<img width="2895" height="2530" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221110161148/636d1d7f9c7e80680e0af3bajpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Nepal Life Insurance has launched the 'Nepal Life Sammunat Jiwan' scheme targeting individuals in professions prone to accidents, permanent disabilities and deaths. People between 18-60 years can apply and family members will receive three times the amount of insurance and acquired bonus in the event of their death. The insurance period lasts from 5-30 years, and packages from Rs50,000 to Rs10 million can be chosen, maturing at age 65.

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Nepal Life Insurance launches new scheme

<img width="1604" height="948" src="https://superdesk-pro-c.s3.amazonaws.com/sd-nepalitimes/20221109171148/636bda5b9c7e80680e080265jpeg.jpg" alt=""/>Since insurance companies in <a href="https://www.himalkhabar.com/news/119264?fbclid=IwAR21wS6AQ8echeJHXL0gWZsMa4jnTeNDSb8C4Nrd75gt69RD4Xaf05V05JY">Nepal announced Covid-19 schemes in April</a>, more than 1.4 million applied, but many patients are having payment disputes and few have collected their dues, thus jeopardising the public’s trust in the entire insurance sector.As the spread of the pandemic across Nepal shows no sign of abating, insurance companies themselves may need Covid-19 insurance because of over-exposure to claims. When <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/what-is-novel-about-the-novel-coronavirus/">coronavirus</a> insurance schemes were introduced in April, Nepal had very few cases and it looked like the country was not going to be severely affected. Insurance companies launched their schemes, and the overwhelming response has now come back to haunt them as the total number of cases crosses 105,000. The Insurance Board approved the coronavirus scheme because the public needed to be reassured, and it looked like a good business proposition as private companies partnered with <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepals-budding-e-commerce-ecosystem/">e-pay services</a> to process applications.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-covid-19-relief-package/">Nepal Covid-19 relief package</a>, Nepali TimesPrivate companies issued 145,570 Covid-19 insurance policies from 22 April to 30 September. Collectively and individually, nearly 1.4 million Nepali individuals have coronavirus insurance for which the 20 companies have collected Rs796.1 million in premiums.Of those insured, 5,316 have sought insurance claims, but so far only 827 have received payments totalling Rs76.6 million – a small percentage of the Rs518.8 million in claims for Covid-19 medical treatment. Insurance companies have been reluctant to pay this amount, citing lack of required documents and other reasons. As the number of cases kept piling up and hospitals started getting full, insurance companies got the government o bear part of the responsibility for repayment, and even change the guidelines for Covid-19 insurance. This resulted in a dramatic drop in coronavirus insurance in Nepal, even as the pandemic spread. <a href="http://archive.nepalitimes.com/news.php?id=2335#.X4QbkGgzbIU">Dip Prakash Pandey</a>, CEO of Shikhar Insurance and chair of the Nepal Insurers Organisation admits the numbers have gone down even though the government has guaranteed payments.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/banner/nepal-has-decided-to-live-with-covid-19/">Nepal has decided to live with Covid-19</a>, Alisha SijapatiThe government pays the premium for <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/common-sense-is-uncommon-in-fighting-covid-19/">Covid-19 insurance</a> of its civil servants, and has said it will bear 50% of the amount for the private and institutional group insurance. However, private companies are no longer promoting their insurance packages due to the sharp rise in the infection rate, increased risks and costlier claims. Whichever insurance company an individual buys a policy from, the premiums all go into an Insurance Pool and all private companies bear responsibility for repayment. However, private companies are said to be turning away people eager to buy insurance.Pandey of Shikhar Insurance denies this: “We sell insurance only to those who come after completing the entire process. Those who do not do that and come without the required documents cannot be paid later even if they are insured.”He says the real reason why the number of new insurances has dropped is because of the new requirement that local governments need to give their consent, and individual policies are not allowed any more, only companies and family groups. Besides, most families who wanted to be insured had already done so.