11 percent of Nepalis have internet access: UN report

Nepal has been ranked in the 148th position among 192 countries in terms of the percentage of population having access to internetservice.

The report entitled The State of Broadband 2013 published by the UN Broadband Commission states that 11.1 percent of Nepalis use the internet .

Compared to the 2012 rankings, Nepal has slipped nine places. Last year’s report on broadband access worldwide had put Nepal in the 139th position with internet penetration at 9 percent.

Even though the country has experienced rapid development in the telecom sector during the last one decade, it has lagged behind in extending fixed and mobile broadband connection to a wider section of the population. The report has put Nepal in the 136th position, down from the 127th spot last year, on the basis of fixed broadband lines provided.

Fixed broadband, also known as wired broadband service which includes cable internet , ADSL and cable modem, has reached 0.4 per 100 inhabitants. Similarly, the country is in the 99th position among 128 developing countries with 4.1 percentage of the households having internet connection. Officials at the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA) said that the sector could not progress at the pace of international economies that resulted in Nepal slipping in the international rankings. “Due to growing competition and the entry of new operators, mobile broadband will witness good growth in the days to come,” said Ananda Raj Khanal, director of the NTA.  

As per the report, South Korea continues to have the world’s highest household broadband penetration at over 97 percent. Switzerland leads the world in fixed broadband subscriptions per capita, at over 40 percent. By comparison, the US ranks 24th in terms of household broadband penetration, and 20th in the world for fixed broadband subscriptions per capita, just behind Finland and ahead of Japan.

In terms of internet use, there are now more than 70 countries where over 50 percent of the population is online, according to the UN Broadband Commission. The top five countries having maximum penetration rate are Iceland (96 percent), Norway (95 percent), Sweden (94 percent) and Denmark (93 percent) and the Netherlands (93 percent). Likewise, Burundi, Myanmar, Timor Leste, Eritrea and North Korea are the bottom five.

The 2013 edition of the State of Broadband Report was prepared by the UN Broadband Commission based on the total number of users in the member countries of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) by 2012. The report has termed mobile broadband as the “fastest growing technology” in human history. It stated that mobile broadband subscriptions, which allow users to access the web via smartphones, tablets and WiFi-connected laptops, are growing at a rate of 30 percent per year.

NOC sees fuel crunch if dues not cleared

Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) has hinted that the market could face a short supply of petroleum products from October 1 if outstanding dues to its sole supplier Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) were not settled.

Although the Finance Ministry has decided to bail out the NOC with Rs 2 billion loan, NOC officials said they have not received the said amount yet.

The perennially broke NOC had sought Rs 4 billion in grant to ensure smooth fuel supply during Dashain and Tihar festivals and the Constituent Assembly elections slated for Nov 19, but the government decided to release half of the sought amount.

“As we have to settle Rs 3.20 billion in dues to IOC to get fresh consignment of gasoline from Oct 1, it will definitely put us in trouble,” said Suresh Kumar Agrawal, officiating managing director of NOC. “Although the government has committed to provide Rs 2 billion loans, the process has not been completed.”

The monthly projected loss of NOC soared to Rs 1.68 billion as per the tariff sent by IOC on September 15. NOC officials have estimated the monthly loss to balloon to Rs 2 billion when IOC releases new tariff on Oct 1. The monthly loss was estimated at Rs 1.33 billion on Sept 1.

NOC said rising crude oil prices in the international market and appreciation of the US dollar contributed to the massive rise in the projected loss.

IOC reviews export prices of petrol and diesel fortnightly, and other products such as kerosene, aviation fuel and LPG on a monthly basis. NOC’s loss on a litre of diesel stands at Rs 15.20, or Rs 1.03 billion a month as per the projected monthly sales of 68,000 kilolitres of diesel.

The state-owned oil monopoly has also been incurring a monthly loss of Rs 880 million in its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) business due to subsidies. It has been providing a subsidy of Rs 628 on an LPG cylinder. The estimated losses are based on the projected consumption of 1.4 million LPG cylinders monthly.

To offset its losses, NOC had increased the price of petrol by Rs 5 per litre, kerosene and diesel by Rs 3 per litre, and aircraft fuel by Rs 7 per litre on September 10. However, 14 student unions have been pressuring the NOC to roll back the price hike.

NOC’s outstanding debts to the government and financial institutions stand at around Rs 28.50 billion.

