PODS by PEI (Policy Entrepreneurs Inc.)

PEI- Modi 3.0: Is neighborhood still first? Unpack the evolving India-South Asia dynamic as Modi enters his third term as Prime Minister. PEI brings a curated panel of experts from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh to dissect the regional shifts for a can't-miss panel discussion. The conversation is a part of the PEI Webinar Series on Managing India, China, and the US.

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In February 2020, just two months into the Covid-19 Pandemic, the World Health Organization announced another contagious threat to humans, an infodemic. They defined the phenomenon as ​​an excess of information, including false or misleading information, in digital and physical environments during a disease outbreak. Today, almost a year after the pandemic ceased, the infodemic persists. The global information system remains plagued by fervent misinformation that percolates and continues to intensify whatever outbreak it covers.

In this episode, Deepak and Khushi discuss the Nepali media landscape, particularly in light of the worldwide infodemic wherein dubious information is excessive. Deepak draws on his extensive background in journalism and fact-checking to discuss how Nepali media has evolved and the contemporary issues it faces as new digital media dominate its grounds. They discuss instances of deceptive and manipulative disinformation he discovered online during the recent elections and the pandemic and analyze how misinformation exacerbates sensitive subjects by intensifying people's reactions to them. The two end by exploring possible collective action to instill integrity in our media and garner vigilance in Nepali audiences.

Deepak is the editor of Nepal Check, an independent, non-partisan fact-checking platform. He was the editor of South Asia Check, Nepal’s first fact-checking outlet, and has worked as a correspondent for international news agencies like AFP, DPA, and Anadolu Agency. His work has appeared in major international publications such as the New York Times, The Guardian, Time, Al Jazeera, and Nikkei Asia. He currently focuses on innovations in fact-checking and digital investigation.

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Ep#090

Dilrukshi is an international award-winning investigative journalist and a lawyer from Sri Lanka. She has worked extensively across South Asia as an on-ground reporter and trainer. As an investigative journalist, she has broken stories on grand corruption and crime, conflict and communities, and dedicated significant time to reporting on women, children, health, and the environment. A recipient of many prestigious journalism fellowships, she won the coveted Wash Media Award in 2014. She was also the Sri Lankan Journalist of the Year in 2012.

Sushav and Dilrukshi discuss Sri Lanka's complex socio-political history, including its violent ethnic conflict and colonial legacy, exploring the role of various events in shaping its identity. Drawing simultaneously from her work and her lived experience of the war, Dilrukshi illustrates the political roots of the conflict, reflecting on the civil war's impact and the quest for ethnic minority rights, including the rise of groups like the LTTE. They also examine international influences, notably from India, China, and the West, on Sri Lanka's political landscape and review its governance challenges, human rights issues, and economic reforms. The dialogue concludes with reflections on Sri Lanka's civic space, civil society, press freedom, and the broader South Asian context of handling dissent and nurturing democratic spaces.

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#Ep.036

Kathmandu has evolved drastically in the past few decades. A bird’s eye view of the valley would find aggregates of concrete where the lush canopy once domineered. While Kathmandu’s urbanization gave way to socio-economic development, its native wildlife has been increasingly marginalized. This has been reflected, among other things, in the sharp decline of migratory birds visiting Kathmandu in the past 20 years. 

In this episode, PEI’s Dheeraj and Hem Sagar Baral talk about the Beauty of Birds and Bird Watching. They begin with exploring the art of bird watching and the immense opportunity for it in Nepal. The two then fondly recount their experience as avid bird watchers and observe the changes they have observed especially the population decline. They discuss urbanization and climate change as main deterrents and consider what can be done to mitigate their effects to restore avian life and diversity.

Hem Sagar Baral is an ornithologist with a Ph.D. in Bird Ecology from the University of Amsterdam and has been involved in wildlife conservation for nearly three decades popularizing public engagement and appreciation. He is the Country Director of the Zoological Society of London, Nepal where he leads multiple wildlife conservation projects, charities, and research. 

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#Ep.095 Nirjan is a researcher with over 20 years of experience of designing, managing, and leading analytical studies in Nepal and the United States. He specializes in political economy analysis and has examined critical reforms in the electricity sector, water governance, and geopolitics. Nirjan is the primary author of the recent PEI report “Pen, Power, Politics: How China and India wield soft power through education diplomacy in South Asia. Nirjan and Shuvangi discuss the strategic use of education diplomacy by China and India in the South Asia region, drawing insights from his research. They explore how both countries leverage educational initiatives as a tool of soft power to extend their influence, defining soft power and emphasizing the significance of "education diplomacy." We review India's evolving educational diplomacy, highlighting its "neighbor first" approach, and China's initiatives to internationalize its higher education system and the growing appeal of Chinese universities in the region. They also consider competing perceptions about Chinese and Indian education diplomacy, contrasting these with Western strategies, explore the future dynamics of geopolitical influence through education. Find more about us on our official website and for more video related content, find us on Youtube . If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!       

नेपालमा बिगत दुई-तिन दशकमा ठुला राजनीतिक र सामाजिक परिवर्तनहरु भएI यस्तो आमुल परिवर्तन बाट गुज्रेको हाम्रो समाजको आज मूल चरित्र कस्तो छ? बर्तमान राजनीति कुन अवस्थामा छ? हाम्रो बदलिदो समाज र राजनीतिको अन्तर-सम्बन्ध के हो? यसका ओरिपरिका पात्रको भूमिका र ध्येय के रहेको छ?  

 

आजको भागमा पी. ई. आई.का अनुराग आचार्यले, विश्लेषक हरि शर्मा संग नेपाली समाज र राजनीति का यिनै पक्ष बारे संवाद गरेका छन् | आफ्नो प्रस्तुतिमा शर्माले बर्तमान समाज र राजनीतिको दशा र दिशा दुवै बारे तिखो टिप्पणी र गहन बिस्लेशण गर्नुभएको छ |  

 

युवावस्था देखि नै राजनीतिक चेत र चाख राख्ने विश्लेषक हरि शर्माले नेपालको अफ्ट्यारो राजनीतिक संक्रमणकालको बखत पुर्व प्रधानमन्त्री गिरिजाप्रसाद कोइरालाका सल्लाहकार रहेर अनि नेपालको संघिय गणतान्त्रिक संबिधान निर्माणको बखतमा पहिलो राष्ट्रपति रामबरण यादबको सल्लाहकारको रुपमा बिगत दुई दशक यताको राजनीतिक र सामाजिक परिवर्तन लाई नजिकैबाट नियाल्नु भएको छ | शर्माले त्रिभुवन बिश्वबिद्यालय र भारतको पन्जाब बिश्वबिद्यालय, अनि फुलब्राइट स्कलरको रुपमा अमेरिकाको प्रख्यात कोर्नेल बिश्वबिद्यालय बाट उच्च शिक्षा हासिल गर्नुभएको छ|   

Note: This week’s episode of PxP:Conversations, between PEI’s Anurag Acharya and Ambassador Ranjit Rae, is a continuation of last week’s episode. Please listen to the earlier episode if you haven't already.

Ep. Co#006

The geopolitical landscape of South Asia continues to evolve, with India forced to concede its traditionally uncontested influence to other superpowers, namely, China and the United States. While the US is more strategically allied with India, increasing Chinese influence has directly challenged Indian hegemony in the region. Considering all of these moving pieces, there arises the question of what this geopolitical shift means for recipient countries like Nepal, which has continued to rely on aid provided by developed countries to expand its infrastructures and spur economic growth.

In this episode, Anurag asks Ambassador Rae to share intricate details about his engagement with Nepal and its messy politics, from his ring-side view of the 12-point agreement signed between Nepal’s political parties and the CPN-Maoist, to his challenging period in office as an Indian Ambassador to Nepal. The two then discuss Ambassador Rae’s proposition, detailed in his recent book  “Kathmandu Dilemma: Resetting India-Nepal Ties” on how the two countries can overcome the historic and recent tensions, and mutual suspicion, to reset bilateral ties that are grounded on new geopolitical realities.

Ambassador Rae is a retired Indian diplomat. During his tenure of over 30 years in the Indian Foreign Service, he held various positions, including | the  Ambassador of India to Vietnam and Hungary; the First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York, and the head of the Northern Division in the Ministry of External Affairs dealing with Nepal and Bhutan. From 2013 to 2017, Ambassador Rae served as the Indian Ambassador to Nepal. During these years, Nepal witnessed some historic events including the promulgation of the new constitution and the earthquake of 2015. This was also a tumultuous period in the Nepal-India relationship, which Ambassador Rae has discussed extensively in his book.

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Our theme music (Evening Session: The Hill) is courtesy of Rohit Shakya of Jindabaad. 

#Ep.072

The human pursuit of purging corruption in its social systems has perhaps been as old as the problem of corruption itself. Regardless, the problem persists and grows rampant, accentuating development challenges.  While some have given up in the face of corruption’s seeming invincibility, others have mobilized to reimagine anti-corruption strategies to encompass diverse aspects and stakeholders like never before. 

In this episode, PEI’s Khushi Hang and Narayan Adhikari discuss anti-corruption strategies with a focus on the role, significance, and need for innovation in the field. They explore what it means to embrace innovation in anti-corruption, dissecting the different aspects and challenges in reimagining this pursuit.  They also go over revered innovative anti-corruption campaigns led by Narayan himself and discuss their impacts and limitations. 

Narayan Adhikari is a social entrepreneur and leader in global accountability and governance. He is the Co-founder and South Asia Representative for Accountability Lab Nepal and runs Open Gov Hub Kathmandu to promote transparency, accountability, and civic participation in governance. He is on the board of Trustees to RESULTS UK and Co-Chair for C7, Open, and Resilient Society for 2023, and is a strategic advisor to the  #ShiftThePower global movement.  

This episode is a part of our Curbing Corruption Series. 

Curbing Corruption is a PODS audio series unraveling the complexities of corruption and exploring the strategies to combat this global challenge, where PEI colleagues engage in candid conversations with experts, practitioners, and thought leaders who offer insights into the intricate web of corruption, its impact on communities, and the ever-evolving innovations and strategies to measure and combat it. 

If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!! 

#Ep.078

Introducing and directing agendas in the policy sphere is a challenging task. Additionally, when the agenda in question is pushed to the margins with shame, stigma, and taboo, the pursuit becomes ever more demanding. Menstruation is one such topic repressed by societal norms of the global south, the stigma of which causes detrimental effects on the lives of innumerable individuals. How does one advocate for that?  

In this episode, Khushi and Jesselina discuss the challenges in pursuing policy solutions to issues of access to a dignified period. Jesselina shares the unexpected hurdles in advocating for menstrual rights and the importance of strategy, collaboration, and sustainability in it. They explore barriers to accessing menstrual health and dignity, their deep impacts, and recount national issues like the Period Tax and the state of periods in prison. They also discuss the evolution of a dignified period in the realm of human rights, the different ways it has expanded, and how the conversation can be taken forward.  

Jesselina Rana  is a human rights lawyer, social entrepreneur, and feminist activist. A Harvard Law School graduate, Jesselina co-founded Pad2Go, a social enterprise focusing on menstrual health in Nepal, in 2018. Since its inception, Pad2Go has garnered national and international recognition for its impactful contributions to the menstrual health landscape in Nepal. Jesselina’s passion for feminism, human rights, and the law has driven her to contribute to both human rights and politico-legal discourse in Nepal and internationally. 

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As economies worldwide look to bounce back from the unforeseen setback created by COVID-19 pandemic, most of them are faced with rising inflationary pressures caused by the Ukraine-Russia war. Nepal also seems to have hit a stumbling block in the recovery phase after 2 years of decent growth after facing a negative growth rate in NFY 19/20 for the first time in over 40 years. High inflation, liquidity crunch, plummeting foreign exchange reserves, and low internal revenue all seem to be troubling the economy simultaneously. Hence, the recently elected government has its hands full.

In this episode, PEI’s Aslesh and Siddhartha discuss the impact of COVID-19 on Nepal’s economy and its post-pandemic recovery. They explore the macro issues faced by the Nepali economy during the unprecedented days of the pandemic and the external shocks that followed. They also review possible fiscal and monetary policies to manage the current economic woes and structural limitations.

Siddartha is an economist with research interests in the areas of Macroeconomics, agriculture economics, financial inclusion, sustainable finance, and ESG. He has experience working in the financial services industry and holds a Ph.D. in Economics from Peking University. A seasoned research professional, he has led several projects pertaining to the academic and development sector.

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With: Host Anup Upreti and guests Samikshya Rai and Shabda Gyawali 

The difficulties are endless for doing business in Nepal  but every entrepreneur present in the session  spoke of the untapped potential in Nepal. There are opportunities for growth and to take Nepali products to a global market. However, there are impediments for growth.

In this session moderated by Anup Upreti,  corporate lawyer and managing partner at Pioneer Law Associates, the conversation highlights the joys and difficulties of doing business in Nepal. He is in discussion with Samiksha Rai, CEO of Pack My Lunch and Shabda Gyawali, the investment director of Dolma Impact Fund.  In the audience, were several entrepreneurs who added to the conversation on the challenges of navigating Nepali society and bureaucracy while doing business in Nepal. 

You can find the full conversation with audience interaction on YouTube at Policy Entrepreneurs. 

To sound out your thoughts and reflections join the conversation on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter, all @projectsambaad.

Ep. Co#004

Nepal’s hydropower narrative has always had the export of electricity to India as one of the key components. In this episode of PxP:Conversations, Saumitra Neupane and Sagar Prasai discuss how the Indian electricity market gets featured in Nepal’s hydropower imagination, the impact that this has had on Nepal’s ability to exploit its hydropower potential, and what differentiates the Nepali model from that of other bilateral arrangements such as those between India and Bhutan. They also examine India’s policy positions in the last ten years on cross-border electricity trade and how regional rivalry between India and China is complicating energy markets in South Asia. They also discuss the future market opportunities for Nepali hydropower and whether there are longer-term trends that support supply signals and investor confidence for Nepali hydropower. They end their conversation with a discussion on the possibilities of markets beyond India, primarily Bangladesh but also China, and evaluate whether there are realistic opportunities on these fronts.

Sagar Prasai is a development professional with over two decades of experience working in the areas of water, energy, climate issues, and regional cooperation in South Asia. He is currently based in Nepal and provides advisory services to various organizations, including The Asia Foundation and the Australian Government’s DFAT. Previously, he served as The Asia Foundation’s country representative in India. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

To catch the latest from us on Nepal’s policy and politics, please follow us on Twitter at Tweet2PEI, that’s TWEET, followed by the number 2, and PEI. You can also follow us on Facebook at policyentrepreneursinc, or visit our website: www.pei.center to learn more about our work.

Last month, in our efforts to revitalize deep discussions in Nepal, PEI and other like-minded organizations in Kathmandu began a new venture we call Project Sambaad.  

Project Sambaad is a collaborative platform that promotes in-depth conversations that critically examine Nepali society and its policy-making space. Through Project Sambaad, we seek to explore broad, impactful questions that will contribute to a wider dialogue on the politics and development of Nepal and the South Asia region.

In just two days, we had six immersive and interactive panel discussions on relevant contemporary topics from development migration to business in Nepal.  

Sambaad comes to life when it reaches a wider audience, and that's why we're excited to share live recordings of the conversations.

In today’s release, we have guest speakers Dil Bhushan Pathak and Ameet Dhakal with host Durga Karki in a Sambaad on The Present and Future of Journalism in Nepal: Adapting to a Changing Media Ecosystem.  

If you found the conversation insightful and crave more lively interaction from the audience, hop over to Policy Entrepreneurs on ⁠YouTube⁠ for the complete live broadcast.

To sound out your thoughts and reflections join the conversation on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter, all @projectsambaad.

⁠https://projectsambaad.info/⁠

Ep. Br#001

In the backdrop of Nepal’s status as the least developed country, one of Nepal's greatest challenges is to manage the natural resources and finance development interventions for Nepal’s sustainable future initiatives while navigating the risks associated with climate change. While a bulk of financing in Nepal is already happening on green infrastructure and green initiative – specifically on hydroelectricity and solar energy, there arises the question about the new opportunities and avenues that mainstreaming green financing could open for Nepal.

Today’s episode of the Brief features PEI’s Saurab Lama's interview with Rastra Raj Bhandari on Nepal’s Green Financing Future. The two discuss Rastra’s latest report, “A Background Policy Paper on Green Financing in Nepal” and take an analytical look at Nepal’s green financing future, and what green financing looks like for a developing country like Nepal.