<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/common-sense-is-uncommon-in-fighting-covid-19/">Common sense is uncommon in fighting Covid-19</a>, Anil ChitrakarWith 20 non-life insurance companies on board, Covid-19 insurance companies offered two packages: normal and premium. The first could claim payments of up to Rs50,000 while the premium package would get Rs100,000. And since the scheme had government backing, the state would pay 50% of the premium package. When the scheme was introduced there was an arrangement for the insured to get the full amount immediately after being diagnosed positive, however, this arrangement failed miserably. After that, the companies changed the criteria of Covid-19 insurance so that the infected person would get only Rs25,000, and the remaining amount would be provided on the basis of the hospital treatment bill.Until August, e-pay services and insurance companies were promoting their insurance products, but with the new government guideline they have deleted Covid-19 insurance even from their website under ‘New Products’, and prospective customers are finding it difficult to get information. Dilli Aryal, CEO of Rastriya Bima says the government company is issuing 50 to 60 Covid insurance policies daily. He says, “The reason the government stopped individual insurance was because of the hassles of presenting necessary documents. It is easier when done with companies or family groups.”T<a href="http://With 20 non-life insurance companies on board, Covid-19 insurance companies offered two packages: normal and premium. The first could claim payments of up to Rs50,000 while the premium package would get Rs100,000. And since the scheme had government backing, the state would pay 50% of the premium package. When the scheme was introduced there was an arrangement for the insured to get the full amount immediately after being diagnosed positive, however, this arrangement failed miserably. After that, the companies changed the criteria of Covid-19 insurance so that the infected person would get only Rs25,000, and the remaining amount would be provided on the basis of the hospital treatment bill. Until August, e-pay services and insurance companies were promoting their insurance products, but with the new government guideline they have deleted Covid-19 insurance even from their website under ‘New Products’, and prospective customers are finding it difficult to get information. Dilli Aryal, CEO of Rastriya Bima says the government company is issuing 50 to 60 Covid insurance policies daily. He says, “The reason the government stopped individual insurance was because of the hassles of presenting necessary documents. It is easier when done with companies or family groups.” The Covid-19 Insurance Guideline 2020 of the Nepal Insurance Board has stipulated that all claims must be paid out in full within one year of being made. Because of the rising number of coronavirus patients needing hospitalisation, the claim amount has soared." target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">he Covid-19 Insurance Guideline 2020</a> of the Insurance Regulatory Board of Nepal has stipulated that all claims must be paid out in full within one year of being made. Because of the rising number of coronavirus patients needing hospitalisation, the claim amount has soared.  <a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/latest/nepal-prepares-for-economic-fallout-of-pandemic/">Nepal prepares for economic fallout of pandemic</a>, Kaustubh DhitalPandey says, “The challenge is to ensure that Nepalis are not deprived of treatment because of cost, however there is a process of validating claims with official proof of infection, hospital bills and other documents. There may be delays, but all genuine policies will be honoured.”Although applying for a policy can be done online, he said, there was a requirement to have physical proof to claim insurance payments. However, many policy-holders say private companies have been deliberately delaying payments under one pretext or another and claims have started piling up at the insurance pool as the pandemic spreads.Asked about this, Insurance Board spokesperson Rajuraman Poudel said: “There may be delays, but the insurance companies will pay the claim within a year as per rules.”<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/here-now/declare-a-health-emergency/">Declare a health emergency,</a> Shekhar KharelThe insurance pool has been given the responsibility by the government to process all claims, and it is being administered by Shikhar Insurance. However, the public’s trust in insurance is being seriously undermined by these excuses – after all only 0.38% of those who insured themselves against Covid-19 are claiming payment.Negative publicity about Covid-19 insurance has begun to undermine the public’s trust in not just pandemic insurance but cause heavy collateral damage on the overall insurance sector.  The insurance companies have now fully understood the repercussions of the pandemic, and they claim that they took the risk as a public service in April. The industry is ready to face the worst, they say, and even if it takes big losses in Covid-19 payouts, it is well positioned to survive because of back stop from the government, Nepal Reinsurance Company, the Insurance Board and other insurance companies.  The formula has apportioned risk so that the first 10,000 claims will be borne by the insurance companies themselves, the risk for the second 10,000 will be borne by the Nepal Reinsurance Company, an additional 5,000 will be paid out by the disaster contingency fund of insurance companies, and the final next 10,000 will be borne by the Insurance Committee. The government will bear the risk of 35,000 Covi-19 insurers. Read also:<a href="https://www.nepalitimes.com/opinion/nepal-at-the-edge-of-the-covid-19-precipice/">Nepal at the edge of the Covid-19 precipice</a>, Anil Chitrakar

