Kathmandu, September 13, 2005

The agitation for restoration of democracy today saw 31 students getting injured in clashes with the police and top leaders of the seven-party alliance and scores of agitators getting arrested. Thirty-one students were injured, 10 of them seriously, when they clashed with police while demonstrating in front of the Mahendra Ratna Multiple Campus, Tahachal, and Tri-Chandra Multiple Campus today. The students were protesting against yesterday’s event at Tahachal, where Royal Nepalese Army personnel fired blank shots in the air to disperse protesting students who were demanding release of arrested students and also demanding restoration of democracy. Traffic was halted for nearly five hours at Tahachal this afternoon. Student bodies said police fired several rounds of plastic bullets, but the police denied the charge. The Nepal Students’ Union said army helicopters hovered around the areas where the students were protesting. But the RNA said the helicopters were taking part in an ongoing training programme. Despite a big deployment of police, rallies were held defying prohibitory orders at Bagbazar, Old Bus Park and in Bhotahity.

Nepal is 136th in human development index

Kathmandu, September 13, 2005

Despite a surge in the conflict, declining development activities and weakening security situation in the country, Nepal is ranked 136th out of the 177 countries in the human development index from its earlier 140th rank in 2004. According to the Human Development Report-2005 released here today, Nepal’s rank in HDI is slight below Pakistan but far behind its two neighbours China (85th rank) and India (127th rank). In South Asia, Sri Lanka has the highest HDI value with 93rd rank. Releasing the report, Finance Minister Madhukar SJB Rana said the report takes the concept of human development one step further in incorporating the novel concept of human security. He said the currency pledged by the international community is by now so severely debased by its nondelivery that it is widely perceived as worthless.” Ghulam Isaczai, deputy resident representative of the UNDP, said it would be difficult to alleviate poverty and promote global stability unless obstacles in aid, trade and security were addressed. He said without access to markets in trade, aid resources would be wasted. He stressed the need for pro-public policies to address inequality between rich and poor, men and women, urban and rural. Resolution of the conflict and political stability will be necessary to remove obstacles to the development of remote areas. Sriram Raj Pandey, assistant resident representative of the UNDP, stressed the need to utilize foreign assistance.