The episode discusses the rationale for Rastra’s study within Nepal’s current socio-economic status and its historical dependence on foreign aid. The episode also informs listeners about the various green financing initiatives that are happening in Nepal, and the best way for Nepal to navigate green financing. It also focuses on the various roles regulatory agencies and banks and financial institutions, private and public entities can play in Nepal’s green financing strategy.

#Ep.054 Energy, climate change, and regional integration are interconnected and interdependent in many ways. The production and consumption of energy significantly contribute to climate change, with fossil fuels being major culprits. Transitioning to cleaner and renewable energy sources is crucial for mitigating climate change. In this regard, regional integration is vital in addressing energy and climate change challenges. It enables countries to collaborate on renewable energy development, share resources, establish interconnections, and create integrated energy markets. Regional cooperation is essential for adapting to and mitigating shared climate change impacts. It also enhances energy security by diversifying energy sources and reducing dependence on a single supplier. Additionally, regional integration promotes policy harmonization, collaboration, and clean energy trade. By working together, countries can maximize their efforts toward achieving a sustainable, low-carbon future.

In this episode, PEI colleague Shreeya Rana sits with Dr. Shubhakar Dhakal to discuss South Asia’s Energy Scenario. The two discuss the current status of regional integration efforts to tackle climate change and the role of China and India in the Region.  

Shobhakar Dhakal currently serves as the Vice President for Academic Affairs at the Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand. His expertise lies in energy policy, climate change mitigation, policy modeling, and analysis. Dhakal has actively contributed to the international scientific community as the Coordinating Lead Author for the Nobel Prize-winning IPCC's 5th Assessment Report on Human Settlements, Infrastructure, and Spatial Planning. He was also a member of the author group involved in developing the recent UNEP-led global scientific assessment titled "Making Peace with Nature," 

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Last week, Nepal and India signed a power trade deal during the Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishanker's visit. The agreement consolidates the bilateral understanding of electricity exports pushed during the PM's visit to India in 2023. 

Given the Indian government’s conditions on cross-border electricity trade, which recognizes electricity as a strategic commodity of interest, the recent agreement can be interpreted as a positive sign. However, the current agreement does not specify who, how, and when this electricity will be traded. 

Hopefully, these matters will be progressively defined in the days to come. For now, we are re-releasing an earlier episode that touches upon the drivers, optimism, and challenges of Nepal India's power trade. 

Originally aired on 26 September 2022, in this episode of PxP: Conversations, Saumitra Neupane and Sagar Prasai discuss how the Indian electricity market gets featured in Nepal’s hydropower imagination, the impact that this has had on Nepal’s ability to exploit its hydropower potential, and what differentiates the Nepali model from that of other bilateral arrangements such as those between India and Bhutan. 

They also examine India’s policy positions on cross-border electricity trade in the last ten years and how regional rivalry between India and China complicates energy markets in South Asia. They also discuss the future market opportunities for Nepali hydropower and whether there are longer-term trends that support supply signals and investor confidence in Nepali hydropower. They end their conversation by discussing the possibilities of markets beyond India, primarily Bangladesh and China, and evaluate whether realistic opportunities exist on these fronts.

Sagar Prasai is a development professional with over two decades of experience working in water, energy, climate issues, and regional cooperation in South Asia. He is based in Nepal and provides advisory services to various organizations, including The Asia Foundation and the Australian Government’s DFAT. Previously, he served as The Asia Foundation’s country representative in India. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!  

#Ep.087 Pankaj Saran is a former diplomat. He has served as India’s Ambassador to Russia and India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh and as Head of the Northern Division in the Ministry of External Affairs dealing with Nepal and Bhutan. He has worked in different capacities with successive Indian Prime Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Office, contributing to decision-making at the highest levels in a diverse range of sectors, including foreign affairs and national security, Pankaj is presently Convenor of NatStrat, a Delhi-based independent Centre for Research on Strategic and Security Issues. He is a Member of the National Security Advisory Board and a Distinguished Fellow of the National Maritime Foundation.  Anurag and Pankaj explore the evolution of India’s foreign policy from the perspective of the former diplomat himself. They cover recent historical landmarks from the tectonic shifts in global geopolitics during the Cold War's end to India's strategic maneuvering amidst the complexities of the Indo-US nuclear deal to explore how each shaped India’s foreign policy. With a keen focus on India's contemporary aspirations on the global stage, they explore the significance of forums like BRICS and India's hosting of the G20 summit in shaping its foreign policy priorities. As Pankaj candidly shares his experiences, the conversation also uncovers unique insights into the high-stakes, high-octane lives of diplomats.  If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!  

#Ep.063

Thanks to its youthful workforce and cost-effective labor, Nepal's appeal as an emerging tech destination is evident. The country harbors aspirations of becoming a global IT hub but faces a formidable obstacle course. Various policy roadblocks and a dearth of state support have held back the tech industry from ascending beyond its infancy, preventing it from evolving into a research-based powerhouse capable of pioneering new technological frontiers.

In today’s episode, we have PEI's Hridesh Sapkota in conversation with Sixit Bhatta on Empowering Nepal’s Tech Revolution.

Sixit Bhatta, the founder behind the ride-sharing platform "Tootle," established in 2017, shares his personal odyssey, recounting the challenges he confronted while navigating Nepal's nascent tech landscape. Bhatta paints a compelling vision for Nepal's tech future. He passionately advocates for a transformation from a service export-oriented industry to a research-driven one, poised to fuel groundbreaking technological innovations over the long term. Now more than ever with the rise of technologies like AI, he emphasizes that Nepal must embrace a long-term vision of becoming a research-based tech innovation hub. He underscores that Nepal has laid the foundation for tech innovation but needs to take the next step by focusing on integrated platforms in sectors like unified payment gateways, fostering robust funding avenues for startups, and addressing policy bottlenecks.

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गाँउ गाँउमा सिंहदरबारको मनोकांक्षाले स्थापित सङ्घीय शासन प्रणालीमा तीनै तहका सरकारलाई हालसम्म पनि वार्षिक योजना तर्जुमा र बजेट परिचालन गर्दा सुशासनका मापदण्डहरुको परिपालना चूनौतिपूर्ण रहदै आएको देखिन्छ । तीन तहको सरकारको उपस्थिति रहेपनि आवश्यकतामा आधारित योजना तर्जुमा र योजनाको प्रभावकारी कार्यान्वयन अझैपनि कसरी गर्ने भन्ने सोचमै सीमित रहेको छ । तीनै तहको सरकारको वार्षिक कार्यक्रम र बजेट विगत पाँच वर्षमा कहिल्यै पनि पूर्ण रुपमा खर्च हुन नसक्नु र भएको खर्चमा पनि सुशासनको दृष्टिकोणले विभिन्न प्रश्नहरु उठिरहेको सन्दर्भमा सङ्घ र प्रदेशमा निर्वाचित जनप्रतिनिधीहरु मार्फत खर्च भईरहेको निर्वाचन क्षेत्र विकास कार्यक्रम र निर्वाचन क्षेत्र पूर्वाधार विकास कार्यक्रम पनि विवादबाट अछुतो रहन सकेको छैन । त्यसमा पनि न्यून रकमका योजनाहरुको संख्या धेरै हुनु, राजनैतिक आस्थाका आधारमा योजना छनौट हुनु, योजना सञ्चालनमा जनप्रतिनिधिसंग सम्बन्धित राजनैतिक दलका कार्यकर्ता मात्र संलग्न हुनु, योजनाहरु अधुरो रहनु, सम्पन्न योजनाहरु हस्तान्तरण नहुनु, पर्याप्त मात्रामा योजनाहरुको अनुगमन र मुल्यांकन नहुनु, जनसहभागिता नजुटनु जस्ता जनगुनासोहरु व्यापक रुपमा सुन्ने गरिन्छ । जनताको आवश्यकतालाई सम्बोधन गर्ने भन्दै आफु खुशी विभिन्न कार्यक्रमहरु विभिन्न माध्यम र निकायहरु मार्फत संचालन हुदै गर्दापनि यसले आम नागरीकको प्राथमिकता र आवश्यकतालाई अझै पनि सम्बोधन गर्न सकेको देखिदैन्, जसले यस्ता योजनाहरुको औचित्यमै प्रश्न उठाएको छ । देश विकास र जनताको लागि भनेर गरिने यस्ता खर्चहरुमा सम्बन्धित पक्ष पारदर्शि र जनउत्तरदायी हुनुका साथसाथै जनसहभागितालाई सुनिश्चित गर्नुपर्ने आवाज पटक पटक उठने गरेकै छ ।

Ep#109 More than 15 years have passed since the end of the armed conflict between the Maoists and the Government of Nepal with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord. While the country has done a remarkable job not recoiling back into the violent conflict with which it grappled for a decade, the years after have been slow and painful for the thousands of survivors who keep waiting for a justice that just won't show. 

In this episode, PEI colleague Khushi sits with ⁠Jaya Luintel⁠ to highlight the harrowing stories of thousands of Nepali women who survived war atrocities and are still struggling to find justice and reparation for their losses. Recounting women's experiences during and after the conflict, the two explore gendered aspects of war and how the Nepali State has failed to cater to its female survivors.  

Jaya is the co-founder of ⁠The Story Kitchen⁠, where she works with women nationwide to empower them to share their stories by providing them with the skills and platforms to vocalize their issues and experiences to seek social justice. She has over two decades of working as a journalist and a development practitioner. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Applied Conflict Transformation Studies.

The episode also features testimonies from some survivors themselves, which were retrieved from the archives of The Story Kicthen’s radio broadcasts.

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#Ep.064

Nepal has come a long way from its dismal past of power shortage and routine load sheddings. Today as more hydropower projects come online and supply is beginning seasonally to exceed demand there is an optimistic anticipation for power trade within the energy fraternity in Nepal.

In this episode, Satish and Bishal evaluate the scope of the electricity trade between Nepal and its regional counterparts, making the case for and against it. The two anticipate opportunities, and risks, and also explore the modalities and their implication on our energy security, economy, and geopolitics.

Bishal has more than 20 years of global experience working with a wide range of public and private sector partners across energy, climate, energy efficiency, environment, and sustainability. As an economist by training, his expertise includes financial analysis, quantitative modelling, policy, research, and project design.

Satish has worked in Nepal’s electricity sector for over a decade on issues ranging from institutional reforms to electricity trade. He is a founding partner at VRock & Company, where he oversees VRock’s engagements in the energy sector. Before that, he was the Principal Manager at the Investment Board of Nepal, where he led negotiations for the Upper Karnali and the Arun-III Hydropower Projects. Satish has also appeared previously on PODS as a guest.

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EP. Br#008

Contemporary economics and policy studies struggled with two main paradoxes: while on one hand policies previously successful in some countries remain futile in others, on the other hand, different approaches were capable of solving the same issues in different contexts. A Political Settlement Framework tackles this paradox by acknowledging the need to tailor policies to the idiosyncrasies of each society. Within the framework, the primary focus is on understanding the social context as it studies the interaction between groups (organizations) and the rules they are subjected to (institutions).

In this episode, PEI colleague Khushi Rai sits with Prof Mushtaq Khan on his political settlements analysis of the Madhes Province. The conversation is based on an upcoming publication that he has co-authored, titled: “Madhesh and the Challenge of Inclusive Federalism in Nepal”. This briefing paper is based on a provincial settlement study drafted from a tracking exercise at the national, provincial, and local spheres of governance in Nepal by SOAS and PEI under the Research and Evidence on Nepal’s Transition project.

Mushtaq is a Professor of Economics at SOAS University of London, where he heads the Anti-Corruption Evidence Research Consortium and is also the joint lead for the Research and Evidence on Nepal’s Transition project. He is a leading thinker on political settlements.

The two explore the process of mobilization in Madhesh, the drivers of their movement, and how all of that culminated in the Constitution that was eventually promulgated. They also examine the role of Madhesh in the implementation of federalism, the evolution of new settlements with the emergence of newer actors, and what all this means for the future of inclusive federalism in Madhesh. They end with three plausible scenarios in this regard and also discuss the possible implications for federalism in Nepal.

#Ep.060 Nepal is a multi-linguistic country with over 130 national languages recognized by the State. However, debates on multilingualism keep resurfacing, particularly concerning the State’s preference for khas kura (Nepali), a remnant of the Panchayat regime’s monolingual ‘Ek Desh, Ek Bhasa’ policy. The country has multilingual provisions, but the gaps within such provisions are quite visible; for example, even with a multilingual policy like the first-language-based multilingual education (MLE) program, most schools in the country explicitly focus on using Nepali or English as the sole language as the medium of instruction. In this episode, PEI colleague Sonia Jimee sits in conversation with Prem Phyak to explore multilingualism and multilingual policies in Nepal with a specific focus on Nepal’s education sector. The two analyze the gap between constitutional provisions and their real-world implementation, exploring the potential cultural implications of multilingual policies in governance and education as well as the growing societal perception of the English language being correlated with ‘quality’ education. Prem Phyak is currently an Associate Professor at Columbia University, Faculty of International and Comparative Studies. Previously, he was an assistant professor and associate professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Tribhuvan University, Nepal, respectively. His research focuses on social justice, critical pedagogy, multilingualism and multilingual education, decolonial turn and language policy. If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics , and click here to support us on Patreon!!

#Ep.045

मिडिया जनतालाई विश्वसनीय सुचना दिएर शुसुचित बनाउने माध्यम हो | तर आजको दिनमा नेपाली मिडियाको विश्वसनीयता माथि नै प्रश्न उठेका छन् | मिडिया हाउसहरु आफुलाई व्यवसायिक भन्छन् । तर व्यावसायिक रुपमा संगठित हुने नाममा त्यहाँ काम गर्ने पत्रकारहरुले राजनीतिक पार्टीका भ्रातृ संघठनका च्याप्टर खोलेका छन् , र त्यस अन्तर्गत चुनाव समेत लड्दछन् । यस्तो अवस्थामा ति मिडियाले प्रकाशित/प्रसारित गर्ने समाचारमा कुनै पार्टी/आस्था प्रति आग्रह/पूर्वाग्रह हुदैन भनेर जनताले विश्वास गर्ने आधार हराउँदै गएको छ | कतिपय नयाँ/पुराना नेता/पार्टीहरुले स्थापित मिडियाको विश्वसनीयता नरहेको भन्दै आफ्ना कुरा राख्न, प्रचार गर्न सामाजिक संजाल लगायत बैकल्पिक तरिकाहरु पनि अपनाएको देखिन्छ । स्थापित मिडिया प्रायोजित/ पुर्वाग्राहित भयो भनेर आरोप लाग्दैगर्दा, सामाजीक संजाल लगायत बैकल्पिक भनिएका माध्यमबाट पनि गलत, तथ्यहीन र पुर्वाग्रहपूर्ण समाचार/सामाग्री आउने गरेका छन् | यसले गर्दा हाम्रो सार्वजनिक बहसलाई कस्तो असर परेको छ त ? के स्थापित मिडियाको एजेन्डा सेटिंङ्ग रोल अब सामाजिक संजालले खोसेको हो? अतः मिडियाको बिज्ञापन लिन सरकार/व्यवसायिक घरानाहरु प्रतिको निर्भरता र तिनै बाट पुरस्कारहरु समेत पाउने चलनले, मिडियाले तिनै संस्थाहरु लाई प्रश्न गर्ने र तिनको अनियमितता लाई उदाङ्गो पार्ने क्षमता माथि प्रश्न उठेको छ| अरु लाई ‘स्वार्थ बाझिने’ काम गरेकोमा औला उठाउने मिडियाको चैं यसो गर्दा स्वार्थ बाझिदैंन?