Nepal tries to ensure Covid-19 insurance

Nepali Congress (NC) President Gagan Thapa's candidacy in Sarlahi-4 has thrust this Madhes constituency into rare national focus. If Thapa wins and the NC emerges as the largest party, Sarlahi-4 will send Nepal's next prime minister to Parliament. But if he does not, Nepal’s grand old party will face the next years in the opposition to fight another day. There is a troubling paradox in Sarlahi-4 where the district bordering the Indian state of Bihar has been a battleground for national politicians with fierce electoral competition, all while remaining one of the region's most underserved and underdeveloped constituencies.  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260305140344_069cbbc11e971a851b444866dee57f760c0cc611ed40bdf96c627e343e3c0485.png" data-media-id="editor_0" data-image-id="20260305140344_069cbbc11e971a851b444866dee57f760c0cc611ed40bdf96c627e343e3c0485" data-rendition-name="original" width="1802" height="1276" loading="lazy" alt="Sarlahi-4 voting"> <figcaption>Photo: MADHES PAHARA MEDIA</figcaption> </figure>  Ever since Mahant Thakur split from NC in 2008 to form the Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party, the district has seen rotating political alliances and fragmented votes. Yet, despite 18 years of candidates promising change irrigation schemes remain incomplete, market access for farmers has not improved, unemployment is high.&nbsp; On election day, voters here marked their ballots with fingers stained by dye from the Holi festival the day before. The road leading to Barathawa Bazar was deserted for the most part, except for some youth riding in motorcycles. This is where the high-profile contest between Gagan Thapa and RSP nominee Amresh Singh is being staged. Among the other aspirants is 27-year-old UML candidate Amnish Yadav, the son of former MP Shiv Pujan Yadav. The Yadavs are a political family with considerable caste influence in the constituency. In 2022 Yadav’s daughter Madhumala Yadav received over 14,000 votes here, ranking third overall. Yadav was voted MP from the Maoist party, but defected to the UML this time. His other son is the chair of Sarlahi’s Ramnagar Rural Municipality. Sarhali-4 has 121,012 voters, and the Yadav is banking on the 27,000-strong Yadav vote bank. Sarlahi-4 voter Avishek Sah told us he wanted his vote to go to a young nominee and not someone who has been MP thrice already, like Amresh Singh. &nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260305140344_527c5c2f9aa6a6c7e3bbdfbfe79fdafb0a0b56a62427e9ced86b924c6c563b10.jpg" data-media-id="editor_1" data-image-id="20260305140344_527c5c2f9aa6a6c7e3bbdfbfe79fdafb0a0b56a62427e9ced86b924c6c563b10" data-rendition-name="original" width="1200" height="1600" loading="lazy" alt="Sarlahi-4 voting"> <figcaption>Photo: AYUSHA CHALISE</figcaption> </figure>  To make local loyalties even more complicated, Amnish Yadav’s uncle, Harinder Yadav is an active NC member and walked side by side with Gagan Thapa during his door-to-door campaigns.