And we are also looking into simulation-based teaching for practical classes.”It is not just for the safety of students but the patients as well that the students and new interns need to be vaccinated. When they are vaccinated, they can ensure that the patients are not going to get infected through the ones who are treating them, say the students."While the vaccines may not work against the new variants and there are chances of being infected even when you are vaccinated, the severity of symptoms is less," says an intern doctor who tested positive after the second jab.With the lockdown on 28 April, medical schools have also now suspended classes. Trainee doctors in India are being pulled from the exams to work on the frontline, and Nepal’s medical students may have to do the same. "Maybe keeping this in mind, they could still give this a serious consideration and vaccinate the students and new interns," says a final year student at BPKIHS.Spokesperson for Ministry of Health Jageshwor Gautam, however, says that young people are still not a priority. "We are aware of the situation,  the reason medical students didn't get vaccines is because there are just not enough doses." Asked if medical students will be given priority once new vaccines arrive, Gautam replied flatly: "People above 60 years are still a priority. Everyone else comes after that."*Some names have been changed or withheld for privacy reasons.

Medical students deprived of Covid-19 vaccines

At the stroke of the midnight hour, it finally came to something everyone in Nepal’s oldest and biggest party had been dreading — a split.
Not that this was anything new. The Nepali Congress (NC) had splintered twice before and the main protagonist both times was five-time prime minister Sher Bahadur Deuba. After the GenZ uprising and being physically mauled and his house looted and set on fire on 9 September Deuba had said he was stepping aside, but it seems old ambitions die hard.
The showdown between the Gagan Thapa-Bishow Prakash Sharma camp and Deuba came to a head on Wednesday as the establishment leadership decided to suspend Thapa, Sharma, and Farmullah Mansoor for five years to punish them for daring to challenge the leadership and hold a special general convention.&nbsp;
Bhrikuti Mandap in the centre of Kathmandu is the venue for trade exhibitions, but this week it was where an exhibition of everything that is wrong with Nepali politics was on full display — lack of internal party democracy and an unaccountable gerontocracy clinging on to power.&nbsp;
Thapa and Sharma had gathered the support of 62% of the NC membership at their convention and chose Gagan Thapa as the new party leader and proposed him as a prime ministerial candidate after the 5 March election.
Deuba’s allies had refused to attend or endorse the special general convention, and were adamant about holding a general convention to choose a new party head after the election. Thapa, Sharma and their supporters argued that the party faced ignominious defeat in the polls if Deuba insisted on being prime minister again.
The events of September 2025 have cast a long shadow over Nepali politics, with many new parties and alliances pledging to represent the aspirations of the GenZ movement. However, that realisation does not seem to have dawned on the tried, tested and failed leadership of the NC, UML and the NCP where the party leaders have held on to power by sidelining all rivals. &nbsp;
Thapa and Sharma were NC general secretaries held multiple rounds of discussions to convince Deuba to accept their eight-point demand that for the party’s and the country’s sake his time was up, and he should cut and cut cleanly. Despite having already handed over the party leadership to Purna Bahadur Khadka in September, Deuba refused to step down.&nbsp;
‘What demands has the Nepali Congress been unable to reconcile that it is headed for a split? There is no ideological dispute, just a proposal to make it easier to go for the election,’ noted journalist and author Narayan Wagle. ‘If those who have been in politics for so many years cannot reach an agreement, what have they learned in life and what hope is there for the country?’
Gagan Thapa was elected unopposed as the new party president on Thursday midnight, with Sharma and Pushpa Bhusal appointed vice-presidents. Thapa has said backroom talks are still ongoing though mediators, but for all intents and purposes the split seems irreconcilable.&nbsp;
The million dollar question now is: who gets to be the real Nepali Congress? Who gets the NC’s tree election symbol at the polls?
Both the Thapa and Deuba factions have written to the Election Commission (EC) laying claim to the party and its symbol. Whatever the EC decides, with less than two months to go for the polls, the dispute over its legitimacy will almost certainly have to be decided in the courts.
Deuba and his counterpart K P Oli in the UML have been unwilling or unable to fathom the level of outrage that young Nepalis feel about their parties. They have shown an inability to heed the call for institutional overhaul within parties and in Nepal’s political culture post-September. Second generation leaders within those parties who have grown old waiting for reform, seem to have better internalised the need for internal restructuring.&nbsp;
Oli has managed to hold on to power after displaying increasing authoritarianism within his UML, while Deuba has shown an unwillingness to bow out of leadership with grace. Both have squandered away their legacy.
For Gagan Thapa, the events of Thursday was a culmination of his long-standing claim for leadership change within the NC coupled with a compulsion to address the demands of the youth movement to maximise gains for his party this election. Just like Deuba, Thapa’s house was also looted and torched during the September protests.
Thapa told Onlinekhabar on Thursday: “Our belief was that we cannot go into elections under the present circumstances under [Sher Bahadur Deuba’s] leadership and with him as the party’s prime ministerial candidate. We would lose.”
The special general convention has taken further steps for reform, endorsing amendments to the party statue, which has set term limits for key leadership positions, including a one-term limit for party president, two-term limit for prime minister, three for a ministerial position, and four terms for a directly elected member of Parliament. Meanwhile, party members are only allowed to become lawmakers through the Proportional Representation system for one term.&nbsp;
If Thapa’s leadership holds legitimacy, this new chapter for the NC might come as a welcome change to young Nepalis who have been calling for leadership overhaul and internal party reforms within the establishment parties. But it may also come at the cost of the NC’s core base. It remains to be seen which side tips the scale at the polls.&nbsp;
The NC’s infighting and institutional shake-up has also posed fresh concerns about how it will affect the election schedule just as it looked as though all the mainstream political parties were finally on board and preparing for the polls. With voting barely weeks away, Nepal’s political parties are still too busy cleaning up their own house to give too much time to work on their platforms, agendas and serious campaigning
Historically, political break-ups and make-ups in Nepal are not set in stone. Even the newest alliance between Rabi Lamichhane’s RSP and Kulman Ghising’s UNP did not even last 12 days. &nbsp;Balen Shah is set to resign from his mayor position in the next and has gotten into the thick of election preparation with the RSP. His next step will be to choose which constituency he is going to contest from.
Meanwhile, in the light of a new day, the two NC factions may still decide that breaking up is hard to do when they are so close to elections, and the political stakes are so high.&nbsp;