यिनै बिषयहरुलाई समेट्दै, आजको भागमा पी. ई. आई. का जनक पोख्रेल, पत्रकार केपी ढुंगानासँग उनको गत वैशाख ७ गते, उकेरा डटकममा “साँच्चै 'हामी' किन यति धेरै अविश्वसनीय भयौँ ?” नामक शिर्षकमा लेखिएको लेखको अन्तरङ्गमा रहेर संवादमा बस्दैछन् | ढुंगानाले मिडिया पनि समय र अवस्था/व्यवस्था अनुरुप परिवर्तन हुनुपर्ने र बिज्ञापन लिनका लागी सरकार/व्यवसायिक घरानाहरु प्रतिको निर्भरतालाई तोड्नुपर्ने आवस्यकता रहेको कुरालाई उठान र विश्लेषण गर्नुभएको छ |

केपी ढुंगाना, पेशाले एउटा पत्रकार हुनुहुन्छ। उहाँले त्रिभुवन विश्वविद्यालयबाट स्नातक गर्नुभएको छ र पछिल्लो १७-१८ वर्ष देखि पत्रकारिता पेशामा संलग्न हुनुहुन्छ | नेपाललाइभ डटकमको सम्पादकको रुपमा काम गरिसक्नुभएको उहाँ अहिले उकेरा डटकमसंग प्रधान सम्पादकको रुपमा आवद्ध हुनुहुन्छ। यो भन्दा अगाडी उहाँले राजधानी दैनिक, नयाँ पत्रिका, नागरिक, कान्तिपुर आदिमा पनि काम गरिसक्नु भएको छ। उहाँ विशेषगरी खोज पत्रकारितामा सक्रिय हुनुहुन्छ र सुरक्षा सम्बन्धि बिषयमा रिर्पोटिङ गर्न खास रुचि र दक्षता राख्नुहुन्छ | उहाँले अन्तरदेशीय संगठित अपराध सम्बन्धि पुस्तक - “ओपन सेक्रेट” पनि लेख्नुभएको छ |

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#Ep.043

Nepal aims, ambitiously, to reach net zero emissions by 2045. Doing so requires it to extensively curb emissions from its energy sector, which accounts for 54% of its total emissions. One of its action plans to that end was a push to use green renewables through alternative cooking practices, where electric cooking has massive potential. It aims to ensure that electric stoves are used as the primary mode of cooking in 25% of households by 2030.

In today’s episode, PEI colleague Shreeya Rana sits in conversation with Suman Basnet, to discuss Nepal’s energy scenario, with a special focus on the potential of shifting to electric cooking. The two discuss the opportunities and challenges in transitioning to clean cooking practices, given its unique socio-economic and cultural practices. They also talk about the positive social, economic, and environmental impacts of shifting to cleaner forms of cooking, and its potential to mitigate climate change vulnerabilities.

Suman Basnet is the Team Leader at the Nepal Renewable Energy Programme (NREP), a Government of Nepal Programme supported by the British Embassy in Kathmandu. He is a renewable energy and management professional with over 35 years of experience in the development and private sectors. He holds an MBA in Technological Entrepreneurship from the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and an MSc in Energy Policy from the University of Sussex.

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Click here to read PEI’s report on the Political Economy of Mainstreaming Renewable Energy in Nepal as part of the NREP.

अब जारी: पि. ई. आईको गभर्नेन्स टिमका ३ जना सहकर्मीहरु - जनक पोख्रेल, अविनाश कर्ण र सुशभ निरौला,  गत महिना फिल्ड भिजिटमा कोहि कर्णाली त कोहि लुम्बिनी पुग्नुभएको थियो | आजको भागमा उहाँहरुले नेपालको गभर्नेन्स स्पेसमा गरिरहनु भएको अध्ययन अनुसन्धान र त्यसै क्रममा देशका विभिन्न ठाउँमा पुगेर विभिन्न क्षेत्रका मान्छेसँग अन्तरक्रिया गरेर, सुनेर, सिकेर, बुझेर आएका कुराको छलफल र समिक्षा गर्नुभएको छ | उहाँहरुले नेपालमा संघियता कार्यन्वयन र त्यसमा पनि विशेषगरी प्रादेशिक सरकार र त्यस अनतर्गतका विभिन्न संरचनाहरुको कार्यसम्पादन र तिनलाई संघिय र स्थानीय सरकारले हेर्ने दृष्टिकोणका साथै, बृहत्तर जनसमुदाय र अन्य सरोकारवाला संस्थाको प्रदेश सरकारसंगको अनुभबका बारेमा समिक्क्षात्मक बिस्लेशन गर्नुभएको छ |

आजको भागका ३ जना सहकर्मीहरुमा जनक पोख्रेल Research Officer को रुपमा, अविनाश कर्ण Sub-National Programs Coordinator को रुपमा र सुशभ निरौला Researcher को रुपमा पि. ई. आईमा आबद्ध हुनुहुन्छ | उहाँहरुको अनुभव र काम बारे थप जान्न तपाइले हाम्रो वेबसाईट pei.center भिजिट गर्न सक्नु हुन्छ |

हामी आशा गर्दछौँ तपाईंलाई आजको संवाद फलदायी लाग्नेछ !

Ep. Co#005

The geopolitical landscape of South Asia continues to evolve, with India forced to concede its traditionally uncontested influence to other superpowers, namely, China and the United States. While the US is more strategically allied with India, increasing Chinese influence has directly challenged Indian hegemony in the region. Considering all of these moving pieces, there arises the question of what this geopolitical shift means for recipient countries like Nepal, which has continued to rely on aid provided by developed countries to expand its infrastructures and spur economic growth.

In this episode of Conversations, which is the first of a two-part series, we have PEI’s own Anurag Acharya with our guest, the former Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Ranjit Rae. The two speakers examine India’s role in Nepal, in context of the recent domestic political developments that have shaped bilateral relationships and aid negotiations with New Delhi.

Mr. Ranjit Rae is an Indian diplomat with over 30 years of experience in the Indian Foreign Service, which includes participation in complex negotiations both at bilateral and multilateral levels and extensive work in conflict areas. He has since held various positions in international and state organizations, including the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), as well as Offices of the Minister of External Affairs and of the President of India, where Mr. Rae served as a Press Secretary to the President.

#Ep.062

२०७९ आषाढ देखी काठमाडौँमा शुरु भएको मिटर ब्याज तथा ठगी विरुद्धको किसानहरुको आन्दोलन काठमाडौँमा शुरु हुदा यसलाई कसैले गम्भीरताले लिएकै थिएनन् | पछि देशभरिबाटै मीटर ब्याजबाट पीडितहरु जुट्दै गएपछि बल्ल यसलाई सार्वजनिक सरोकारको मुद्दाको रुपमा हेरियो | आषाढमा शुरु भएको यो आन्दोलनका पिडितहरुसंग आश्विन २, २०७९ मा सरकारले ५ बुँदे सहमति गरेपछि मिटर ब्याज तथा ठगीविरुद्ध किसान मजदुर संघर्ष समितिले आन्दोलनका कार्यक्रम स्थगित गरेको थियो ।

झट्ट हेर्दा मीटर ब्याजबाट गरिब किसानहरु पिडित रहेको देखिए पनि यसको अन्तर्यमा आम नागरिक र आर्थिक रुपमा विपन्न जनताहरुको वित्तीय पहुच अझै पनि हुन् नसकेको यथार्थलाई कतै बाट पनि सम्बोधन गर्न नसकेको देखिन्छ | तराई मधेसमा मिटर ब्याजी र ठगीको कारण र यसका समाधानका पहलहरुको सेरोफेरोमा आजको हाम्रो संवाद केन्द्रित रहने छ |

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#Ep.098

Riya Sinha is an Associate Fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) in New Delhi, where she coordinates the Sambandh Regional Connectivity Initiative and co-manages the Sambandh Policy Dialogue. Her research focuses on regional economic connectivity in South Asia, covering trade, logistics, infrastructure, and border management. In 2022, she was a Visiting Fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington DC and a Fellow at the Asian Forum on Global Governance. Previously, Riya worked at the Bureau of Research on Industry and Economic Fundamentals (BRIEF), conducting research on regional trade, supply chains, and trade facilitation.  

Shuvangi and Riya reflect on a decade of India's 'Neighbourhood First' policy since its inception in 2014. They discuss India's initial focus, strategic adjustments in response to China's Belt and Road Initiative, and regional expectations for enhanced connectivity and cooperation, including the potential revival of SAARC. Riya highlights new connectivity projects with the Middle East and Europe, economic cooperation with Nepal, especially in the energy sector, and collaborative initiatives with the U.S. She advocates for prioritizing funds and manpower for India's neighbors to achieve its 'Vishwa Guru' ambitions and emphasizes incorporating a feminist dimension into the policy.

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An introduction to PODS by PEI Season 3.

#Ep.057 आप्रवासनका कारकहरु सामाजिक, आर्थिक, राजनीतिक, वातावरणीय, आदि विभिन्न हुन सक्छन् | दशकौंदेखि आप्रवासनलाई केन्द्रमा राखेर नीतिगत तहमा गरिएका अनुसन्धान, बहस र पैरवीहरूले आर्थिक र राजनीतिक आयामलाई बढी ध्यान दिएका थिए भने, चार दशकयता मूल रूपमा समाजविज्ञानका अध्येताहरूले सामाजिक–सांस्कृतिक आयामलाई पनि आप्रवासन विधाको आफ्नो अनुसन्धानको दायरामा गहकिलो रूपमा ल्याएको पाइन्छ | सामाजिक–सांस्कृतिक आयामबाट पनि अघि बढेर आप्रवासनलाई जलवायु परिवर्तनसंग पनि जोडेर हेर्नुपर्छ भनेर सन् १९९० को दशकदेखि हुन थालेको देखिन्छ | जसको पुष्टि राष्ट्रसंघीय आप्रवासी संगठनद्वारा १९९२ मा आयोजित एउटा महत्त्वपूर्ण अध्ययनले गरेको पाइन्छ जसले प्रस्ट रूपमा भनेको छ— “पछिल्ला वर्षहरूमा वातावरणमा आएको ह्रासले गर्दा ठूलो संख्यामा मानिसहरू बसाइँ सरेका छन् र यो क्रम बढ्दो छ” । ३१ बर्ष पछि, सन् २०२३ मा आइपुग्दा जलवायु परिवर्तन सिर्जित आप्रवासनको आवस्था कस्तो रहेको छ त ? यसका मुख्य मुख्य चुनौतीहरु के के हुन्? अनि नेपाल जस्तो भुपरिवेस्थित र भौगोलिक र जैविक विविधता भएको देशमा, जहाँ आज पनि लगभग ६६ % जनसंख्या कृषिमा निर्भर छन् र त्यसको पनि दुई- तिहाई त निर्वाहमुखी कृषि गर्दछन, यहाँ जलवायु परिवर्तनको असर कस्तो रहेको छ र यसलाई आप्रवासनसंग कसरी जोड्न सकिन्छ ? जलवायु परिवर्तन बाट सिर्जित आप्रवासनका सन्दर्भमा, यो बाट उत्पन्न हुने समस्याको समाधानका निम्ति के के पहल हरु भएका छन् ? वातावरणीय आप्रवासनको समस्या र त्यस बाट सिर्जित चुनौती र समस्याहरु संग लड्न वा ति अनुकुल आफुलाई ढाल्न के के अल्पकालीन र दिर्घकालिन उपाय हुन सक्छन्? यिनै बिषयहरुलाई समेट्दै, आजको भागमा पी. ई. आई. का जनक पोख्रेल, आप्रवासनबिद् र समाजशास्त्री मिना पौडेलसँग उहाँको गत असार ३ गते, कान्तिपुर दैनिकमा “आप्रवासन र जलवायु परिवर्तनको सम्बन्ध” नामक शिर्षकमा लेखिएको लेखको अन्तरङ्गमा रहेर संवादमा बस्दैछन् | पौडेलले जलवायु परिवर्तन र आप्रवासनको सम्बन्धलाई उजागर गर्दै, वतावरणीय आप्रवासनको समस्यालाई समाधान गर्न वा त्यस अनुकुल रहेर त्यसको प्रभावलाई न्यूनीकरण गर्न के के अल्पकालीन र दिर्घकालिन कदमहरु चाल्न सकिन्छ भनेर विश्लेषण गर्नुभएको छ | मीना पौडेल एक नेपाली समाजशास्त्री हुनुहुन्छ | उहाँले त्रिभुवन विश्वविद्यालयबाट स्नातकोत्तर र बेलायतको न्युकासल विश्वविद्यालयबाट बिद्यावारिधि गर्नुभएको छ | उहाँ सँग नेपालसंगै, दक्षिणपूर्व र मध्य एशिया, पश्चिमी यूरोप र उत्तर अफ्रिकाका अन्य देशहरूमा सामाजिक रूपमा बहिष्कृत र राजनीतिक रूपमा सीमान्तकृत समूहहरूको जीवनलाई असर गर्ने मुद्दाहरूमा विकास कार्य, अनुसन्धान र नारीवादी सक्रियताको लामो अनुभव छ। उहाँले Oxfam GB, USAID, UN प्रणाली र एकेडेमिया सहित विभिन्न राष्ट्रिय तथा अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय संस्थाहरूमा संलग्न भएर काम गरिसक्नु भएको छ । विगत २० वर्षदेखि उहाँ दक्षिण एसिया (अफगानिस्तान, पाकिस्तान), मध्य एसिया (उज्बेकिस्तान, ताजिकिस्तान, तुर्कमेनिस्तान) र उत्तर अफ्रिका (लिबिया) मा आप्रवासनको जोखिममा परेका महिला, पुरुष र बालबालिकाको जीवनका विभिन्न पक्षहरू - जलवायु परिवर्तन सहितको, अनुसन्धानमा संलग्न हुनुहुन्छ। उहाँले यी विषयहरूमा अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय र राष्ट्रिय रूपमा व्यापक रूपमा अनुसन्धान र नीति पत्रहरू समेत लेख्नु भएको छ | Patreon मा हामीलाई समर्थन गर्न यहाँ क्लिक गर्नुहोस् !!

America's foreign policy has undergone significant evolution since its founding. After World War II, the country embraced a policy of containment towards the Soviet Union, leading to increased involvement in international affairs. The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War marked a shift towards a more interventionist foreign policy, as seen in the Gulf War and post-9/11 conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq. The Russia-Ukraine War, which began in 2014 with Russia's annexation of Crimea, marked a new low in US-Russian relations, with the US imposing economic sanctions in response. China's growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region has also been a challenge for US foreign policy, with the US responding with a mix of engagement and competition, including trade tensions and efforts to strengthen partnerships in the region.

In this episode, PEI’s Anurag Acharya sits with Ryan Hass to discuss the US and its role as a global leader in a changing geopolitical landscape. Ryan Hass is a Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. and a member of the Board of Trustees of The Asia Foundation. From 2013 to 2017, he has served as the Director for China, Taiwan, and Mongolia at the U.S. National Security Council, advising President Obama and senior White House officials on all aspects of American policy towards these three countries. In this 15-year tenure in the US Foreign Service, Ryan served in various American embassies, from Beijing, and Seoul, to Ulaanbaatar. He has authored multiple books, including “Stronger: Adapting America's China Strategy in an Age of Competitive Interdependence.”

Anurag and Ryan discuss the evolution of American foreign policy, especially in the last two tumultuous decades since 9/11, and how that has impacted its position as a global leader. They also examine contemporary world crises like the Russia-Ukraine War, as well as the potential conflict between US and China over Taiwan, and America’s response to China’s growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region. Ryan further elaborates his proposition that, instead of looking for a hostile contestation, the US and China both have to learn to live with each other, that the US must invest in itself and in its friends, and how the collaboration between these competing powers on collective-action problems like climate change can result in better outcomes for everyone.

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#Ep.087

Alex Shrestha represents a generation of architects and urban planners creating a positive impact across the Nepali landscape. As managing director at Wonaw & Associates, he focuses on beautiful, functional and sustainable architecture. Alex’s creations have earned national and international distinctions in being among the top 4 resorts in Asia and is recognized by the Society of Nepalese Architects with the Architectural Excellence Award 2021. His most critically acclaimed creation is the environment friendly resorts Pavilions Himalayas Resort, Pokhara where he incorporated sustainability and energy saving features in hospitality. 

 

Sudipa and Alex discuss the niche and nascent idea of sustainable architecture. They navigate the role of architecture in promoting sustainability and the factors influencing its adoption in Nepal, including societal values and economic considerations. They explore the evolution of architectural preferences in Kathmandu, focusing on how major events like the 2015 earthquake have influenced social aspirations in architecture. They end with a dialogue on innovative building technologies and policy strategies in shaping sustainable architectural practices.