&nbsp; The NC is betting on Thapa getting over 60% of the total votes. Amresh Singh’s tally could be limited to 10,000 votes — that too because of the nationwide RSP wave, and the popularity of its prime ministerial hopeful Balendra (Balen) Shah. “Amresh Singh lost his appeal when he played victim after he was denied a ticket by the NC in 2022,” Harinder Yadav says. Voters we spoke to here agreed with this assessment that Singh did not do much for the district once he got elected in the past, and being a part of the RSP seems to be his biggest asset. “The only reason I voted for Amresh Singh is because Balen is in RSP,” local voter Mahendra Gupta from Barathawa. &nbsp;“This is his last chance to return the people’s trust.”&nbsp; Gupta is aware of the institutional presence of the NC here. The party received the most votes in 2022 local elections, adding that the candidacy of someone as high-profile as Thapa is a positive sign for Sarlahi-4.&nbsp; Other voters like Ruby Gupta are rooting for both the NC and the RSP. “I will vote for Gagan and for Balen,” she says, adding that her FPTP vote will go to Thapa while her PR ballot would be for the RSP. RSP supporters are confident that their candidate will win big because even though many voters may not have openly voiced their support they still voted for the party and candidate. The Balen Wave was not limited to RSP voters, but also to UML candidate Yadav, who said in a gathering that he will be “the voters Balen” if they elect him. He touted his party’s track record in government, and largely campaigned on administrative efficiency, infrastructural expansion, and local service delivery. Amresh Singh ran on the RSP’s anti-establishment brand, promising to fight corruption, challenge traditional party politics, improve basic services such as education, health, jobs, and infrastructure, while pushing for stronger representation and development for Madhes.&nbsp;  <figure> <img src="https://publisher-publish.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/pb-nepalitimes/swp/asv65r/media/20260305140344_982df01801fa7d3532ca0555ecb8a0756e3223be3d93650e08ca82a312dc2ebd.jpg" data-media-id="editor_2" data-image-id="20260305140344_982df01801fa7d3532ca0555ecb8a0756e3223be3d93650e08ca82a312dc2ebd" data-rendition-name="original" width="1600" height="1200" loading="lazy" alt="Sarlahi-4 voting"> <figcaption>Photo:AYUSHA CHALISE</figcaption> </figure>  Singh’s rivalry with his NC competitor goes beyond the ballot— he allegedly blames Thapa for being denied the NC ticket in 2022, which led him to win the election from Sarlahi-4 as an independent. &nbsp; For his part, Gagan Thapa focused on a more pragmatic development agenda that includes upgrading roads and irrigation, improving schools and hospitals, supporting farmers, and creating employment opportunities with improved governance at the centre. He also promised to build an engineering college in the constituency.&nbsp; Thapa also promoted his own anti-establishment image within the NC, repeatedly reminding voters on the campaign trail that he represents the aspirations of the youth.&nbsp; On Thursday, as voting progressed, there were violent disruptions in two centres where voting was briefly halted. But Sarlahi district police spokesperson Saroj Rai told Nepali Times that there were no major problems. Police in collaboration with the Nepal Army sent the ballot papers to the district’s counting stations, where the votes are expected to be tallied through the night and the winner announced Friday morning.