Grand split in Nepal’s grand old party

The India Art Fair (IAF) advertises itself as ‘the biggest event in India’s cultural calendar … a leading platform’ for art collectors who can discover modern and contemporary art from South Asia.&nbsp; For this year’s ticketed event on 5-8 February in New Delhi, more than 133 exhibitors from 14 countries will be representing top artists from their networks. Danfe Arts, a touring art space from Kathmandu, will participate in the Galleries Section of IAF’s 17th edition featuring a booth with works by six Nepali artists.&nbsp; One of them is Sanjeep Maharjan, Assistant Professor for Sculpture at Kathmandu University, who will showcase his claywork as part of Danfe Arts’ entourage. In 2024, Maharjan curated a show for Danfe Arts at Takpa Gallery titled, ‘Unfolding the City’. The IAF prefers to showcase skilled artists who have honed their practice over many years. Much like various biennales and residencies that have been popping up increasingly in Asia, the Fair delves into sociopolitical issues of the region such as many comissioned works including <a href="https://indiaartfair.in/exhibitor/yogesh-barve-supported-by-art-charlie" target="_blank">Yogesh Barve</a>’s installation entitled ‘I am not your Dalit’ featured at the feastival last year.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260115110136_13f262546fca46c0fe4d76f758a694afe7c0c1cfee5bf74eb4f257f78734f8f2.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20260115110136_13f262546fca46c0fe4d76f758a694afe7c0c1cfee5bf74eb4f257f78734f8f2" data-rendition-name="original" width="989" height="1500" loading="lazy" alt="Nepali artists at India Art Fair"> <figcaption>Anil Shahi's Hand of Hope, Oil on Canvas, 36 x 60 inches. Exhibiting work at IAF.</figcaption> </figure>  As the name implies, it is a grand bazaar where artists and their agents show up, to be seen — a powerful regional platform where creativity merges with commercial interests. This is not necessarily a bad thing. Artists have a reputation for being weak at business.&nbsp; And in Kathmandu, where the contemporary art scene has been steadily expanding since the early aughts, more and more creatives are seeking platforms like IAF and collaborators like Danfe Arts in order to boost their portfolios. A NEW COURSE In 2022, I was invited to participate in a formal group discussion by founder of and curator at Danfe Arts Shivangi Bansal who was preparing to chart a new course with her Danfe Journal. The journal included photos of artworks as well as writings about art and helped bridge the gap between art and the Nepali public’s understanding of associated processes. Contemporary art and literature is considered a niche activity. Proper marketing and outreach is required to make the product accessible to the average consumer. Besides, consistency can also be an issue. Too often, energetic graduates might register organisations and launch initiatives only to burn out within a year or so. Nepali society would benefit more from a sustained effort with a long-term vision rather than trendy initiatives that look bright and shiny. Danfe Arts discontinued the journal but continued to engage with Nepal’s art community, like facilitating a commission for Mini Tamang by the India Art Fair (IAF) in 2025, as part of IAF’s Young Collector’s Program. Tamang’s artwork, ‘Evocative Waves’, was installed at New Delhi’s Stir Art gallery last year. In 2024, Danfe Arts had organised a group exhibition called ‘A Lake That Once Was’ in New Delhi’s Bikaner House to coincide with the India Art Fair, which listed the exhibition as part of its parallel programs. This meant the Nepali artists received more visibility and value among IAF’s much larger audience.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2026011804014_2a15d57a63c375503965a41396b22c006152368a018450d2617f4c8c076ccc74.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="2026011804014_2a15d57a63c375503965a41396b22c006152368a018450d2617f4c8c076ccc74" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="998" loading="lazy" alt="arts"> <figcaption>A Lake That Once Was, 2024 at Bikaner House, Delhi.</figcaption> </figure>  Since its inception, Danfe Arts has put out an eclectic mix of programs, demonstrating innovative thinking and effort. With its multi-platform approach, Danfe Arts has collaborated with restaurants like Mezze, putting up an exhibition in November 2025, ‘Bhoye - The Feast’. Danfe Arts is also cultivating relationships with specific artists based on synergies and sensibilities.&nbsp; The history of art practice in Nepal is long and illustrious, but due to political and geographical constraints, esteemed artists have been sheltered and confined within our national borders.&nbsp; By featuring these six artists for the 2026 edition of IAF, Danfe Arts is helping them make regional connections. And as our artists and gallerists show up on global platforms, they might in turn compel Nepalis to view more critically the value of art and how creative practices can contribute positively to society. As technology takes over and AI bots spam the Internet, the issue of originality might become tantamount to survival. We should take risks in our professional pursuits in order to design new communal models of exchange. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; India Art Fair New Delhi 5-8 February&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/2026011804014_f226a31af8a33f8da5e7359886289de3fd1b2db17697b96b909404e582d75124.png" data-media-id="editor_3" data-image-id="2026011804014_f226a31af8a33f8da5e7359886289de3fd1b2db17697b96b909404e582d75124" data-rendition-name="original" width="1500" height="1875" loading="lazy" alt="arts"> </figure>

