Aawaaj News & Research

02/05/2025

“While congratulating Thailand's adoption of equal marriage laws, many news portals have again restated a misinformation that Nepal has also legalised, adopted, or allowed equal marriage laws. That is incorrect information.” Rukshana Kapali, Nepal’s first transgender law student, writes on twitter.

Social | Political | Democracy Series

20/04/2025

In the ever-evolving world of art and culture, we often find ourselves caught in an ethical dilemma: should we embrace modernity, experiment, and adapt, giving a floor for the new unique rawness, or uphold tradition and carry forward its legacy? This question becomes even more pressing when considering the role of art in our personal and professional lives—should creativity remain pure and untouched by commercial influences, or is financial success a valid and even necessary part of an artist’s growth and independence? But who decides what is "right" or "wrong" in art? Is art meant to be an exclusive pursuit of beauty, or should it challenge, provoke, and raise awareness of important issues? Can it embody darkness, offering comfort to those who relate to it, rather than just appealing to conventional standards of aesthetics? And in an industry where competition is inevitable, how do we define it—does it become a divisive "you vs. me" struggle, or can it exist in a way that fuels creativity without overshadowing artistic integrity?

Social | Political | Democracy Series

20/02/2025

The NGO Federation of Nepal (NFN), in collaboration with Oxfam, is set to release the Nepal Country Inequality Report 2025 (Nepal CIR 2025) in March 2025. According to NFN, this comprehensive report aims to provide an in-depth analysis of existing inequalities in Nepal, examining the structural and systemic drivers of disparity while recommending policies to promote social and economic justice. To ensure a robust and multifaceted analysis, the NFN has assembled a diverse group of experts and consultants to contribute to specific thematic areas of the report. These include Raju Sharma (Wealth), Dr Rupa Munakarmi (Education Inequality), Dr Dipesh Ghimire (Political and Structural Inequalities), Dr Sanjay Hamal (Food and Hunger), Mr Dipak Joshi Poudel (Migration and Urban Inequalities), Rishi Adhikari (Climate Change & Disaster), Dr Laxmi Tamang (Health Inequalities), and Pankaj Thapa (Income Inequalities).

The Nepal CIR 2025 not only focuses on the root causes of inequality but also seeks to uncover the intersectionality of disparities, particularly under the axes of marginalisation which includes class, gender, and caste. Additionally, the report incorporates other dimensions of inequality, such as age, abilities, access to public resources, and regional disparities. To gather data and insights, the experts are relying on secondary sources, including case studies, existing reports, and media stories.

Social | Political | Democracy Series

19/02/2025

In contrast, Nepal has largely confined its cultural engagement to preservation rather than promotion. The notion of keeping traditions “untouched and protected” has merits, but without strategic investment and modernisation, cultural heritage risks stagnation. While Nepal markets its tangible heritage (e.g., mountains and temples), its rich intangible cultural assets—literature, performing arts, and contemporary creative movements—receive far less attention. According to Amatya, “for Nepal to thrive on the global stage, it must move beyond passive celebration and actively promote its culture through policies that integrate arts into national economic planning”.

Social | Political | Democracy Series

17/02/2025

The Sikta Irrigation Project is expected to benefit seventeen thousand households in the district, comprising 400,000 farmers. The estimated internal rate of return is 18 per cent, with an increase in crop density from 168 per cent to 242 per cent. According to a report, approximately 60 per cent of the population owns either no land or small farms of less than 0.5 hectares. The average landholding in the project area is 0.84 hectares, making irrigation investments crucial.

The project remains incomplete and in a disorganised state. Despite its shortcomings, farmers have benefited from a more reliable water source for irrigation, allowing greater control over their crops compared to rain-fed agriculture. However, the risk of cattle falling into the canal remains a significant concern.

Social | Political | Democracy Series

17/02/2025

The Sikta Irrigation Project is expected to benefit seventeen thousand households in the district, comprising 400,000 farmers. The estimated internal rate of return is 18 per cent, with an increase in crop density from 168 per cent to 242 per cent. According to a report, approximately 60 per cent of the population owns either no land or small farms of less than 0.5 hectares. The average landholding in the project area is 0.84 hectares, making irrigation investments crucial.

The project remains incomplete and in a disorganised state. Despite its shortcomings, farmers have benefited from a more reliable water source for irrigation, allowing greater control over their crops compared to rain-fed agriculture. However, the risk of cattle falling into the canal remains a significant concern.

Read the full article here:

http://aawaajnews.com/social-development-news/sikta-irrigation-project-progress-challenges-and-the-road-ahead/

12/02/2025

"We had realised that our lives are political and our issues had to be raised”, Bhumika Shrestha in an interview with Birat Bijay Ojha.

Follow link in the comment to read the entire article.

12/02/2025

The journey through political changes, landmark socio-political movements, and legal decisions has been shaped by decades of grassroots activism and advocacy. This article explores these pivotal moments while reflecting on the contributions of Bhumika Shrestha, a key figure in Nepal’s LGBTQIA+ movement.

Article by Birat Bijay Ojha

Social | Political | Democracy Series

11/02/2025

Aawaaj News & Research apologises to our readers for our prolonged absence. To those who have missed us, we would like to assure you that we have not given up on our efforts to raise awareness around the socio-political issues of Nepal, and the same efforts brings us to this announcement.

We would also like to update our readers that, from now on, Aawaaj News will be streamlining a few things. The most notable changes are:

1. We will no longer be publishing daily news updates.

We apologise to our readers who follow us primarily for this purpose, however we believe we could focus our energies elsewhere - in areas that often go unnoticed. This subsequently brings us to our second update.

2. Aawaaj, in addition to original news, will also conduct independent social research.

As you may have noticed, we have added “Research” to our name: Aawaaj News & Research. As such, we will be conducting independent social research and publishing our reports on our website. Our research will employ rigorous methodologies and, as with our news coverage, will focus exclusively on socio-political issues.

We thank you for being part of our journey. Aawaaj News & Research hopes to raise further awareness around the socio-political issues of Nepal and hopes to engage you, as members of the wider society, in meaningful dialogue about some of the most pressing societies we as a society face today – the most important one being the systemic silencing of the voices of the minority – in Nepal, and the world.

22/11/2024

Kathmandu witnessed a series of demonstrations on Friday, with the ruling CPN-UML organizing a massive rally to display its political strength.

Labelled as a "Jagarana Sabha" (Awareness Assembly), the event was intended to rally against what the party calls “anarchy” in the country. The UML had aimed to mobilize 100,000 supporters for the demonstration, which took place at Durbar Marg instead of the originally planned venue, Bhrikutimandap.

Social | Political | Democracy Series

19/11/2024

Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) is preparing to further enhance its waste management by introducing segregation at the source, aimed at reducing pollution and managing the increasing costs associated with waste disposal.

Currently, the waste from 18 local bodies in the Kathmandu Valley is being transported to the Banchare Danda Landfill Site without segregation, contributing to rising costs and environmental pollution. The waste from all 32 wards in the metropolitan city will now be segregated.

Social | Political | Democracy Series