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#Ep.048 Nepal has recently made significant progress in sustainable transportation, particularly electric mobility. As it strives to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality, electric vehicles are becoming an increasingly important part of its climate action plan. This has also generated a lot of interest in the energy and transportation sectors. But despite the government's targets of 25% electric vehicle usage by 2025 and 90% by 2030, the lack of a stable policy environment and issues related to financing and infrastructure poses a challenge. In this episode, PEI’s Shreeya Rana sits with Anantaa Pandey to discuss the progress, the challenges, and the solutions in Nepal's electric mobility journey. They unpack challenges in financing, and infrastructure to support electric mobility, while also talking about the policies, which aren’t always aligned. Anantaa is the Senior Program Officer at the Global Green Growth Institute’s Nepal office. She has advised the Nepalese government on policy and technical issues concerning electric mobility, and she has conducted feasibility studies on the deployment of EVs in Nepal. She is currently leading the Sustainable Electric Transport Project. If you liked the episode, click here to support us on Patreon!!

India has been seeking to expand its global influence and has set ambitious goals for itself in this regard. For example, last December, India assumed the presidency of the G20, a group of the world's largest economies that aims to promote international economic cooperation. This has been presented as a significant opportunity for India to showcase its leadership and advance its economic and foreign policy goals on the global stage.

India's G20 presidency will also have implications for South Asia. The country's leadership role in the G20 could lead to an increased focus on the region and potentially lead to greater economic integration and cooperation among South Asian countries. Additionally, India's emphasis on the digital economy, climate change, and health could also have spillover effects for the region.

But while India looks outward globally, China, in recent years, has been increasing its presence in South Asia through various means, such as infrastructure development and investment. This increasing Chinese presence in its traditional sphere of influence has been a concern for India, and it has been responding with its own set of initiatives of diplomacy, development, and investment initiatives.

In this episode, PEI’s Nirjan sits with Mandakini Surie to discuss these global ambitions of India, the position it holds in the various Indo-Pacific Strategies to counter the rise of China, and the impact this has on its South Asian Neighbors.

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Ep. Co#010

Sri Lanka is currently facing an economic crisis. The crisis can be traced back to a number of factors, including the country's high levels of debt, a decline in tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and a lack of foreign investment. These issues have led to a sharp depreciation of the Sri Lankan rupee, high inflation, and a decrease in living standards for many people.

 

In this episode, PEI’s Anurag sits in conversation with George I. H. Cooke to discuss the 2022 Sri Lankan economic crisis. They start with understanding the contexts of the Sri Lankan economy to illustrate its recent economic and development priorities. The two then converse on the recent crisis discussing what mistakes Sri Lanka made along the way on institutional and strategic levels. They demark what the crisis entails for the State and its people and how it can best pull itself out of the plummet before more harm is done. Finally, they consider what lessons Nepal and other developing nations and development partners can learn from the whole debacle to avoid any more in the future. 

 

George is a Diplomatic Historian whose main research areas include foreign policy, diplomacy, regionalism, and integration. He is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of International Relations, University of Colombo, and Visiting Lecturer at the National Defence College of Sri Lanka, Bandaranaike International Diplomatic Training Institute, Defence Services Command, Staff College, and Sri Lanka Air Force Academy, amongst others.

#Ep.088

यस एपिसोडमा पि. ई. आईका सुशभ, पुर्व मुख्यसचिव लिलामणि पौडेलसँग नेपालको कर्मचारीतन्त्रको बारेमा संबादमा बस्नुभएको छ। पौडेलले आफ्नो लामो अनुभवका आधारमा, नेपालमा निजामती सेवाको विकास, यसका मूल्य-मान्यता, वर्तमान अवस्था र चुनौतीहरुको विमर्श गर्नुभएको छ भने उहाँहरुले यस विषयलाई नेपालको सङ्घीयता र निजामती सेवा ऐन लगायत सम्बन्धित विषयको सन्दर्भमा समेत केलाएर चर्चा गर्नुभएको छ।

लिलामणि पौडेलले विभिन्न सरकारी कार्यालयमा ३२ वर्ष सेवा प्रदान गर्नुभएको छ। यसअघि उहाँले नेपाल सरकारको मुख्य सचिव, चीनका लागि नेपाली राजदूत, प्रधानमन्त्री तथा मन्त्रिपरिषद्को कार्यालयमा सचिव, गृह मन्त्रालय, सूचना तथा सञ्चार मन्त्रालय र संस्कृति पर्यटन तथा नागरिक उड्डयन मन्त्रालयमा काम गरिसक्नु भएको छ। पौडेल हाल काठमाडौं विश्वविद्यालयमा अध्यापन गर्दै  आउनुभएको छ र गृह प्रशासन अन्तर्गतको पूर्वसचिव, प्रहरी प्रमुख र प्राज्ञिक बिज्ञ सम्मेलित सुधार समितिको अध्यक्षता समेत गरिरहनु भएको छ।

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There prevail challenges to financing Nepal's development and growth in the midst of its limited sources of funding available. In this current climate of limited funding, foreign aid, foreign direct investment, and domestic resources have played a crucial role to sustain Nepal’s economy. Nepal has received financial assistance from several countries, including the US, Japan, and the UK, as well as international multilateral organizations like the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. The government has also implemented policies to attract foreign investment, particularly in sectors such as hydropower, tourism, and manufacturing. Additionally, Nepal has been focusing on increasing tax revenues and promoting entrepreneurship and small and medium enterprises to boost economic growth. However, there is a need for better coordination and monitoring of the use of funds, as well as a focus on creating an enabling environment for private sector investment to sustain growth and development in the long term.

In this episode, the first of a two-part series, PEI Executive Director Saumitra Neupane sits down with two guests, Anup Upreti and Shreejesh Ghimire to discuss the current state of, and the future of development financing in Nepal. They also discuss some of the underlying factors for Nepal's inability to mobilize financing for infrastructure and economic development and the roles and challenges of mobilizing foreign capital in the country.

Anup is a legal expert who regularly advises clients on diverse transactional matters ranging from foreign investment and project finance to private equity. He is the Managing Partner of Pioneer Law Associates and specializes in financial laws, foreign investment, private equity, and capital markets. He holds a degree in Banking and Financial Law from the Queen Mary University of London, U.K. Similarly, Shreejesh is the Chief Investment Officer at NMB Bank Ltd. and was formerly the CEO of NMB Capital Limited. He is an MBA graduate from Kathmandu University School of Management, specializing in Finance, Marketing. He also holds a BMCC from Pune University, India.

This episode has been partly funded by the generous contribution of VRock & Company.

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#Ep.052

Last week, the Supreme Court issued an order enabling the temporary registration of marriages for same-sex couples, citing its ignorance so far as unconstitutional. While the order is definitely one in the direction of progress for the LGBTQ community, the gesture pales when one realizes that the struggle for marriage equality has a stagnant history of over 15 years in Nepal. The Supreme Court issued a similar order for equal rights back in 2008. Instead of implementation, the community is handed another court order and is now, again, in wait.

In this episode, former PEI colleague Tsedon Kansakar is in conversation with Sunil Babu Pant to discuss the history and status of marriage equality in Nepal. The two draw upon Pant’s first-hand experience to recall the landmark 2007 case Sunil Babu Pant and Others V. GoN, which pleaded for, among other things, equal rights to marriage. They then explore the significance of marriage equality not only in terms of human rights but also society and the economy.

Sunil Babu Pant is the founder of the Blue Diamon Society, an LGBTQ rights organization in Nepal. Pant is also the first openly gay national-level legislator in Asia. As a member of parliament, hIs legislative goals included equal justice, civil, and economic rights for the Qeer community. He led the landmark supreme court case that decriminalized homosexuality and added a different category of third gender in Nepali citizenship. He now continues to push forward those agendas as an activist.

#Ep.085

Despite once being gripped by patriarchy, Nepali society has come a long way in terms of gender equality and equity, and gender policy efforts have played an undeniable role in reshaping the reality of women in Nepal. Today, women’s representation and participation is incentivized in different development sectors, including education, health, workforce, and politics.  However, the strides of progress are still enervated by inefficient implementation, which poses questions about the vitality of gender policies.  

In this episode, guest host Yuki Poudyal sits with Sucheta Pyakurel to explore Nepal’s policy landscape with Gendered Lenses. They begin by elucidating the case for gender equality and its vital connection to responsive policies and budgeting in patriarchal societies like Nepal. Tracing Nepal's history of gender policies, Sucheta shares pivotal reforms that have significantly narrowed the gender gap while also critically examining the formal and informal hindrances. The two discuss crucial gender policy events and debates to extract observations on the efficiency of such policies and recommend changes.

Originally aired on 12 December 2023, we have guest host Yuki Poudel’s conversation with Sucheta Pyakurel on Power and Parity: Charting Nepal’s Gender Policy Journey.

Sucheta Pyakuryal is the Director of the Center for Governance at the Institute of Integrated Development Studies (IIDS). She teaches Gender in Politics/Policymaking for the Masters and PhD programs at Tribhuvan University and is a visiting faculty of Kathmandu University’s Masters in Public Policy and Management program. An alumna of the Regional Center for Strategic Studies of South Asia, her work focuses on the study of democratic development and good governance in the region.   

Yuki is currently the co-founder of the Nepal Institute of Study Abroad and has experience working across a myriad of sectors, from non-profits to innovative start-ups as a consultant, strategist, and leader. She completed her Masters in Development Practices and International Business from Tufts University.

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Shradha is the Research Coordinator at the Centre for Social Change (CSC) focusing on Nepal's natural resources, climate governance, and environmental peacebuilding. Recently, she co-authored an article titled "Understanding the Interrelations Between Natural Resources and Development Governance in Federal Nepal." She has a Master’s in Humans and Natural Resources from Kathmandu University.

Khushi and Shradha discuss historical and contemporary conflicts concerning natural resource governance in Nepal. They focus on the significant shifts brought by Nepal's transition to a federal structure, the challenges of a centralized mindset, and the lack of clarity in roles among federal, provincial, and local levels. Shradha also explains key governance conflicts, environmental and human-wildlife security impacts, and her research on the Resource Curse theory. 

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The November of last year saw a heated contention between the Kathmandu Metropolitan City and the slum-dwellers of Thapathali, as the yellow dozers of the first were confronted with the homemade weapons of the latter. This wasn’t the first time the squatter (or Basti) had garnered public concern, but it continues to struggle to reach a resolution as the State finds itself torn between its duties. On the one hand, it’s called by the ideals of urban planning for a world-class city; on the other, it’s obliged to uphold human rights within its territories. 

In this episode, PEI’s Khushi and Sabin Ninglekhu look into the informal settlement of Thapathali to understand the rationale, actions, and desired ends of its two key stakeholders: the State and the settlers. They unfold, in detail, the tumultuous past and present of the Basti, covering all grounds, including the recent public discourse over the “fake settler”. They then branch out to other resettlement initiatives in Nepal, rethinking the role of aesthetics in humane urban planning and exploring how to best manage and resettle informal settlements.

Sabin holds a Ph.D. in Human Geography from the University of Toronto, Canada, focusing on informal politics and urban poverty. Sabin co-leads a long-term research project titled ‘Heritage as placemaking: The politics of erasure and solidarity in South Asia’, where he looks at the tacit and implicit roles of religion and heritage in urban planning agendas. Sabin also voices his findings and thoughts in op-eds for The Record, The Kathmandu Post, Naya Patrika, and Chetlung and occasionally translates popular pieces from Nepali to English.

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Ep. Br#003

As the world gathers in Egypt for COP 27 this week, the discussion on climate change, its global impact, and the need to curb dependency on carbon-intensive sources of energy take center stage. Joining this spirit of climate consciousness and innovative rethinking, PEI colleagues - Saurab Lama and Nirjan Rai - discuss PEI’s 2021 paper “The Political Economy of Mainstreaming Renewable Energy in Nepal.”

The two discuss the hydro-dominant narrative of Nepal’s electricity sector and the significance of other-than-hydro renewable energy sources in pursuit of its energy goals. They go further into the politics of institutions in the sector and how the extant interests and incentives in the sector are obstructing mainstreaming initiatives. They conclude with recommendations on the need to increase the electricity consumption of the average Nepali and to change the sector narrative that includes issues of climate change and energy security, 

Nirjan is a researcher with over a decade of experience in designing, managing, and leading analytical studies on Nepal's energy and water governance. He helped establish Policy Entrepeneurs Inc and Niti Foundation, two Nepali policy research institutions, and has worked at the Asian Development Bank and The Asia Foundation. He is also a United World College alum and an Asia Foundation Development Fellow.

The paper is can be downloaded from PEI’s website

#Ep.066

This episode was recorded as a special episode prior to PM Dahal’s official visit to China.

In this special release, PEI colleagues Saumitra and Anurag are joining Shreeya to discuss the evolving Nepal-China relationship amidst a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape.

Saumitra is the Executive director at PEI. He leads projects on infrastructure, bilateral investments, and aid. He has been an integral part of key reforms in Nepal’s electricity sector and contributed to numerous researches on cross-border electricity trade and transboundary water resources.

Anurag is the Director of Practice, he leads PEI in thematic areas of governance, politics, and foreign aid. Anurag is a well-known political commentator and has written extensively on Nepal and South Asia, for national and international publications.

If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!! 

EP. Br#009

To get an in-depth understanding of the Political Settlements Framework mentioned in this episode, please listen to EP. Br#008 - The Brief: Mushtaq Khan on Madhesh and the Challenge of Inclusive Federalism in Nepal - A Political Settlements Framework Analysis.

In collaboration with SoAS school of London, PEI conducted a targeted survey of 352 SMEs in the tourism, agriculture, and light manufacturing sector across Bagmati Province, Madhesh Province, Lumbini Province, and Karnali Province. Out of the 352 surveys, 200 (56.8%) were conducted in Bagmati, 49 (13.9%) in Madhesh, 71 (20.2%) in Lumbini, and 30 (8.5%) in Karnali. This survey on SMEs was conducted to understand the characteristics of SMEs in Nepal better and support the diagnosis of the process of economic transformations in Nepal, especially in the post-federalism context. The core of the research is based on the Political Settlements framework, which is applied to assess the distribution of capabilities.

 

In this episode, PEI colleague Shreeya Rana sits with Dr. Pallavi Roy, where the two discuss the role of SMEs in accelerating inclusive economic growth, the organizational capabilities that SMEs should develop in order to expand their competitive base, the policy options that decisions makers should keep in mind while targeting economic growth, and how firms with low, competitive base tend to collude with politicians when they are forced to comply with regulations. They also talk about some of the relevant findings from the SOAS and PEI  jointly-implemented survey as part of the larger study on federalism through the application of the framework of the Political settlement, a framework we discussed in our last episode.

 

Dr. Pallavi Roy is a Reader in International Economics at the Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy at SOAS University of London. Her research focuses on applying institutional economics and, in particular, the political settlements framework to problems of industrial policy, anti-corruption, commodity markets, the political economy of clientelism, and economic development. She is also the joint lead for the Research and Evidence on Nepal’s Transition project, a four-year research implemented by SOAS, Yale University, Governance Lab, and PEI.

Ep. Co#009

Nepal and Bangladesh have gone through similar tribulations and upheavals in their quest for affordable, secure, reliable, and sustainable electricity in the past. As we discussed in our previous episode of PODS by PEI, the principal factor behind Nepal overcoming its substantial load shedding was completing the cross-border transmission line that allowed for electricity trade between Nepal and India. On the other hand, Bangladesh’s emphasis on energy “emergency management” allowed for the rapid uptake of coal and LNG-powered plants, allowing the nation to overcome its dark days. However, as the conversations surrounding climate change and the need to curb the global reliance on carbon-intensive fuels take focus, Bangladesh faces a new challenge towards sustaining its electricity demand.

In this episode, we have the Senior Programs Officer, Saurab Lama, in conversation with Dr. Khondaker Moazzem, Research Director at the Centre for Policy Dialogue, Bangladesh. The two discuss the overall landscape of the Bangladeshi electricity sector, the various factors that have shaped the electricity market in the nation, the scope of renewables in the LNG-dominated system, and the scope for Nepal as a future exporter of electricity to Bangladesh.

Moazzem is the Research Director at the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), Bangladesh, with interests in developing industrial enterprises, entrepreneurship development, and private investment, including FDI, competition policy, and trade at the bilateral, regional and multilateral levels. Moazzem holds a Ph.D. from Kyoto University, Japan, and was a visiting fellow at the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies (CSEAS), Kyoto University.

Click here to read Khondaker Moazzem’s 2019 report on the Bangladeshi electricity sector.

Click here to read Khondaker Moazzem’s Op-Ed “Feasible options for cross-border power trade with Nepal.”

