Nepal has a new government and a charismatic and flamboyant PM who listens to none other than himself. I hope he will be able to deliver something to the people after his dismal first term performance. The political parties of Nepal have failed to return anything to the people other than economic derailment, policy paralysis, destabilization, ethnic divisions, corruption, poverty, infrastructural breakdown and hopelessness. It is easy to mastermind political upheaval and occupy the seat of power by hijacking democracy; but better governance and economic development is an entirely different ball game. The socio-economic as well as socio-political situation of the country is alarming. There are issues like the demands of the Terai-based parties which should be properly addressed. Till date no major relief and infrastructural overhaul has been extended to far-flung remote corners of the nation suffering from the impacts of the devastating earthquake. No comprehensive plans for economic improvement and social development are on the table other than those from which politicians as well as their cadres can benefit. How the new PM handles Nepal’s giant neighbours will unfold in the not so distant future. But more than these, how he will be able to handle the monumental challenges this beautiful nation in facing will be watched with great interest by the entire world. Saikat Kumar Basu, Canada Learn skills I have been living in Australia for several years. I have witnessed a myriad of students’ anxieties that they have been facing just because of simple things that they have ignored and taken for granted without giving a second thought. The very important thing that the students need to bear in mind is the work limitation. If the student is caught working more than what they are entitled to, then the immigration department would cancel his or her visa. I can understand clearly why some students choose to work for cash. This is because they have to pay for exorbitant tuition fees and accommodation. However, I would suggest that they should not work in cash, because there are some unscrupulous owners who may rip them off and get away with not paying a single penny even after getting them to work for several weeks. The dodgy owners usually hunt for international students because they know very well the fatal weaknesses of international students. The bad owners usually pay pathetically low wages and in worst-case scenarios they do not pay at all because they know the unhinged psychology of students who cannot complain with the authorities because of the fear of being deported for breaching the student visa requirements. It is always better if a student learns the skills and gets paid well even working for 20 hours a week. The only reason why students are bound to work more hours is that they are not skilled in what they do. Shiva Neupane, Melbourne