Sarlahi-4 nervously watches ballot count

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Nepal election live results

As this report is uploaded, the latest results in Nepal’s election show that the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is headed for an even bigger sweep than most had predicted.
The RSP was leading by large margins in 49 of 165 constituencies, &nbsp;with the UML, NC and NCP trailing far behind. Prominent political figures from the old parties like K P Oli, Minwndra Prasad Rijal, Ishwar Pokhrel, Bishnu Prasad Poudel, Bimalendra Nidhi all seem headed for defeat.
It does look like the RSP’s bell election symbol is ringing right across Nepal — from cities to the remotest districts in the mountains and plains. The party’s blue colour is sweeping the land.
The Nepali people seem to have sent a clear message that they were throughly dissatisfied with the chronic failure of the three main parties to work in the national interest to create jobs and deliver development. It was also an expression of lingering outrage over the the 8 September massacre outside Parliament. &nbsp;
It now looks almost certain that Balendra Shah will get to be Nepal’s next, and youngest, prime minister. Hopefully he will be leading a cabinet of competent and honest technocrats. It remains to seen how the power equation between Shah and the RSP’s leader, Rabi Lamichhane will play out.
Lamichhane is out of jail on bail for fraud cases which he has called political vendetta by the previous regime. Both he and Shah are charismatic and ambitious. Their working relationship will determine Nepal's political stability and whether it can avoid the political cronyism of the past.
This election was not just about casting votes. It was about standing up to principles and a value system, and respecting the hopes and aspirations of Nepal’s youth. It to push for transparent government and against impunity — including for the gunning down of young Nepalis in cold blood.
<div class="embed-block"><iframe src="https://election-geo-dashboard.pages.dev/" width="100%" height="600" frameborder="0"> </iframe>Live election results as winners of candidates are announced.</div>
CAN DO MAN
Shah got mixed reviews as mayor. He was impulsive and ad hoc, but most people inKathmandu and beyond liked his can-do attitude and unconventional style which stood in sharp contract to the legacy leaders. Over his three year mayorship he showed more maturity and planning capacity.&nbsp;
But he always ran headlong into opposition from the federal government over his urban planning and other initiatives to make Kathmandu more liveable. Coming from a civil and structural engineering background, he was involved in building low-cost housing after the 2015 earthquake.
But his public persona is more tied to his irreverent rap lyrics that stood up for the marginalised underprivileged in society, while exposing the high-handedness and apathy of the state. But this also exposed contradictions because he also used his own municipal guards to beat and chase away street vendors and squatters.
But there is no doubt that a combination of the sharp messaging in his rap videos amplified by the algorithms of social media ignited Nepal’s youth to rise up. It was more about optics and emotion than policy and strategy.
He studied Kathmandu district for five years, visiting experts in every field before announcing his independent candidacy for mayor in 2022. Many like me in his own constitunecy did not know who he was and where he came from.
He is a year younger than my architect son, and I saw in him a reflection of my own son’s commitment to serving the nation. I voted for him to be mayor despite his sometimes erratic behaviour, which could be attributed to his youth.
The best sign of his strategic planning, which unsettled septuagenarian and octogenarian politicians, is the he did not grab the first easy option of becoming prime minister in September when GenZ activists offered him the post.&nbsp;
Joining RSP was a masterstroke, as was his challenge to Oli in Jhapa to project national branding. He needed a party platform and Lamichhane needed a popular prime ministerial persona since he himself could not hold the post.
Shah has shown the capacity to take risks when he believes the value justifies the action for the country. Now, he will have to show more strategic thinking on a national scale, as well as understand the delicate geopolitics of Nepal.&nbsp;
He must rise above the kind of crude social media posts that earned him followers on X, but did nothing to erase his erratic and impulsive image.&nbsp;
Some assume that behind his trademark RayBan shades is a closet dictator, and his past remarks about Hitler are still up on social media. He has in the past shown impatience with criticism, unleashing supporters on social media to troll detractors.&nbsp;
Even so, the public seems willing to place their hope on an educated young man with integrity and a proven record for planning at the helm. By tomorrow it will be clear whether the hope Nepalis have held has been fulfilled, and the coming years will show if the RSP will lead Nepalis to a better future.
The voters seem to have shown the door even to the NC despite the fact that under Gagan Thapa, the party had turned a new leaf. A strong government under Prime Minister Balendra Shah heading a carefully selected cabinet and a strong opposition of the NC, UML and other parties for check and balance may be just what we need for a stable Nepal.&nbsp;
Nepalis have collectively always shown maturity in elections. This time they have given a resounding endorsement for integrity and for good governance.