From being a food net exporter, Nepal became a food net importer in a matter of a few decades. Whilst agriculture is the mainstay for the majority of the Nepali population, the markets are flooded with imported agricultural commodities. Only recently, farmers in Chitwan staged a protest against the unfair market price for local production due to high imports of goods from India.

In today’s episode, PEI colleague Lasata Joshi sits with Dr. Jagannath Adhikari to discuss Nepal’s growing dependence on food imports. Dr. Jagannath is a human geographer and holds a Ph.D. in Human Geography from The Australian National University. He is currently associated with The Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia, where he is an Adjunct Research Fellow, and with the Nepal Institute of Development Studies (NIDS) as a Senior Researcher. He has carried out a great deal of research on themes like food systems, agricultural development, land reform and management, participatory forest management, biodiversity, urban environment and climate change and food security, and migration and development.

In today's episode, Lasata and Dr. Jagannath talk about how an increase in reliance on food imports is a threat to Nepal’s national sovereignty. They also explain how, while being predominantly an agricultural economy, the country's food import transactions have expanded in recent decades.

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#Ep.047

Last Monday, the 29th of May, Finance Minister Dr. Mahat took the parliamentary podium for three grueling hours to announce the national budget for the Fiscal Year 2023/ 24. Besides the typical significance of the policy document for the State, this year’s Budget gathered more anticipation as word about a looming economic crisis was spreading fervently among experts and citizens alike. The Budget and its performance hence is a test for the State to prove its capacity to overcome historical errors. 

In today's episode,  PEI’s Saumitra Neupane sits with Sagar Prasai and Paras Kharel in a riveting conversation discussing the Nepal Budget FY 2023/24, analyzing its structure, priorities, and impacts.  They situate the Budget in the current context of an economic slowdown, tracing historical patterns, factors, and events that have enervated the Nepali economy. Their conversation then informs how the budget responds to contemporary economic challenges and what factors play into its performance success or failure. 

Sagar is a development professional with over two decades of experience working in the areas of water, energy, climate issues, and regional cooperation in South Asia. He currently provides advisory services to various organizations, including The Asia Foundation and the Australian Government’s DFAT. 

Paras is a trade economist with over 15 years of research experience. He is the Executive Director at South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics, and Environment and has a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Melbourne. 

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#Ep.073

Despite once being gripped by patriarchy, Nepali society has come a long way in terms of gender equality and equity, and gender policy efforts have played an undeniable role in reshaping the reality of women in Nepal. Today, women’s representation and participation is incentivized in different development sectors, including education, health, workforce, and politics.  However, the strides of progress are still enervated by inefficient implementation, which poses questions about the vitality of gender policies.  

In this episode, guest host Yuki Poudyal sits with Sucheta Pyakurel to explore Nepal’s policy landscape with Gendered Lenses. They begin by elucidating the case for gender equality and its vital connection to responsive policies and budgeting in patriarchal societies like Nepal. Tracing Nepal's history of gender policies, Sucheta shares pivotal reforms that have significantly narrowed the gender gap while also critically examining the formal and informal hindrances. The two discuss crucial gender policy events and debates to extract observations on the efficiency of such policies and recommend changes.

Sucheta Pyakuryal is the Director of the Center for Governance at the Institute of Integrated Development Studies (IIDS). She teaches Gender in Politics/Policymaking for the Masters and PhD programs at Tribhuvan University and is a visiting faculty of Kathmandu University’s Masters in Public Policy and Management program. An alumna of the Regional Center for Strategic Studies of South Asia, her work focuses on studying democratic development and good governance in the region.   

Yuki is currently the co-founder of the Nepal Institute of Study Abroad and has experience working across a myriad of sectors, from non-profits to innovative start-ups as a consultant, strategist, and leader. She completed her Masters in Development Practices and International Business from Tufts University. 

If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!

#Ep.055

Foreign employment from Nepal to South Korea has emerged as a prominent and distinct migration corridor in recent years. It gained popularity as an attractive destination for Nepali migrant workers due to the government’s formal agreement under the Korea Employment Permit System (EPS), which allows for legal work opportunities in various sectors, primarily in manufacturing, agriculture, and construction. EPS has facilitated a structured and regulated process for recruitment, ensuring a level of protection for Nepali workers. However, challenges such as pre-departure costs, language barriers, cultural adjustments, and occasional controversies related to re-entry have also been part of this migration experience, making it demand attention and policy considerations.

In this episode, PEI colleague Anuj Tiwari sits with Jeevan Baniya to discuss the Nepal-Korea Migration corridor. The two draw from Baniya’s recent paper titled "Only a few can afford to go to Korea: The Costs of Nepali Migration to South Korea." to explore the pre-migration phase of the Nepal-Korea Migration. They explore the unique characteristics of migration to Korea from the perspective of aspirations and capabilities to understand the emigrants, their motivation to move, and avenues to facilitate the movement, along with problems and vulnerabilities that arise.

Jeevan Baniya is the Assistant Director of the Centre for the Study of Labour and Mobility at Social Science Baha. He has provided advisory and technical support to multiple national and international organizations, including the Ministry for Labour, Employment and Social Security, the National Human Rights Commission Nepal; the ILO; trade unions, and CSOs.

If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!

Ep. Co#001

The geopolitical landscape of South Asia continues to evolve, with India forced to concede its traditionally uncontested influence to other superpowers, namely, China and the United States. While the US is more strategically allied with India, increasing Chinese influence has directly challenged Indian hegemony in the region. Considering all of these moving pieces, there arises the question about what this geopolitical shift means for recipient countries like Nepal, which has continued to rely on aid provided by developed countries to expand its infrastructures and spur economic growth.

In this episode of Conversations, the two speakers examine China’s role in Nepal, with some historical context as well as the recent domestic political developments that have shaped bilateral relationships and aid negotiations with Beijing. This episode features PEI’s own Anurag Acharya and our guest Amish Mulmi, a noted columnist with The Kathmandu Post and a regular commentator on Nepal and the broader South Asia region, and the author of the critically-acclaimed book “All Roads Lead North”. The episode delves into some of the key topics within the Nepal-China bilateral relationship, including Nepal’s historical ties with its northern neighbor, the flourishing trade between the two countries until the earlier part of the 20th century, and its reinvigoration and evolution in modern times.

The episode further discusses Amish’s examination of the underlying conditions that foster the Nepal-China relationship. These include, among others, the rise in anti-India sentiments in Nepal and the weakening of the Indo-Nepal relationship. The episode further dissects the challenges to Nepal’s pursuit of a non-aligned foreign policy with India, China and the US, and how Nepal could leverage its geo-political location to further its interest.

Ep. Co#003

Countries in the Asia Pacific region are increasing investments in their physical infrastructures to stimulate growth and economic recovery, especially in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic. Three of the world’s largest economies – the US, China and Japan – are actively maneuvering for economic and geopolitical influence in the emerging Asian markets. But how should governments and markets that sit within targeted countries handle this newfound attention? How can they turn competing interests of big powers into advantage for their people?

In this episode of Conversations, the two speakers explore the rise of China as a superpower and its impact on the evolution of aid as a foreign policy tool. This episode features PEI’s own Anurag Acharya and our guest Anthea Mulakala, the Senior Director of International Development Cooperation at The Asia Foundation. Over the last decade, she has worked in Asian development cooperation, particularly understanding how rising powers, such as China and India, are transforming the 21st century aid and development landscape.

This episode examines China’s Belt and Road Initiative, its increasing use of infrastructure diplomacy in the Asia Pacific, and how the West is trying to counter its set of infrastructure-oriented development financing. The speakers also discuss the implications of the Great Power Rivalry in South Asia, how India is maneuvering to maintain its influence over the region, and the opportunities and challenges this holds for aid-recipient countries like Nepal.

EP. Br#007

This episode is part of PEI's coverage of the 2022 General Elections. For our pre-election analyses, please read our policy brief and/or listen to EP. BR#005 - The Brief: Anurag Acharya and Avinash Karna on Inclusion, Coalitions, and the Power Dynamics behind General Elections 2022

As the results of the 2022 General Elections slowly trickle in, there are some interesting trends that are taking shape. To begin with, the voter turnout, reported to be 61 percent by the Election Commission of Nepal, has been lower than those from earlier elections, which analysts are taking as a signal that more people may be beginning to tune out from this democratic process.

Number-wise, the initial results indicate that while the Nepali Congress will secure the largest number of seats, the UML has been able to hold its ground in second place. Perhaps the most unexpected outcome is the better-than-expected performance of the Rastriya Swatantra Party, an entity formed only several months before the elections. What is clear, however, is that the end result of this election is a hung parliament, leaving a lot of room for horsetrading among the political parties at the expense of stability and good governance.

In today’s episode, PEI colleague Saurab Lama sits with noted political commentator Bishnu Sapkota to discuss the significance of the 2022 elections, the low voter turnout, the early results, and the implications for the political parties. The two discuss the better-than-expected performance of the Rastriya Swatantra Party and also of the pre-election movements such as the #nonotagain. The two end on the topic of a hung parliament and its implications for the future of policymaking in Nepal.

Bishnu Sapkota is a noted columnist and political commentator. He taught at Nepal's Tribhuvan University for nearly a decade prior to getting into international development work. He managed a national dialogue program called Nepal Transition to Peace (NTTP) during Nepal's crucial phases of Maoist insurgency through the 2006 People's Movement, ensuing ethnic upheavals, the Constituent Assembly, and finally promulgation of the new constitution in 2015. The NTTP forum was an inclusive national dialogue platform by major political parties, government, and civil society. He led UNDP/Nepal's Conflict Prevention Program between 2014-2015. He is currently based in Cambodia with an international organization, working in the sector of democracy and governance. Mr. Sapkota is also affiliated as an Asia Fellow to the Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame, USA. Over the past decade, he has given talks and presentations on Nepal's peace process experiences at a number of international conferences and platforms.

#Ep.059

Nepal's energy discourse has largely been centered around its immense hydropower potential. However, experts are now talking about Nepal's potential for green hydrogen and its role in the country's commitment to sustainable energy. With International collaborations, such as the partnership between the Green Hydrogen Lab, Kathmandu University, Nepal Team Hydrogen, and NTNU, Norway, a significant interest in advancing green hydrogen research and development in Nepal is growing.

In this episode, guest host Saurab Lama sits with Biraj Thapa to uncover the complexities and promises of Nepal's journey towards a sustainable energy future through green hydrogen. They navigate the recent collaborations among key institutions and explore the historical evolution of this green energy. They also discuss the global hydrogen landscape, its applications beyond mobility, challenges, and recent developments in Nepal.

Biraj Singh Thapa is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Kathmandu University and is also the team leader of the Green Hydrogen Lab there. His area of specialization is hydropower and green hydrogen. At present, he is focusing on the energy ecosystem for the transition towards a low-carbon society in the Himalayan region. He is leading several projects to implement hydropower as the means for introducing green hydrogen as an alternative future fuel in Nepal. He holds a Ph.D. degree from NTNU, Norway.

If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!

Ep. Br#010

In 2026, Nepal will be graduating from the LDC status after meeting the graduation criteria for three consecutive UN triennials (2015, 2018, 2021) reviews conducted by the Committee for Development Policy (CDP). Nepal has been granted an additional two years to the 3-year transition period generally given by the UN, therefore, making graduation effective from 2026. However, questions have been raised on this proposal as Nepal’s GNI per capita is well below the LDC graduation threshold and also below the LDC average hence, the rising doubts on whether Nepal will be able to sustain the status. Notably, Nepal will have to relinquish the International Support Mechanisms it has been receiving as an LDC. That would mean the loss of preferential market access, stringent rules of origin requirements, and possible increases in tariffs on selected goods leading to significant losses in exports.

In this episode of The Brief, PEI colleague Aslesh sits with Dr. Paras Kharel, where the two talk about the rationale behind categorizing countries as an LDC and discuss Nepal’s graduation from the LDC status and its implications on trade, development assistance and policy space. They then examine the failings of the export sector and the policy changes required to boost the sector. They conclude with some key takeaways from the post-graduation experiences and strategies of a few countries which have graduated and competently sustained the graduation.

Paras Kharel is Executive Director at South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment (SAWTEE), a Kathmandu-based think tank. He has over 15 years of research experience in trade and development. He has a PhD in Economics (University of Melbourne) with specialization in international trade and applied microeconometrics. His publications include two edited volumes on South Asian cooperation/integration, and articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Review of International Economics, International Economics, and East Asian Economic Review.

#Ep.107

Purushottam Ojha is the former Commerce Secretary of Nepal and has extensive expertise in trade, transit, investment, private sector, and institutional development. Mr. Ojha has held key roles in public service since 1979 and has also served as a Trade Facilitation Consultant for The World Bank and Global Training Institute Development & Research, providing strategic advice on trade negotiations and capacity building.

Lasata and Purushottam’s discussion centers around the longstanding trade relationship between Nepal and India, guided by the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship. Ojha shares his insights on how historical trade arrangements have shaped Nepal's economy and the ongoing challenges and opportunities in this bilateral relationship. From tariff regimes to non-tariff barriers, this episode offers a comprehensive look at Nepal-India trade dynamics and the future of this crucial partnership.

If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!  

#Ep.041

In this enlightening episode of the PEI podcast, we delve into the intricate dynamics of international labor migration. Join our host, Anuj Tiwari, as he engages in a riveting conversation with Rebekah Smith, a renowned expert in labor mobility and public policy. They unpack the multi-layered economic and social impacts of labor migration on the host nations, migrant workers, and countries of origin.

Explore how labor migration policies necessitate careful balancing, addressing the often conflicting consequences for all involved parties. We delve into the tough decisions that inform the design of labor immigration policies, highlighting the integral role of ethics and values beyond mere facts.

Drawing on Rebekah's extensive experience and scholarly publications, we discuss effective migration systems, the global effects of migration on stakeholders, and optimal responses to these challenges. Rebekah, the executive director of Labor Mobility Partnerships, boasts a wealth of experience in addressing market and regulatory challenges obstructing safe and effective labor mobility.

Your support on Patreon allows us to bring these crucial global issues to the forefront. Click here to support us!

Ep. Di#001

आजको भागमा, हामी पी. ई. आई द्वारा हालै आयोजित ‘नेपालमा मिडिया, सर्वाजनिक बहस, र वैदेशिक सहायताको कुटनीति’ शिर्षकको प्यानल छलफलको लाइभ रेकर्डिङ साझा गर्दैछौं ।

यस सत्रको संचालन खोज पत्रकारिता केन्द्र नेपालकी कार्यक्रम प्रबन्धक अवस्ना पाण्डेले गर्नुभएको थियो । उहाँ यसअघि द काठमाडौं पोस्टमा सम्पादकीय पृष्ठको सम्पादकको रूपमा काम समेत गर्नुभएको छ। उहाँ संग अन्य तीन वक्ताहरू प्यानलमा सामेल हुनुहुन्थ्यो।

हाम्रो पहिलो वक्ता प्रमिला देवकोटा हुनुहुन्थ्यो, जो संग मिडियामा काम गरेको १५ वर्षभन्दा बढीको अनुभव छ र नेपालको परराष्ट्र नीतिका विषयमा नियमित रूपमा लेखिरहनु भएको हुन्छ। उहाँ हाल वुहानको सेन्ट्रल चाइना नर्मल युनिभर्सिटीबाट अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय सम्बन्धमा पीएचडी गरिरहनुभएको छ।

हाम्रो दोस्रो वक्ता सुधीर शर्मा हुनुहुन्थ्यो, नेपालको सबैभन्दा ठूलो दैनिक पत्रिका - कान्तिपुरका प्रधान सम्पादक। उहाँ नेपालकै सर्वाधिक बिक्रि भएको पुस्तक ‘प्रयोगशालाः नेपाली सङ्क्रमणमा दिल्ली, दरबार र माओवादी’ का लेखक पनि हुनुहुन्छ।

हाम्रो अन्तिम वक्ता कृष्ण ज्ञवाली हुनुहुन्थ्यो, जसले वातावरण मन्त्रालय र स्थानीय विकास मन्त्रालयमा सचिव र अर्थ मन्त्रालयमा सहसचिवको रूपमा काम गरिसक्नुभएको छ, जहाँ उहाँले वैदेशिक सहायता समन्वय महाशाखाको नेतृत्व गर्नुभएको थियो । सन् २०१४ मा नेपाल सरकारले मिलेनियम च्यालेन्ज कर्पोरेशनको राष्ट्रिय संयोजकको भूमिकामा ज्ञवालीलाई नियुक्त गरेको थियो ।

प्यानलले नेपालको लागि वैदेशिक सहायता, पूर्वाधार र कूटनीतिको विकसित परिदृश्य र एम. सि. सि. बहस वरपरको विवाद सहित, बैदेशिक सहायताको कूटनीति सम्बन्धि कथा स्थापित गर्न परम्परागत र सामाजिक संचार माध्यमको भूमिकाको बारेमा छलफल गरेको छ |

Namaste and Happy Earth Day. 