Nepali artists at India Art Fair

Only a handful of people who witnessed the 1934 megaquake as children are still alive. And the memories of 2015 are fading fast.&nbsp;
We were shaken, but have not stirred into action. We have not even started preparing to be prepared for the inevitable, for it is not a question of ‘if’ but ‘when’.&nbsp;
Thursday 15 January was National Earthquake Safety Day commemorating the 1934 disaster that killed 10,000 people in Kathmandu Valley at a time when its population was barely 100,000.
Nepal is in an active seismic zone, and a really big one is overdue in the seismic gap in western Nepal where there has not been a megaquake for 500 years. The 7.8M quake in 2015 did not completely release the tectonic stress below Central Nepal.
An 8M+ earthquake epicentred in western Nepal will be even more violent than the 2015 one in Kathmandu and will be powerful enough to cause destruction across northern India as well.&nbsp;
We Nepalis are resilient, but we are also complacent and fatalistic. How else does one explain the unsafe and unplanned building construction in Kathmandu, Pokhara and other towns despite frequent reminders of what quakes can do?&nbsp;
Most designs are ad hoc and follow no engineering logic. Reinforced Cement Concrete (RCC) is now widespread across the country since such structures mostly withstood the 2015 event. But structural engineers say most concrete buildings are substandard, and can be death traps. Also, the country lacks equipment and training for search and rescue in cement houses.&nbsp;
FIRE HAZARD
If an earthquake struck Kathmandu on a windy winter evening, there is the added risk of fires from gas cylinders in collapsed buildings spreading across the densely packed city core. Fire trucks will not be able to reach those areas because the streets will be blocked.
Seismic risk is now amplified by climate breakdown. Nepal now needs to factor in the co-hazard of massive avalanches and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) triggered by future earthquakes. There are 41 potentially dangerous glacial lakes in the region, and 27 of them are in Tibet feeding rivers that flow into Nepal. A megaquake there could cause multiple simultaneous GLOFs.&nbsp;
If the 2015 earthquake had not happened on a Saturday, tens of thousands of children could have been killed in the 7,000 schools that were flattened. More than 2,500 government buildings came down, and would have killed and trapped many if it had not been a weekend.
Schools and health facilities retrofitted before the disaster were unscathed, and served as shelters for survivors. Chhatrapati Free Clinic (CFC) was reinforced three years before the earthquake for Rs5.2 million, and with support from National Society of Earthquake Technology (NSET), 800 community members were trained in search and rescue.
Bhuwaneswori Secondary School in Bhaktapur and Bal Bikas Secondary School in Kathmandu both survived 2015 because they had been retrofitted. Singha Darbar, the Supreme Court and the Department of Roads buildings were also made seismic resistant after 2015 quake, but the arson attacks on 9 September gutted them.
While many private residential homes built after 2015 continue to flout building codes, municipalities are now stricter. New schools and colleges, hospitals and high rises now have to meet stringent requirements for seismic resistance.
Nepal is a hotspot for many types of disasters — earthquakes, floods, droughts, glacial outbursts, wildfires. These are not ‘natural’ disasters, they are human induced. Earthquakes do not kill people, poorly-built buildings do. Climate breakdown is anthropogenic.&nbsp;
Waiting for a disaster to strike means we have waited too long. Search and rescue readiness are well and good, but much more important is preparedness — seismic resistance structures especially of public buildings, strict zoning to establish open spaces, pre-positioning supplies and simulated drills.
We do not know how much time we have before the next one. But it is not too late to start preparing. &nbsp;
Sonia Awale

