Once, I was advised to help two students of Lumbini Buddhist University who were pursuing their Ph.D. regarding data analysis. I helped them to the best of my knowledge. After that, I have not heard from these students. I do not know whether they were successful or not. This is how I got to know about Lumbini Buddhist University. By luck, I got an assignment to prepare a course on tourism economics at Lumbini Buddhist University. During the presentation of the course details, I emphasized to the faculty that they should have knowledge of culture, religion, nature, food, festivals, sports, and most importantly, they should be travel enthusiasts, lovers of travel, and nomads. On one occasion, a close acquaintance of mine was made tourism minister. I congratulated him and wanted to meet to discuss the nomad visa to obtain tourism benefits. However, I was unable to obtain a meeting. I sent a text message to him; no response was received. There was limited work-from-home options prior to ...

In the early general elections of Nepal, which took place on the 5th of March 2026, the Rastriya Swatantra Party, with its president Rabi Lamichhane and proposed Prime Minister, the former mayor of Kathmandu metropolis Balendra "Balen" Shah, who was also a rapper, won beyond the expectations of all political parties and the people. In the elections for the 275 members of the House of Representatives, the party managed to secure 182 seats, 125 in direct elections and 57 in the proportional electoral side. However, this was not enough to achieve the two-thirds majority, which requires around 184 seats, but it was sufficient to secure a simple majority, which was essential. This victory comes after the fall of the previous government due to violent protests by youths in September 2025 over issues related to unemployment, economic troubles, and corruption. When Shah assumes the role of prime minister, the new government, expected to take over in late March 2026, will have a str...

Forecast: Nepal's economic outlook for 2026 presents a mix of forecasts from major international institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, and Asian Development Bank (ADB). These forecasts reflect a blend of optimism regarding structural resilience and concerns over ongoing political and social instability. The ADB projected a 5.1% GDP growth for 2026 in April 2025, driven by the revival of tourism and improved agricultural productivity. However, the World Bank later forecasted a 2.1% GDP growth for 2026 in November 2025, indicating a significant slowdown due to political unrest and weakened investor confidence. The IMF projected moderate GDP growth continuing the recovery around 4.3 to 4.5%. The economic recovery is stabilizing but faces challenges due to a complex domestic environment and global uncertainty. Underlying Reasons: The divergent predictions stem from various factors. The unexpected youth movement, known as the "Gen Z uprising,...

Nepal faces a multitude of challenges in transitioning into a developing nation. These obstacles include political, economic, social, infrastructural, and environmental issues that hinder its graduation from the category of Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Let's discuss a few key vulnerabilities that Nepal needs to address in order to advance towards becoming a middle-income economy. Economic Vulnerabilities and Structural Weaknesses of Nepal 1. Agricultural Dependency: The country's economy is largely dependent on agriculture, which is susceptible to natural disasters such as floods, droughts, and earthquakes. The reliance on subsistence agriculture exposes a large portion of the population to climate risks, low productivity, and limited market access. 2. Remittance Reliance: Nepal heavily relies on remittances from its citizens working abroad, which makes the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in global economic conditions and policies. Remittances from Nepali workers abroad...

Nepal faces a multitude of challenges in transitioning into a developing nation. These obstacles include political, economic, social, infrastructural, and environmental issues that hinder its graduation from the category of Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Let's discuss five key economic vulnerabilities that Nepal needs to address in order to advance towards becoming a middle-income economy. 1. Agricultural Dependency: The country's economy is largely dependent on agriculture, which is susceptible to natural disasters such as floods, droughts, and earthquakes. The reliance on subsistence agriculture exposes a large portion of the population to climate risks, low productivity, and limited market access. 2. Remittance Reliance: Nepal heavily relies on remittances from its citizens working abroad, which makes the economy vulnerable to fluctuations in global economic conditions and policies. Remittances from Nepali workers abroad account for over 25% of GDP, posing vulnerability t...

The recent population projection report serves as a wake-up call for us as we are at risk of losing the population dividend and balance. The fertility rate in Bagmati Province is approximately 1.3, meaning a couple has only one child, while in the Madhesh Province, it is 2.75, indicating about three children per couple. The overall average fertility rate in Nepal is around 1.9, which is less than 2. Population balance theory suggests that ten couples should have at least 21 children, but currently, we are only seeing 19. There are several reasons behind this trend, and I will highlight a few significant and relevant causes: 1. Nepalese working in the Middle East in hot desert conditions are significantly decreasing fertility rates both biologically and socially. 2. Delayed marriage is contributing to a decline in fertility rates. 3. The preference for having only one child is leading to couples being indifferent to having more children. It is particularly concerning when the first chil...