Over the year, we have collaborated with visionary individuals who have enhanced our discussions and expanded our perspectives on environmental sustainability and stewardship. At PEI, Earth Day 2024 is about expanding the conversation surrounding the environment to include and highlight the narrative of climate change, energy, and sustainable development.  

For today’s episode, we are rebroadcasting a conversation between PEI colleagues Saumitra Neupane and Ajaya Dixit on Risk and Resilience: Climate Change, Loss and Damage, and the Future of Nepal’s Development Pathway. The second of a two-part series, this discussion explores Nepal’s ambitious net zero emission goals and the impact of climate change on Nepal’s water, energy, and infrastructural development. They also discuss the transboundary nature of the water relationship in the region and how climate change can perturb the existing interdependencies. 

Ajaya is the co-founder and advisor at the Institute for Social and Environmental Transition (ISET) – Nepal. He is an Ashoka Fellow and a leading voice in Nepal, and internationally, on issues of climate change adaptation, resilience building, and disaster risk management.

We hope you enjoy the conversation! 

#Ep.042

The global energy landscape is changing due to factors such as the Russia-Ukraine War, the rise of renewable technology, and the impending climate crisis. Oil and gas have historically been the primary sources of energy, but the impending climate crisis has highlighted the need for humanity to shed its reliance on fossil-intensive fuels. Furthermore, the Russia-Ukraine conflict has shown the need for diversification of energy sources and supply routes. There's also a greater focus on renewable energy sources to address environmental issues. While oil and gas remain important, the transition to greener energy sources will have significant implications for the industry and the global energy market.

It is within this backdrop we find PEI colleague Saurab Lama in conversation with Ben Cahill to discuss the global energy landscape within the context of the Russia-Ukraine War and the impending climate crisis. They further discuss the future of the global energy sector, in the aftermath of the ongoing conflict, conversations around climate change, and turbulent geopolitics.

Ben is a senior fellow in the Energy Security and Climate Change Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He also leads a research initiative on methane emissions and analyzes how national oil companies respond to the energy transition. He has an MA in International Affairs and Economics from the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

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#Ep.080

Padma Sundar Joshi is the Vice President of Madan Bhandari University of Science and Technology. He has more than a decade of experience in. urban planning and environment. He has worked with the city office on projects like. the Municipal Infrastructure Improvement Project and the Kathmandu Valley mapping program. He has published books and a series of articles on urban development, including a recent publication titled The Hiti System: Past, Present, and Future. 

Lasata and Padma discuss the intricate relationship between. water and urbanism in Kathmandu Valley, focusing on the traditional water management system known as Hiti Pranali. Covering historical backgrounds and the current challenges the valley faces, including water shortages and  climate change impacts,  they explore the potential of traditional systems like Hiti in addressing modern water management issues. The conversation extends to ongoing projects and challenges restoring the Hiti and other traditional water systems, emphasizing their significance as sustainable, nature-based solutions. 

If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!   

Shuvangi and Akhilesh explore Nepal's borderland communities' unique challenges and contributions. They discuss how federalism has reshaped governance and service delivery in these regions and examine the effects of cross-border policies and pandemic-era restrictions on local livelihoods and trade. The conversation highlights how borderland communities are often excluded from national discussions despite their critical role in conflict management and cross-border relations, raising important questions about inclusion and visibility in decision-making processes. 

Akhilesh Upadhyay is researching the Himalayan borderlands. He is working on a book discussing the history of the region's cross-border trade, migration, and family ties. He also looks at the geopolitics of the Eastern Himalayas, where Bhutan, Nepal, and Bangladesh - smaller states - share a 'crowded corridor' with two big powers - China and India. He is a Senior Fellow with the Strategic Affairs Center at IIDS, a Kathmandu-based think tank.  

If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics ( ⁠https://policyentre.substack.com/welcome⁠ ), and click here ( ⁠https://patreon.com/podsbypei⁠ ) to support us on Patreon!! 

#Ep.037

Adopted in 2015, the Paris Agreement was hailed as a leap for humankind to achieve climate change mitigation, adaptation, and establish effective mechanisms for climate finance. The agreement set the long-term temperature goal to keep the rise in mean global temperature to well below 2 °C (3.6 °F) above pre-industrial levels, and preferably limit the increase to 1.5 °C (2.7 °F), recognizing that this would substantially reduce the effects of climate change.

Building on this, the final synthesis report of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, published recently in March 2023, unequivocally states that climate change has been caused by greenhouse gases emitted through anthropogenic activities. Climate change has created substantial damages and increasingly so, irreversible changes to the planet. The recently published report is unequivocal about climate change arising from anthropogenic carbon emissions, and that it is indeed high time that the world starts to cut down its emissions, reduce the dependency on fossil fuels, and adopt carbon-neutral technologies for energy generation, industry, and transport.

PEI’s Saurab and Bimal discuss the recently published synthesis report of the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report, some of the key takeaways from the report and climate change through a Nepali lens.

Bimal is a climate resilience and natural resource management expert with more than 23 years of experience supporting national and local climate change adaptation priorities in Nepal. He has experience supporting the Government of Nepal (GON) in risk reduction, natural systems sustainability, and biodiversity conservation, and has made significant contributions to the development of Nepal’s Climate Change Policy and institutional reform. He holds a PhD in Climate Change from Flinders University, Australia.

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Ep#068 The judiciary often deals with cases that involve both political and legal aspects, and the political question doctrine helps maintain the separation of powers by determining which issues are for political bodies to address and which fall within the  jurisdiction of the judiciary. In Nepal, however, there are no predefined norms or tick boxes within the language of the law for distinguishing political and legal questions. Instead, the judiciary exercises its discretion and relies on established legal practices, principles, and precedents to make these determinations, often blurring the lines between what constitutes a political or legal case. 

In this episode, PEI colleague Saumitra Neupane sits down with Semanta Dahal to discuss political question doctrine in Nepal's judiciary. The two draw from Semanta's article, 'Political Questions, Your Honor,' published in the Kathmandu Post, to delve further into how the Nepali judiciary determines the application of the Political Questions doctrine, and navigates through the nuanced and complex process of adjudication.

Semanta Dahal is an accomplished legal professional with a BA and LLB with Honors from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, and an LLM in International Law from the University of Nottingham. Currently, Semanta is an Advocate and Partner at Abhinawa Law Chambers in Kathmandu, where he provides legal expertise across various aspects of Nepalese laws, regulations, policies, and market practices. His advisory work encompasses areas such as hydro concession, infrastructure finance, electricity laws and regulations, land matters, cross-border investment, and potential power trade with India. 

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Ep. Co#007

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly referred to as COP27, took place this November in Egypt. One major achievement of this round of dialogue, which went down to the wire, was to establish a loss and damage fund, particularly for nations vulnerable to the climate crisis. While this may have been “a historic decision,” it raises more questions than answers, especially for countries like Nepal.

In this first episode, Saumitra Neupane, Executive Director of Policy Entrepreneurs Inc, and Ajaya Dixit, a leading voice in Nepal, and internationally, on issues of climate change adaptation, resilience building, and disaster risk management, discuss the outcomes of the recently concluded COP27, including the issue of loss and damage. They follow this up with a wider discussion on the issue of climate change and what it means for countries like Nepal and the Himalayan region.

Mr. Ajaya Dixit, co-founder and advisor of ISET-Nepal is an Ashoka Fellow who has led different projects on climate change adaptation and resilience building, disaster risk management, energy, food security and water governance. He possesses MSc in Engineering from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK and undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Regional Engineering College, Orissa, India. He has directed regional research that examined climate changes impacts on flood, drought and food system adaptation in South Asia. His research focused on exploring the approaches to develop strategies for resilience building against climate change vulnerabilities at sub national scale. He coordinated and edited Nepal’s first national disaster report, which was published in 2010. He is also the lead author of the book “Nepal maa Bipad” (Disasters in Nepal) that was published in 2016. He has published extensively in prestigious journals such as the Economic and Political Weekly. His opinion is highly regarded in the international arena and has been regarded as a climate change adaptation and resilience expert in Nepal and South Asia.

Trailer

Saumitra Neupane, PEI's Executive Director, introduces PODS by PEI.

PODS by PEI is a podcast initiative of Policy Entrepreneurs Inc., a policy research center based in Kathmandu, that examines the state of Nepali politics, economy, and development and seeks to inform and enrich Nepal’s policy discourse. Every Tuesday, PODS by PEI brings to you thoughtful and in-depth discussions that will take you deep into the most pertinent issues in Nepal.

#Ep.065 The National Identity Card Project, an effort to digitize nationality through the distribution of a biometric-informed electronic card, began as part of Nepal’s e-Governance mission back in 2008. After years of delay, the NID is now in full swing, with almost 10.3 million individual data collected so far. Although the government initially touted the project for upholding Good Governance, many critics are now pointing out the gaps in implementation surrounding inclusion, data security, and more. In this episode, PEI’s Khushi Hang sits with researcher and activist Neha Gauchan to explore Nepal's National ID program within the context of digitization in governance. They trace the development of the project, highlighting key actors and events that have come under scrutiny. They then evaluate risks and vulnerabilities in the project and digitization of governance in general, with a particular focus on inclusion, data security, data justice, and tech solutionism. Neha Gauchan is a feminist indigenous human rights activist. She currently coordinates the Knowledge Generation program at Body & Data, where she is involved in research on Digitizing Identity in Nepal. Previously, she worked in the field of digital rights with a primary focus on children. Neha has a Master's in Human Rights and Democratization from Manila University. If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics , and click here to support us on Patreon!!

With: Host Deependra Chaulagain and guests Dipendra Jha and Khim Lal Devkota

Despite the significant achievement of federalism in Nepal's political transition, it faces criticism for its financial costs, perceived inefficiencies, and corruption. Reflecting on these challenges, Project Sambaad hosted Khim Lal Devkota and Dipendra Jha in a panel discussion moderated by Deependra Chaulagain. The session, which exceeded its allocated time, examined Nepal's commitment to federalism, considering both its triumphs and the ongoing criticisms. The conversation provided a platform for deep insights into the future of federalism in Nepal.

We hope you enjoy the conversation.

You can find the full conversation with audience interaction on YouTube at Policy Entrepreneurs. 

To sound out your thoughts and reflections join the conversation on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter, all @projectsambaad.

#Ep.077

In this episode, Khushi and Preeti discuss strategic peacebuilding and the role of Dialogue in it. The two explore the core principles of dialogue as a conflict-solving tool and the wide scope of issues it has helped tackle professionals like Preeti in inviting resolution. They place the significance of dialogue & peacebuilding in the specific context of Nepal and highlight how underlying contentions impact aspects of society and development. They then discuss Preeti’s view on the nexus of peace building and justice and recommendations to improve the State’s efforts for sustainable progress in this front.    

Preeti Thapa is a peacebuilder, lawyer, mediator, and certified master trainer in mediation and dialogue with more than 21 years of experience. She is The Asia Foundation’s deputy director of Justice and Governance in Nepal. Her expertise lies in access to justice and strategic peacebuilding through community mediation and multi-stakeholder dialogue. Preeti has worked with Nepal’s Ministry of Law and Justice on mediation policies and, in particular, contributed to the passage of the Mediation Act and Regulation. Preeti is a member of the Nepal Bar Association and of the Community Mediators’ Society Nepal. She is also a visiting faculty member at Kathmandu University, the Army Command and Staff College, and Folke Bernadotte Academy, Sweden on Mediation and Dialogue.

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Ep#089

Kshitiz Dahal is an economist at South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment with key interests in international trade, development economics, and econometrics. He has worked extensively in Nepal’s international trade, trade in digital services, migration and remittances, Nepal’s industrial policy, and public debt. He has contributed to the research initiatives of international organizations, including the Asian Development Bank, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Aslesh and Kshitiz discuss Nepal’s public debt, exploring its origins, implications, and current scenario. Beginning with an examination of the concept of public debt and historical examples worldwide, they unravel the rising concerns surrounding Nepal's per capita debt. Through an analysis of various indicators and drivers behind the recent surge in public debt, they navigate the intricate landscape of debt financing and its repercussions on the Nepali economy and society. From understanding key lenders to dissecting the explicit and implicit costs associated with debt servicing, we shed light on the multifaceted nature of this economic phenomenon.

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#Ep.071

आजको भागमा, पि. ई. आई. का जनक पोख्रेल, पत्रकार रमेश कुमार न्यौपानेसँग नेपाली समाजमा न कानुनले न त आम जनमानसले नै बढी ध्यान दिएको बिषय,  'स्वार्थको द्वन्द्व' बारे संवादमा बस्दैछन् | वहाँहरू न्यौपानेको गत साउन २१ गते, हिमाल खबर पत्रिकामा प्रकाशित “एकै घरानाको सर्वत्र लगानी, जताततै स्वार्थको द्वन्द्व” नामक खोजमुलक लेखमा आधारित भई, स्वार्थको द्वन्द्वको अवधारणा र यो कसरी भ्रष्टाचारसँग सम्बन्धित छ भनेर बैंक तथा वित्तीय संस्था, बीमा लगायतका सार्वजनिक कम्पनी, साथै विभिन्न सरकारी संयन्त्रको उदाहरण लिएर विश्लेषण गर्नुहुँदैछ।
रमेश कुमार न्यौपाने, पेशाले एउटा पत्रकार हुनुहुन्छ। उहाँले त्रिभुवन विश्वविद्यालयबाट पत्रकारिता तथा आमसञ्चार र चीनको शाङहाईस्थित थोङ्ची विश्वविद्यालयबाट दिगो विकास विषयमा स्नातकोत्तर गर्नुभएको छ| पत्रकारिता पेशामा उहाँ पछिल्लो १४ वर्षदेखि संलग्न हुनुहुन्छ र उहाँ अहिले हिमाल खबर पत्रिकासँग आवद्ध हुनुहुन्छ।
हामी आशा गर्दछौँ तपाईंलाई आजको संवाद फलदायी लाग्नेछ !

#Ep.070

Nepal's water sector is experiencing significant shifts due to its transition to a federal system, prompting a reevaluation of legal and policy frameworks to clarify roles across government levels. A major proposal under consideration is adopting a river-basin-based framework for improved governance and management. While aimed at enhancing operations and Integrated Water Resource Management, this reform faces challenges. The sector's future hinges on successfully avoiding conflict, forging consensus, and enhancing collaboration among institutions and governments, with river basin offices playing a pivotal role.

In this episode, Saumitra Neupane and Jane Doolan, an Australian water management specialist, on the intricacies of multi-jurisdictional water governance. They discuss Australia's established practices and the parallels between Nepal's shift to federal water governance, focusing on transparent and credible institutional frameworks. Jane's insights cover the development of water regulations, the efficacy of water markets, and sustainable water allocation in Australia. The dialogue also delves into the impacts of climate change on water resources, providing valuable lessons for Nepal as it considers adopting similar strategies in its federal framework. The episode is an enlightening discussion on the importance of stakeholder trust and sustainable practices in water resource management.

Dr. Jane Doolan brings over 25 years of experience in sustainable water resource management, offering policy advice to Australian and state governments on a wide array of issues including water supply and security, national water reform, and river health. Her career features significant roles in intergovernmental policy, especially concerning the Murray–Darling Basin, and in overseeing major water projects. Jane currently serves as a Director of Southern Rural Water Corporation in Victoria, is a Founding member of the Water Policy Group, an Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra, and chairs various consultative and advisory committees. Her past roles include Environment Commissioner with the Australian Productivity Commission, Commissioner with the National Water Commission, and Deputy Secretary for Water in the Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries.

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In this episode, Shreeya and Suman explore the transformative journey of rural electrification in Nepal, highlighting its evolution, and impact. They also examine the challenges of equitable access, energy reliability, and integration of diverse models. Reflecting on the broader implications, they consider how lessons from Nepal’s experience can inspire sustainable development and inclusive energy transitions worldwide.

