Interviews
Q&A: A single film can open a door, but lasting change requires a stronger ecosystem
By Anish Ghimire After ‘Elephants in the Fog’ made history at Cannes 2026, director Abinash Bikram Shah reflects on the win and why Nepali cinema still needs structural support to grow beyond isolated success.
Q&A: Social media has made Everest ascent look easy, but it isn’t
By Biken K Dawadi & Suraj Kunwar 'Mountain Queen' Lhakpa Sherpa reflects on surviving abuse, gruelling immigrant labour in the US, balancing motherhood with mountaineering, and witnessing climate change reshape the world’s highest peak.
Q&A: RSP breaks norms to deliver results, no intent of circumventing constitution
By Biken K Dawadi RSP Whip discusses the delicate balance between executive urgency and legislative oversight, the government’s approach to human rights and urban poverty, and the personal resolution to table a victim-centric Dalit rights bill by 2027.
Q&A: Nepal wants a politics-free bureaucracy. Its methods are deeply political
By Biken K Dawadi Umesh Mainali, who chaired the Public Service Commission, says the Balendra Shah government’s ordinance-driven purge is legally risky, institutionally damaging, and likely to backfire.
RSP ready to hold by-elections if MPs repeatedly breach discipline standards
By Biken K Dawadi Some may argue that we are undermining ‘due process’, but the real problem is the traditionally long and inefficient administrative process.
We are setting the pace for good governance, not just following the centre’s lead
By Biken K Dawadi Provinces are prepared to advocate for their constitutional rights. People need services now, not when the centre finally gets around to it.
‘Dollar fare’ is why foreign tourists avoid Karnali and Sudurpashchim
By Biken K Dawadi The ‘alternative wave’ did not reach the remote areas because most residents are of the older generation who do not use social media.
Too early to comment on government’s foreign policy decorum
By Biken K Dawadi While PM Shah’s decision to hold a collective meeting with all foreign envoys could be seen as a positive move, his choice of attire was problematic.
The burden of coping with the fuel hike will largely fall on the middle and lower-middle classes
By Biken K Dawadi When you consider that nearly 25 percent of our GDP is under direct threat from sectoral disruptions, the scale of the crisis becomes clear.
I just wanted to make a damn good movie: Ramesh Sippy on ‘Sholay’
By Anish Ghimire Fifty years after the blockbuster, Bollywood’s veteran director reflects on timeless storytelling, Nepali cinema, censorship, and debunks a popular cinema myth.
Those in power now may avoid probe of their own action
By Biken K Dawadi The Karki Commission stepped outside its scope and its members failed to understand their primary mandate.
The youth must occupy spaces that actually dictate policy
By Biken K Dawadi The future of the Nepali Congress depends on its ability to evolve while staying rooted in its values
Leaders aren’t gods, and progress is possible only through collective leadership
By Biken K Dawadi A fusion of Balen Shah and the Rastriya Swatantra Party makes this election’s result representative of the Gen Z mandate.
With a two-thirds majority for a party, the argument for a direct executive is dead
By Biken K Dawadi Such a supermajority means the government has no excuses. It will have the power to resolve everything within the parliament.
UML could lose big time in the elections
By Biken K Dawadi In Nepal, two-thirds of the population is below the age of 35, yet the state and politics were controlled by those above 60. This massive imbalance makes rebellion inevitable.
Freedom feels temporary. So we must keep resisting
By Aarya Chand I wasn’t looking for anything specific, but Nepal has shown me spirituality in unexpected ways.
Nepal should make judicious investment in higher education
By Aarya Chand The countries that develop good universities have a clear vision, they invest consistently in education and research, and commit to long-term development.
We cannot relax until the election is over
By Biken K Dawadi & Rajesh Mishra If the Election Commission becomes punitive in order to impose the code of conduct, the situation will not be pleasant for the parties or candidates.
Post-conflict elections are always challenging
By Biken K Dawadi Leaders will only follow the election code of conduct when they are compelled to do so by legislation.
We have special software to identify candidates who post fake content online
By Biken K Dawadi Security forces will not allow any group to compromise the democratic right of 18.9 million citizens to cast their ballots.