Ruby Rauniyar

On Friday, crowds of sadhus and devotees flocked to the temple, eager to beat the larger throngs expected on the main festival day.

Nine months pregnant, she has been visiting voters’ doorsteps with remarkable energy and determination, earning praise from many who describe her as courageous. She says the encouragement from voters has strengthened her resolve.

The EC has divided the 165 constituencies for direct elections into five categories based on geography, accessibility, facilities, and service networks. Candidates are allowed to spend only within the limits set for their respective areas.

Women’s presence in national politics is still weak, and within parties, female members often lack influence. As a result, women make up only 11.35% of all candidates—a small rise from 9.3% in the 2079 BS election.

29 percent of households without children; 77.7 percent of children live with both parents

Despite progress, disparities persist in Madhesh Province, where literacy stands at 66 percent, and around 770,000 children aged 5–17 remain out of school.

According to the report, youth unemployment stands at 12.7 percent, while only 38.5 percent of the labor force is actively participating.

Abhishek Ghimire, advisor to Education Minister Mahabir Pun, revealed that roughly Rs 70 million has been spent recently on allowances for meetings held to draft the School Education Act and its regulations—without producing any significant outcomes.

The decision follows a surge in complaints that students were subjected to mental and physical abuse in the name of discipline. Minister Mahabir Pun scrapped the DI system through a ministerial decision.

To meet the demand, the EC plans to print a total of 40 million ballot papers—20 million for the first-past-the-post system and another 20 million for the proportional representation system.