Suman is a hydropower, renewable energy and management professional with over 37 years' experience in the development and private sectors. He is currently the Team Leader at the Nepal Renewable Energy Programme, a Government of Nepal Programme supported by the UK Government.  

His research assesses the rapid acceleration of electricity access in rural Nepal since the early 2000s, identifying key factors that contributed to this phenomenon. The study emphasizes that while Nepal has made significant progress, there remains a critical need to address energy justice, ensuring greater geographical and economic equity in the country’s electrification efforts.

If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics ( ⁠⁠https://policyentre.substack.com/welcome⁠⁠ ), and click here ( ⁠⁠https://patreon.com/podsbypei⁠⁠ ) to support us on Patreon!!

Nepal is one of the most vulnerable nations to the effects of climate change, such as floods, landslides, and droughts. Yet, the government and other stakeholders are struggling to usher in proper climate financing, which, when worsened by poor management of the received funds, is rendering the country’s chances to achieve its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) unfeasible.

In this episode, PEI’s Saurab Lama and Subash Pandey discuss the hurdles in Nepal’s path to climate financing. The discussion is based on the latter’s recent op-ed titled “Climate Financing Dilemma.” They explore both the external limits to Nepal’s access to climate funding, especially the ideal grants, and the internal factors that obstruct it from optimizing the funds that do make it in. They also consider the possible steps Nepal can take to overcome its climate financing dilemma beginning with the re-directing of its focus from grants to loans.

Subash is a graduate of Climate Science and Policy at Bard College’s Center for Environmental Policy with research interests in the UNFCCC and its implementation architecture. He works in the fields of climate and environment with experience ranging from local grassroots organizations to international development and research institutes both in the Global South and North. He aims to help the Least Developed and developing countries in achieving their ambitious (NDCs).

Click here to read Subash’s op-ed titled “Climate finance dilemma” published in The Kathmandu Post on March 1, 2023.

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With the rapid de-escalation of the cost of solar PV technologies, and the conversations surrounding climate change, coupled with research suggesting climate change will indeed have an adverse impact on the flow, hydrology, and therefore, the overall electricity generation output of Nepali rivers, discussions about the uptake of other-than-hydro renewables have started to pick up momentum. To further complement Nepal’s renewable energy potential, by 2030, Nepal has set an ambitious target to expand clean energy generation from approximately 1,400 MW to 15,000 MW, of which 5-10% (70 MW to 1500 MW)  will be generated from mini and micro-hydro power, solar, wind and bio-energy. Of this, 5,000 MW is an unconditional target. The remainder is dependent upon the provision of funding by the international community. By 2030, ensure 15% of the total energy demand is supplied from clean energy sources.

In today’s episode, PEI’s Saurab Lama sits with Anjal Niraula, the Chief Executive Officer of Gham Power, a renewable-energy-focused social enterprise based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Anjal is an off-grid solar expert, and he oversees Gham Power’s R&D and product strategy – including business development, design, and engineering. His focus is on developing solar microgrids along with productive end-use loads. Anjal was a Chevening scholar at the University of Edinburgh where he studied Energy Systems. He is also a member of the Future Energy Leaders group with the World Energy Council where he works on the Energy Access task force.

Saurab and Anjal discuss Nepal’s solar industry and its feasibility in Nepal, where Anjal makes a case for a higher uptake of solar electricity within a hydroelectricity-dominated electricity sector. The two discuss the global solar uptake patterns and why Nepal’s uptake has not followed similar trends and Nepal’s own set renewable energy targets set through its Nationally Determined Contributions. They also discuss some important policy-level issues, including the role of governmental institutions, and the private sector, and evaluate their performance in promoting renewable energy sources. They end the discussion with some technical solutions, including the importance of battery technology and some recommendations for the future of solar energy within the country.

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#Ep.082

Laxman Datt Pant  is the chairperson of Media Action Nepal and an elected co-chair of the Media Freedom Coalition-Consultative Network (MFC-CN). He is also an adjunct Professor of Media Ethics & Journalism at the Tbilisi State University  and the University of Georgia. He currently serves as the AMIC Country Representative for Nepal.

Pant started his career as a journalist more than two decades ago and worked with numerous media institutions in different capacities ranging from a reporter to an editor.  

PEI’s Hridesh and Laxman delve into analyzing the bill's provisions and how they may conflict with constitutional rights to free speech. They also explore how Nepal can better foster digital spaces as forums for civic expression and debate.

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Namaste and Happy Pride Month!

The pursuit of marriage equality in Nepal has experienced both progress and setbacks over the last 15 years. In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of full rights for LGBT individuals. However, significant delays followed, with temporary registration of same-sex marriages only beginning in 2023. A year later, in April 2024, Nepal finally legalized same-sex marriage nationwide. Although this marks substantial progress, with lingering legal ambiguities and the urgent need for broader social acceptance, Nepal has a long way to go.

As we are at the end of Pride month, for today's episode, we are rebroadcasting a conversation between former PEI colleague Tsedon Kansakar and Sunil Babu Pant on marriage equality in Nepal. They discuss Pant's firsthand experience with the landmark 2007 case Sunil Babu Pant and Others V. GoN, which sought equal marriage rights. They also explore the broader significance of marriage equality for human rights, society, and the economy.

Sunil Babu Pant is the founder of the Blue Diamond Society, an LGBTQ rights organization in Nepal, and Asia's first openly gay national legislator. As a member of parliament, he championed equal justice, civil, and economic rights for the Queer community. He led the landmark Supreme Court case that decriminalized homosexuality and recognized a third gender in Nepali citizenship. Now, he continues to advocate for these causes as an activist.

We hope you enjoy the conversation!

If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: ⁠⁠⁠Of Policies and Politics⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠click here⁠⁠⁠ to support us on Patreon!!

Ep. Br#002

The 2017 elections were lauded for their cognizance of the historically bleak presence of women in the political sphere of Nepal, to overcome this, the State mandated a Quota reserve of 40.4% of all nominee seats for women. The policy affirmed the presence and participation of Nepali women in politics, as approximately 14,000 women were elected into different positions in the Nepali Government.

In this episode of The Brief: PEI colleague Khushi Hang sits with Sumina Rai Karki to discuss the latest paper she co-authored, “Beyond Capacity”. As the tenure of the first set of elected officials in this particular inclusion quota comes to an end, Sumina Rai Karki et al. gauge the effectiveness of the affirmative action policies for women against the backdrop of Nepali patriarchal psycho-social contexts in their paper “Beyond Capacity”. The two explore what gendered implications exist in the informal or unofficial aspects of Nepali elections that hinder women’s chances at merit-based political opportunities during candidacy and their agency once they assume office. Sumina shares their findings on the challenges that limit the supply of politically ambitious women and signals the need for smarter policy interventions from the State and Development Partners that address the barriers that prevent women from fulfilling the space and responsibilities of the quota.

Sumina Karki is a development professional and researcher with ten years of experience in gender equity, social inclusion, governance, and peacebuilding. Currently, she is the Assistant Director of Social Development Programs at the Asia Foundation Nepal office. She is a founding member of Chaukath, a feminist collective that organized the Vote for Women Campaign and several feminist reading sessions along with March as Women in collaboration with Martin Chautari.

Last month, in January, several stolen cultural heritage were returned to Nepal from the United States. Among them were sacred idols of the Hindu god Uma-Maheshwar that were stolen almost 50 years ago from Chyasal, Patan. They were identified recently in the storage facilities of the Brooklyn Museum, which began repariation, after the efforts of Newa Guthi New York.  

Locals welcomed their Gods with heartfelt celebrations and a puja for forgiveness. The idols were taken around the city in chariots and, finally, re-instated in Chyasal hiti.  

In recent years, Nepal has seen many such successful repatriation efforts. The trafficking of cultural heritage had once left local communities with immeasurable pain and loss.  So, In this re-broadcast, we bring my conversation with criminologist Dr Emiline Smith about cultural heritage trafficking in Nepal.

Originally aired on 26 September 2022, in this episode, PEI's ⁠Khushi⁠ and Emiline delve into the obscure world of cultural heritage trafficking and its impact on communities, with a particular focus on Nepal. The two tap into Emiline’s expertise as a criminologist to understand the processes involved in the trafficking of cultural objects and its history and persistence in Nepal. They then discuss the repatriation of such objects and how restorative justice can be achieved in the process.

⁠Dr. Emiline Smith⁠ is a Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Glasgow (Scotland). She is a Fellow of the Centre for Criminology at the University of Hong Kong and a member of the Trafficking Culture Research Consortium and the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime. In addition, she is an advisor to the Nepal Heritage Recovery Campaign and several other NGOs. She recently authored and published a trilingual storybook for children titled ‘Pema and the Stolen Statue from Dolpa’; for more information, see www.stolenstatues.com.

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#Ep.038

More than 15 years have passed since the end of the armed conflict between the Maoists and the Government of Nepal with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord. While the country has done a remarkable job not recoiling back into the violent conflict with which it grappled for a decade, the years after have been slow and painful for the thousands of survivors who keep waiting for a justice that just won't show. 

In this episode, PEI colleague Khushi sits with Jaya Luintel to highlight the harrowing stories of thousands of Nepali women who survived war atrocities and are still struggling to find justice and reparation for their losses. Recounting women's experiences during and after the conflict, the two explore gendered aspects of war and how the Nepali State has failed to cater to its female survivors.  

Jaya is the co-founder of The Story Kitchen, where she works with women nationwide to empower them to share their stories by providing them with the skills and platforms to vocalize their issues and experiences to seek social justice. She has over two decades of working as a journalist and a development practitioner. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Applied Conflict Transformation Studies.

The episode also features testimonies from some survivors themselves, which were retrieved from the archives of The Story Kicthen’s radio broadcasts.

#Ep.084

राजुप्रसाद चापागाई संवैधानिक तथा मानवअधिकार कानुनको क्षेत्रमा क्रियाशिल अधिवक्ता हुनुहुन्छ । वहाँ न्याय तथा अधिकार संस्था (जुरी नेपाल)को संस्थापक अध्यक्ष तथा संवैधानिक कानुन व्यवसायी मञ्चको पूर्व अध्यक्ष समेत हुनुहुन्छ । वहाँले राष्ट्रसंघीय मानवअधिकार उच्चायूक्तको कार्यालय नेपालको कानुनी सल्लाहकार तथा एम्नेस्टी इन्टरनेसनलको दक्षिण एसियाको अनुसन्धानकर्ताका रुपमा भूमिका खेल्नु भएको छ । साथै वहाँ सामाजिक न्याय, संक्रमणकालीन न्याय लक्षित नागरिक आन्दोलनमा आवद्ध हुनुहुन्छ। यसका अतिरिक्त वहाँले काठमाण्डौ स्कुल अफ् ल मा मानवअधिकार तथा लैंगिक न्याय सम्बन्धि कानुन अध्यापनको अनुभव संगाल्नु भएको छ । मानवअधिकार न्याय तथा मानवअधिकारको विषयका उहाँका दर्जनौं लेख तथा रचना राष्ट्रिय तथा अन्तराष्ट्रिय रुपमा प्रकाशित छन ।

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२०७२ सालमा संविधान निर्माण भए पश्चात, संघीय लोकत्रान्तिक गणतन्त्र नेपालको सरकारले आफ्नो पहिलो ५ वर्षको कार्यकाल समापन गरि, हालै सम्पन्न तिनै तहको निर्वाचन पछाडि, दोस्रो सरकार गठन र सञ्चालनको प्रक्रिया अगाडि बढेको स्थिति छ | यसै परिप्रेक्षमा, आज हामी देशमा भैरहेको राजनीतिक खिचातानी र हारजितको अन्तरङ्गमा रहेर, आजका हाम्रा अतिथि प्रा. डा. विद्यानाथ कोइरालाको कान्तिपुर दैनिकमा गत पुष ७ गते प्रकाशित लेख “राजनीतिक दलहरूले सिर्जेको दलदल” को सेरोफेरोमा संवाद गर्ने छौं |

आजको भागमा पी. ई. आई. का जनक पोख्रेल, डा. विद्यानाथ कोइराला सँग संवादमा बस्दैछन्, जहाँ उनी डा. कोइरालाको लेख र उहाँले एउटा शिक्षाविद्को हैसियतमा लामो समय देखि गर्दै आउनुभएको शिक्षाका काम,  कुरा र अनुभवका बारेमा कुराकानी गर्नेछन्! आजको भागमा डा. कोइरालाले नेपालमा रहेका राजनैतिक दल, तिनका नेता र तिनले आफ्ना अनुयायीहरूलाई कस्तो शिक्षा प्रदान गरिराखेका छन् भनेर अहिलेको हाम्रो राजनीतिक पृष्ठभूमिसँग जोडेर हेर्न खोज्नु भएको छ |

डा. कोइराला त्रिभुवन विश्वविद्यालयका पूर्वप्राध्यापक हुनुहुन्छ। उहाँ सँग राष्ट्रिय योजना आयोग, शिक्षा मन्त्रालय, प्रधानमन्त्रीको कार्यालय र एसिया फाउन्डेसन नेपाल, एसियाली विकास बैंक, जाइका, युनेस्को, युरोपेली शिक्षा आयोग जस्ता अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय महत्वका संस्थाहरूका लागि रणनीतिक योजना र कार्यक्रममा काम गरेको लामो र उदाहरणीय अनुभव छ। यसमा उहाँको भूमिका पाठ्यक्रम विकास गर्ने र शिक्षाको विकेन्द्रीकरण, अनौपचारिक शिक्षा, शिक्षामा लैङ्गिक, जातीय, र अपाङ्गताका समस्याहरूलाई सम्बोधन गर्ने रहेको छ।

#Ep.053

With the promulgation of the new constitution in 2015 and the transition into the Federal system in 2017 elections for 3-tiers of the government, there were high hopes from the citizens with regard to service delivery. However, the road to prosperity, as promised by the constitution, has been anything but smooth. The main actors responsible for effective service delivery have faced many challenges which has led many to question the federal system. One main area where the challenges and criticisms have been significant is Public Finance Management.

In this episode, Aslesh and Sarita discuss Nepal’s public finance management in the Federal system and its shortcomings. They further delve into the major challenges faced by the various tiers of government and conclude by discussing possible reforms to make the PFM effective and transparent for the general public.

Sarita works with different local and international organizations in Nepal on local governance, public finance management, and citizen engagement. She was a Public Finance Management Adviser for The British Embassy, Kathmandu, from 2020-2023. She has worked with several local and international organizations on similar themes.

In the latest episode of PODS with former PEI colleague Aslesh Shrestha in conversation with Sarita Sapkota, find out about the how Public Finance Management works in the Federal system of Nepal, the progress that has been made, the challenges face, and necessary reforms.

Ep. Br#004

Nepal and India do not only share borders but also relationships with rivers. More than 6000 rivers flow from Nepal to the Bay of Bengal through India. Koshi, Gandak, and Karnali river systems are the three most important river ecosystems that feed and foster the Ganges river ecosystem. Annually these rivers swell up during monsoon season and flood the downstream area in the southern part of Nepal and the States of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh in India, affecting the lives and livelihood of people, and raising the vulnerability of those living in the floodplain. With the changing climate, the floods are becoming more disastrous, claiming thousands of lives and affecting the food-energy-water nexus of millions of people on each side of the border. There is animosity against each other, especially regarding the cause of the flood issue. However, for this shared problem, India and Nepal need to explore together and benefit from a critical ecosystem through transboundary cooperation alongside flood management.

In this episode of The Brief: Lasata discusses with Santosh Dahal, a humanitarian and disaster management professional with work experience for over a decade, on the latest paper he co-authored, “Rich water, poor people: Potential for transboundary flood management between Nepal and India”. The article explores flood-related transboundary challenges, particularly in Koshi and Gandak river basins, and potential actions for transboundary flood management. They would be discussing the changing pattern of floods in the region and the challenges faced. by the vulnerable communities in flood-prone areas and efforts at the Nepal-India Border for flood management.

Santosh Dahal has experience in various capacities, especially in the sector of emergency response, and disaster risk management. In the course of his professional career, he has experience in technical assistance in social mobilization, governance, advocacy, and capacity building including coordination with central-level government stakeholders, local government authorities, national Red Cross society chapters, and local partners. He is currently working as a senior technical advisor in Plan International and a visiting faculty for climate change and disaster management courses prescribed for master’s level students of Environment Science at Tribhuvan University.