SC allows murder convicts to contest polls

Much to the chagrin of human rights defenders, the Supreme Court on Monday ordered the government and the Election Commission (EC) not to bar murder convicts from contesting elections.

Rights activists have been advocating for a stronger vetting system while selecting candidates for the November 19 Constituent Assembly election.

The court issued a stay order that effectively stops implementation of a provision in the CA Member Act (Section 19-e) that bars murder convicts from contesting polls.

Monday’s ruling now allows all murder convicts, including Maoist leader Bal Krishna Dhungel, to file candidacy for the November election. In January 2010, the apex court upheld the decision of the Okhaldhunga District Court and convicted Dhungel of murdering one Ujjan Kumar Shrestha.

Responding to a petition filed on September 19, a single bench of Justice Tarka Raj Bhatta on Monday said the order would remain in place until September 26 when both the petitioners and the defendants are scheduled to discuss whether it should continue. The petitioners led by Advocate Biswo Prakash Bhandari say that since the 2008 CA election legislation did not bar murder convicts from contesting the polls, the same should happen in the upcoming election.

The bench also asked the defendants—government, EC, government Chairman Khil Raj Regmi, the President’s office and the Law Ministry—to furnish written replies within 15 days of receiving the court order.

Nepal Bar Association officials flayed the court’s decision and said it will promote impunity. “Though this is a temporary order, it is going to promote impunity if not scrapped,” said NBA General Secretary Sunil Pokharel.

The petitioners argue that the provision in the CA Member Act is against the spirit of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the Interim Constitution.

While the petitioners referred to Article 65 of the constitution when they said murder convicts should be allowed to contest elections, the text of the Article reads: “In order to be a member of the Constituent Assembly, a person must have the following qualifications a) be a Nepali citizen, b) be 25 years of age, c) not have been punished for any criminal offence involving moral turpitude.”

The petitioners say that though the courts may have convicted individuals on murder charges that were politically motivated during the Maoist insurgency, the proposed Truth and Reconciliation Commission is yet to deal with certain cases concerning human rights abuses.

Even Chairman Regmi has told the apex court that not all individuals convicted of crime are debarred from contesting elections. In a written reply to the court in August in a petition that challenged the provision that bars persons convicted under certain criminal offences from contesting elections, Regmi maintained that Section 19 of the Act does not stipulate what constitutes criminal offence involving moral turpitude. “In fact, we don’t have a law that defines criminal offences leading to moral turpitude,” he had said.

Indian Army ‘dream’ lures youths in hordes to Pokhara

Many and various are the tales of valour displayed in battlefields by Nepali soldiers serving in Gorkha regiments of the Indian Army and the British Army . 

‘Brave’ was an inseparable superlative earned by Gurkha soldiers during World War I and the saga of their gallantry continues till this day. For many young Nepali men, serving in the Gorkha regiment has become a family profession, a tradition of bearing on the valiant legacy of their predecessors. Continuation of family legacy by proving one’s mettle on battlegrounds, however, is not the sole reason that drives these young men to become servicemen in foreign lands. Perks and salary offered by the job is what attracts them these days. 

Hundreds of young men have arrived in Pokhara from different parts of the country to take part in the recruitment programme of the Indian Army. They will undergo different levels of physical and aptitude tests at Ratnachowk ground.

Jeevan Thapa Magar is trying for the Indian Army for the fourth time. He flunked the written test for three times in the past, but he has not given up hope. The 18-year-old from Palpa believes that the job in the Indian Army will secure his future. “There is no guarantee that I will get a well paying job in the country. I will continue to try for the job in the Indian Army as long as my age allows,” Magar said.

The cut-off age for recruits eligible to join the Indian Army is 21 years. There are scores of young men like Magar, participating at the ongoing recruitment even after multiple disqualifications in the past. 

Dhan Bahadur Thapa of Gulmi is also trying his luck for the fourth time. He flunked in the previous three tryouts, as he could not measure up with other candidates in sprint challenge.

“If I fail this time then I will have one last chance and if that, too, does not work, then I plan to go aborad for employment,” the 20-year-old said.    

Lack of job opportunities in the country and the not-so-handsome paycheque have led to many young Nepalis to choose the Indian Army, for it offers good money compared to jobs they could land in the country. For men like Magar and Thapa, it is a dream job and as such, they are not ready to give up on it despite their past failings. The tenacity these men have shown is tinged with a sense of desperation. 

“There is nothing to do in the country. Recuritment is more of a compulsion than interest,” said Tukesh Radhi, who is trying his luck for yet another time.