Bells ring all over Nepal

After Thursday’s election, Nepalis are in a wait-and-watch mode. The Election Commission says counting ballot papers will be expedited this time, and the results for the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) will start being declared within days. In 2022, it took three weeks for the final results to be tallied.&nbsp;
But winning an election is only half the challenge for the parties, forming a government under parliamentary politics is like a complicated mathematical equation.&nbsp;
In 2022, the Nepali Congress (NC) emerged as the biggest party, winning 89 seats. But the UML with 78 seats and the Maoists with 32 formed a minority government. In fact, Sher Bahadur Deuba did not become PM then despite leading the biggest party in Parliament.
This time, there is an unmistakeable Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) wave led by its prime ministerial candidate, Balendra Shah. Besides his own popularity, Shah represents change which most Nepalis are clamouring for after decades of corrupt and feckless coalitions that did not deliver.&nbsp;
The past months of campaigning has seen massive youth engagement on social media through memes, AI clips, and viral images. Digital content that appeals to emotion rather than policy debate between candidates shape electoral outcomes in Nepal and elsewhere. &nbsp;
Shah represents GenZ aspirations, and was their candidate for prime minister. It was only when he declined that Sushila Karki was nominated. None of the political parties in the recent past -- new, old, or revolutionary — have won enough seats to go it alone.&nbsp;
The most recent majority government was formed by the short-lived Communist Party of Nepal after the UML-Maoist merger in 2022. But that rare two-thirds majority collapsed after a power struggle between K P Oli and Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The only party to have won a majority was the NC in the 1991 and 1999 elections. But it is near impossible for it to repeat this success now, even with Gagan Thapa's rebranding of the party.&nbsp;
We have compiled these possible scenarios for election outcome in order of likelihood:
RSP gets a majority
RSP hits the magic 138 to form a government entirely on its own. Balendra Shah wins Jhapa-5, and becomes the new prime minister at 35, the youngest ever to hold the office in Nepal. But danger lurks: there could be a personality clash between Shah and Lamichhane who are both equally ambitious. History could repeat itself.&nbsp;
RSP wins but does not get a majority
RSP is likely to sweep the most votes, but what if it does not secure enough seats for a majority? It would need a coalition partner and Nepali Communist Party (NCP) under Pushpa Kamal Dahal could fit the bill, but only if it has the numbers. The RSP is not likely to team up with the UML or NC.
The NCP is relatively untainted by the 8 September events, and also has former UML defectors like Madhav Kumar Nepal and Bhim Rawal who could bag their rural vote banks. After all, there are no permanent foes in politics. If the royalist RPP and Tarai-based Janata Samajwadi have enough seats, those could be options for the RSP. &nbsp;
NC is second
The NC under the new leadership of Gagan Thapa could become the second biggest force and form a government with RSP in a power-sharing deal with Shah. This would be the most stable scenario since the RSP and NC have competent and idealistic young technocrats. Thapa himself embodies a strong combination of both old and new politics to navigate the system for more efficient government. But then Thapa and the RSP's Rabi Lamichhane do not get along.
NC and NCP form a majority
If the NC becomes the largest party but not by a big margin, it could join up with the NCP and Ujyalo. Teaming up with the UML would likely face backlash with the party and outside. If Gagan Thapa becomes prime minister he will face internal pressure from both Deuba loyalists. Same old story.
Minority coalition of NC, UML and NCP
RSP becomes the first party but does not get a majority, paving the way for the three legacy parties to cobble together a minority government. While this is possible in Nepal’s parliamentary system, such a scenario is likely to lead to more instability and dissatisfaction among young Nepalis demanding change, and even trigger street unrest. &nbsp;

insurance

Nepal Life Insurance launches new scheme

Nepal tries to ensure Covid-19 insurance

Sarlahi-4 nervously watches ballot count

Nepal election live results

Bells ring all over Nepal

The magic 138