Ep#110

Shuvangi Poudyal is a public policy researcher based in Kathmandu, with a focus on South Asia geo-economics, regional connectivity, and local governance. As the Program and Outreach Officer at PEI, she contributes to research projects like Infrastructure Diplomacy and RENT, while also coordinating programs and communicating findings through publications and an in-house host at PODS by PEI. Previously, she worked with Nepal-based think tanks such as CESIF and Governance Lab. Shuvangi holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Warwick, UK.

Khushi and Shuvangi delve into PEI’s latest publication Of Infrastructure Diplomacy and Development, a comprehensive study that examines the aid dynamics between Nepal and its key partners—India, China, and Japan, and others. A key contributor to the study, Suvangi provides insights into the geopolitical context shaping Nepal’s infrastructure landscape, the trends in aid and investment, and the public perceptions of different donors. We also exploresthe distinctions between DAC and non-DAC partners, their environmental and social impacts, and discuss recommendations for the Nepali government on navigating this complex terrain.

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#Ep.058

The economic performance of emerging markets in the post-COVID-19 world has been a mixed landscape of growth, vulnerability, and resilience. Driven by rebounding commodity prices and supportive fiscal policies, many economies experienced robust recovery, but this revival has been uneven across regions. Factors such as varying global trade impacts, and differences in exposure to external financial conditions have contributed to this disparity. Additionally, challenges such as high debt levels, inflationary pressures, and structural weaknesses persist. While some nations, notably in Asia, have adapted strongly, others, particularly in Latin America and Africa, face external vulnerabilities, leading to a multifaceted and inconsistent picture of economic performance across emerging markets.

In this episode, Nirjan Rai and Satyam Panday sit down to unpack S&P Global's Recent Emerging Markets Outlook Report. They begin by discussing the key global takeaways from the report, then focus on the economic performances of China and India, especially in the context of post-pandemic recovery and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war. Satyam also offers his take on the short- and long-term projections for these two countries. They end the conversation with a discussion on why Nepal has failed to exploit the economic performances of its two neighbors and present some thoughts on what Nepal should do to leverage its future growth.

Satyam is the Chief US Economist at S&P Global Ratings. Until just recently, he was the Chief Emerging Markets Economist for S&P. He has also taught at Boston College and Brandeis University and has been a research fellow at the US Congressional Budget Office. Satyam holds a Ph.D. in International Economics and Finance and specializes in macroeconomics, development economics, and applied econometrics. He is also a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at PEI.

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#Ep.081

Bhupesh Adhikary is the Senior Air Quality Specialist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu. He is working on understanding the science and mitigation aspects of air pollution in the Hindukush Himalaya region using chemical transport models, in-situ, and satellite-based observations. He previously worked for the EvK2CNR Committee as their resident scientific coordinator. Bhupesh also worked at Kathmandu University as an assistant professor for several years, teaching graduate and undergraduate students. 

Khushi and Bhupesh embark on a comprehensive exploration of the city's alarming air pollution problem. They tap into Bhupesh’s expertise as an atmospheric scientist to discuss the current sources of pollution, the seasonal intricacies affecting the atmosphere, and the city's unsettling ranking among the world's most polluted places. Bhupesh sheds light on health risks, socio-economic repercussions, and the vulnerability of specific urban populations. The episode further navigates the challenging policy landscape, scrutinizing state efforts, significant policy developments, and the persistent challenges hindering effective intervention.

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Ep#108

Dr. Sameen A. Mohsin Ali is an Assistant Professor of International Development at the University of Birmingham. Her research focuses on the impact of bureaucratic politics on state capacity and service delivery. She is particularly interested in the dynamics of bureaucratic reform, the implementation and impact of donor programs, and the intersection of party politics, citizens’ interests, and bureaucratic incentives. Exploring cases from Pakistan and Nepal, Sushav and Sameen delve into the dynamic relationships between politicians and bureaucrats. In doing so, they imagine bureaucracy in a decentralized context, discuss ways of navigating bureaucratic embeddedness, corruption, and efficiency, and explore how to plan bureaucratic reforms. The conversation offers a nuanced perspective on the complexities of governance and the critical forces that shape public administration in developing countries.

Like listening to PODS?

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#Ep.044

Due to its novelty, Cyberspace is an obscure topic for most people. While individual ignorance of cyberspace and its threats might be a considerable vulnerability, the stakes are significantly higher when the same ignorance is seen among States. Yet, most Governments still do not pay attention to building up their cybersecurity, and the situation is worse for developing countries like Nepal which already have their hands full with reaching basic development goals.

In this episode, PEI Colleague, Hridesh Sapkota, sits with Rajib Subba to discuss Nepal’s Cybersecurity Landscape. The two begin by demystifying the realms of cyberspace. They then explore how the Nepali State has maintained its cybersecurity, discussing recent failures and successes and if the Nepali State is doing enough given the growing contemporary threats in the cyber sphere.

Rajib is former DIG and served as the Director of Communication Directorate in the Nepal Police. He did his Ph.D. in Communication and Information Sciences from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and brings more than twenty-five years of professional experience in communication, information technology, and crisis management. In addition, Rajib serves in various professional associations and community organizations, including the Computer Association of Nepal.

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Ep. Br#006

In 2018, the Supreme Court of Nepal, in response to public interest litigation filed by a group of human rights lawyers, issued a verdict to grant “external voting rights” to the Nepali diaspora. Today’s episode is a discussion between Anuj Tiwari, Senior Researcher at PEI, and Anurag Devkota, one of the lawyers responsible for that public interest litigation, about the issue of voting rights, or the lack thereof, for the Nepali diaspora. The discussion is based on Anurag’s 2020 op-ed piece, Nepal’s Own Mail-In Voting Crisis, which was published in The Record. The topic, however, is more relevant today as Nepalis get ready to partake in the 2022 general election in a matter of days, but without the Court mandated provision.

 

The two discuss Anurag’s reasons behind filing the public interest litigation in 2017 and his take on the failure of the Election Commission of Nepal to implement the verdict of the Supreme Court. Anurag argues that the lack of political representation of the Nepali diaspora, especially those who are out for labor migration, is a key reason behind the vulnerability that has resulted in the active exploitation of their human rights. And that it is our responsibility to ensure their right to vote, given that the country relies so much on their contributions. We also discuss some of the systemic and political challenges to implementing external voting, including logistics, cost, and political will, and the practices of several countries in Asia and Africa that are similar to Nepal.

 

Anurag is a human rights lawyer at the Law and Policy Forum for Social Justice. He holds an LLM degree from Loyola University Chicago. He is the incoming Global Criminal Justice Fellow at the Center for Criminology at Oxford University and the Civil Society and Public Administration Fellow at the Toronto Metropolitan University. He also runs “Rights Lab,” a research institution that works on the issues of rule of law, democracy, human rights, and migration governance. 

#Ep.079

आजको भागमा पी. ई. आई. का अनुराग आचार्य, पत्रकार हरी थापा सँग नेपालको शासकीय व्यवस्था, प्रणाली र अभ्यास बारे संवादमा बस्दै हुनुहुन्छ | यो एपिसोडमा उहाँहरु नेपालको बिगत पाँच दशकको शासन व्यवस्थाको नालीबेली बारे कुरा गर्दै हुनुहुन्छ |

हरि थापा बिगत तिन दशक देखि सुशासन बारे कलम चलाउने पत्रकार हुनुहुन्छ। उहाले नेपालको बर्तमान शासन र प्रशासनलाई न्यूज-रुम भित्रबाट नियाल्नु मात्र भएको छैन कि बिगतमा पंचायत कालका शक्तिशाली प्रधानमन्त्री सूर्यबहादुर थापा र प्रभावशाली प्रशासक भेषबाहादुर थापाको संस्मरण लेख्ने क्रममा त्यस समयको शासन-प्रशासन प्रणालीको बारेमा पनि राम्रोसंग बुझ्नु भएको छ ।

हामी आशा गर्दछौँ तपाईंलाई आजको संवाद फलदायी लाग्नेछ ! 

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Despite the inflow of remittance that keeps the country afloat, migration is considered a net loss for Nepal. To move beyond this persistent rhetoric of loss, Project Sambaad brought together migration scholars Amina Maharjan, a Senior Specialist at ICIMOD, and Slesh Shrestha,  a former economics Professor at the National University of Singapore, for an evidence-based conversation on the state of Nepal’s labor migration. The conversation was moderated by Sadikshya Bhattarai, research coordinator at Social Science Baha/CESLAM. 

Amina and Slesh highlighted the economic benefits of migration, emphasizing the return of skilled workers with valuable experience. The conversation noted that Nepal's competitive advantage lies in supplying cheap labor, which can be optimized through stronger government-to-government relationships to improve work contracts. They evaluated recent local government efforts to halt migration and addressed the debate on remittance usage. 

argued against local governments' efforts to halt migration, suggesting instead programs for skill development and support for returned migrants to start businesses. They also addressed the debate on remittance usage, highlighting investments in education as productive. 

Both speakers criticized media narratives for perpetuating negative views of migration, emphasizing its transformative potential for individuals and the economy. They also discussed challenges in mapping migration patterns due to social relations crossing borders. The discussion concluded with engaging interactions between the speakers and the audience.

If you found the conversation insightful and crave more lively interaction from the audience, hop over to Policy Entrepreneurs on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ for the complete live broadcast.

To sound out your thoughts and reflections join the conversation on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter, all @projectsambaad.

⁠⁠https://projectsambaad.info/

In this episode, Aslesh and Nischal dive into Nepal's first-ever sovereign credit rating and what it means for the nation’s bold economic future as it gears up to graduate from LDC status. They break down its implications on foreign investments, business opportunities, and more. From hydropower to tourism, they explore the sectors ready to thrive and the reforms needed to keep the momentum going.

Nischal Dhungel is a Consultant for the World Bank Group and the Independent Evaluation Office at the Global Environment Facility in Washington, DC. He is also a Non-resident Fellow at the Nepal Institute for Policy Research. Holding an MSc in Economic Theory and Policy from Bard College, New York, he has published over 50 articles on economic issues in international and national platforms.

The views expressed in this podcast are Nischal's personal views and do not reflect the views of the organization he works for or represents.

If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics ( ⁠⁠https://policyentre.substack.com/welcome⁠⁠ ), and click here ( ⁠⁠https://patreon.com/podsbypei⁠⁠ ) to support us on Patreon!! 

#Ep.097

Shabda is the Investment Director and a partner at Dolma Impact Fund, the largest private equity fund focused on Nepal. He leads the investment team at Dolma, overseeing deal origination, transaction execution, regulatory approvals, and post-investment management. He is actively involved in sectors such as healthcare, renewable energy, and technology​ . He holds a B.A. in Economics from Colorado State University (CSU) and an MBA in Sustainable Entrepreneurship from the same institution.

Pragati and Shabda discuss Nepal’s investment sector with a special focus on the market for bonds. They observe the dominance of equity-based investments and explore alternative FDI mechanisms, and the potential of green bonds for financing renewable energy projects. Drawing from his observations, Shabda shares insights on the restrictiveness of Nepal's bond market and Nepal’s weak credibility in this scene.

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Ep. Co#008

The 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference, commonly referred to as COP27, took place this November in Egypt. One major achievement of this round of dialogue, which went down to the wire, was to establish a loss and damage fund, particularly for nations vulnerable to the climate crisis. While this may have been “a historic decision,” it raises more questions than answers, especially for countries like Nepal.

In this second episode, Saumitra and Ajaya discuss the plausibility of Nepal reaching its ambitious goal of net-zero emission by 2045 and the impact of climate change on Nepal’s water, energy, and infrastructural development. They also discuss the transboundary nature of the water relationship in the region and how climate change can perturb the existing interdependencies.

Mr. Ajaya Dixit, co-founder and advisor of ISET-Nepal is an Ashoka Fellow who has led different projects on climate change adaptation and resilience building, disaster risk management, energy, food security and water governance. He possesses MSc in Engineering from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK and undergraduate degree in Civil Engineering from Regional Engineering College, Orissa, India. He has directed regional research that examined climate changes impacts on flood, drought and food system adaptation in South Asia. His research focused on exploring the approaches to develop strategies for resilience building against climate change vulnerabilities at sub national scale. He coordinated and edited Nepal’s first national disaster report, which was published in 2010. He is also the lead author of the book “Nepal maa Bipad” (Disasters in Nepal) that was published in 2016. He has published extensively in prestigious journals such as the Economic and Political Weekly. His opinion is highly regarded in the international arena and has been regarded as a climate change adaptation and resilience expert in Nepal and South Asia.

Ep#049: The current rise in temperature is a cause for concern for everyone, everywhere. In recent years, the April temperatures in the Terai region have consistently crossed the 40+ degree centigrade mark. But this pattern of record-high temperatures is not confined to just the Terai region. It's also happening in places like Kathmandu, which is known for having much milder weather conditions. As a result, we are witnessing a rising trend of school closures, extending even to hilly regions such as Gorkha and Tanahun. Surprisingly, there are news reports that Nepal is experiencing record heat extending as far north as Lukla.

In this episode, PEI’s Nirjan Rai sits down with Aditya Valliathan Pillai to discuss the science behind the growing heat waves around the world, including Nepal and India, the impacts on the economy and society, and what lessons we can learn from the Indian experience.

Aditya Valiathan Pillai is a fellow with the Initiative for Climate, Energy and Environment (ICEE) at the Centre for Policy Research (CPR). He studies the social and economic consequences of climate impacts in India and South Asia, and the policies and institutions that can help adapt to these changes. His current work focuses on strengthening policies to combat extreme heat. He also studies the forms and varieties of national climate institutions, with a specific focus on how India should restructure its institutions to achieve mitigation and adaptation objectives.

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Khushi and Katharine discuss Nepal’s community-based road-building initiatives, examining how these projects reveal the complex relationships between citizens, the state, and socio-economic systems. The conversation begins with a field memo from Katharine’s recent research and offers an anthropological perspective on how local cultural values, political dynamics, historical context, and social meanings influence perceptions of corruption, governance, participation, and rule-breaking.

Katharine Rankin is a Professor in the Department of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto. She is the author of Cultural Politics of Markets: Economic Liberalization and Social Change in Nepal, among other influential works focused on the politics of planning and development, comparative market regulation, feminist and critical theory, neoliberal governance, and social polarization.

Her recent article, Between Eating and Being Fed: Competing Ethics of Community-Based Road Building in Nepal, co-published with Shyam Kunwar, Lagan Rai, Elsie Lewison, and Sarah Shniederman, delves into the local ethical logics underpinning Nepal’s community-driven road-building programs. The paper challenges conventional discourses of corruption by highlighting the contested legitimacy of rules and presenting competing visions of rural infrastructure, offering a more complex understanding of community engagement in development.

If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics ( ⁠⁠https://policyentre.substack.com/welcome⁠⁠ ), and click here ( ⁠⁠https://patreon.com/podsbypei⁠⁠ ) to support us on Patreon!!  

The practice of preparing an annual budget dates back to 1951, right after Nepal’s political transition that led to the end of the Rana regime in the country. Subarna Sumsher, the finance minister then, had publicly announced an outlay of NPR 50.25 million. The political context of the country then was such that the budget was not presented in the Nepali parliament but announced via Radio Nepal. It was only much later, in 1959, that a budget was first presented to the Nepali parliament. 

Nepal’s budgetary practice has evolved over the years, but it continues to hold significance, and with some fanfare. What is the day like?   Picture this: the Finance Minister walks to the podium with a document briefcase wrapped in a red ribbon. Anticipation and excitement fill the air as people eagerly await to hear what's included or excluded in the budget.

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#Ep.056 World Tiger Day 2022 was a special day for Nepal. The country announced that it had raised its tiger population to a solid 355, making it the frontrunner in tiger conservation in the world. Conservationists and big-cat enthusiasts worldwide were enthralled as the endangered feline population tripled from when it was last rounded up in 2009. In this episode, PEI colleague Dheeraj Gurung sits with Kanchan Thapa to celebrate Nepal's remarkable achievements in tiger conservation. They delve into the past anxiety surrounding the depleting tiger population and explore the conservation efforts that turned the tables, including the Terai Arc Landscape. They also discuss the challenges ahead as the wildcats grow in limited terrains. Kanchan Thapa is an environmentalist turned wildlife biologist. He is the Head of Wildlife Programs at WWF Nepal. His contributions to Nepal’s tiger conservation efforts have been crucial and include designing Nepal’s first tiger monitoring protocol in 2008 and undertaking the country’s first non-invasive genetic survey of tiger populations. If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!