Shaken, but not stirred

The series <a href="https://nepalitimes.com/multimedia/looking-good-by-doing-good">Nepal Made</a> profiles world-class Nepali products and the people behind them. Deepak Acharya was born and raised in Simara, before his uncle took him to Pokhara when he was only in sixth grade. After class, he helped sell jackets and outdoor gear at his uncle's Lakeside store. &nbsp; Twenty-two years later, &nbsp;Acharya is still selling jackets. Not international brands like he used to, but products of his own outdoor gear company, DOLPO.&nbsp; Acharya and his brother-in-law, Krishna Ammai, started making and selling jackets and gear for international companies out of Thamel. After losing his business partner in the 2015 earthquake, he was done selling imported items. He launched his own line of outerwear, named after Nepal’s rugged and remote district, known for its stunning arid landscape. The careful selection of the name DOLPO paid off. It took off, providing a high-quality, affordable Nepal-made alternative to foreign companies.&nbsp; “A lot of work went into choosing the name Dolpo,” says Acharya, who considered what came into people’s minds when they heard the name of a place with double-O sound. “I wanted a brand that local customers would instantly relate to toughness and mountains.” The elegant logo reflects this as well, made up of two overlapping rounded triangles denoting mountains with a third peak in the middle. Underneath is ‘DOLPO’ in upper case sans serif.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260116120148_968d9354094049265372d851d0e44e16ae4fc86b5631481e365e6e977f13d37d.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20260116120148_968d9354094049265372d851d0e44e16ae4fc86b5631481e365e6e977f13d37d" data-rendition-name="original" width="854" height="1280" loading="lazy" alt="Dolpo NT"> <figcaption>Photo: DOLPO</figcaption> </figure>  RIGHT QUALITY, RIGHT PRICE “Our philosophy is Right quality, Right price,” says co-founder Deepak Acharya, adding with a smile that the pricing strategy of a particular competitor has made business easy: “The employees at North Face may sell North Face, but they wear Dolpo.” The rebranding was so successful that Acharya regrets not launching it sooner. The reason for the success is that the outdoor gear market in Nepal has taken off with more and more domestic tourists trekking in the high mountains to share their adventures on social media.&nbsp; Nepalis seem to be consciously choosing sustainable, Nepal made products of international quality. Acharya says: “Of course, there will always be a demographic that only wears North Face, or Sonam. But we have the right design, right price philosophy.”&nbsp; DOLPO uses fabric and material mainly from Japan, and adheres to strict quality control. The reversible down jackets, windcheaters, shorts, fleece-lined pants, trekking trousers, backpacks, and polo shirts can be bought through its website, or two exclusive flagship stores in Sorakhutte and Thamel Chok. “After the rebrand, we slowly made a digital platform, marketed online, and worked with a delivery company to get items directly to buyers,” says Acharya. “We have no brokers or middlemen to keep prices low for the consumer.” DOLPO is a family business with Acharya’s mother and sister also involved, and nephew Nishant Ammai driving digital sales. Acharya points out that there is a lot of business opportunity in Nepal, as there are too many low-quality products being sold at too high a price. &nbsp;“The market is begging for an auto-correction,” he says. For Nepal’s pessimistic youth who are fleeing the country, Acharya urges patience: “The younger generation wants shortcuts. The mindset is to set up a venture and in three years they will be set for life. But this is not how success works.” “Choose a field, put in ten years of effort, really learn about it, and then you will see the vast possibility present in Nepal,” he continues.&nbsp; Last month, the DOLPO logo was seen on the jerseys of the Biratnagar Kings in NPL 2. The company made hats, jackets, and jerseys for star-studded cricket players including Lokesh Bam, Sandeep Lamichhane, Faf Du Plessis, and Martin Guptill. The Kings finished second in the group, and although Acharya is a football fan, he is happy to contribute to the rise of cricket in Nepal. &nbsp;&nbsp;