Khan Academy

The Khan Academy is a not-for-profit organization with the mission of providing a high quality education to anyone, anywhere, through YouTube. It was started by Mr. Salman Khan, not the Bollywood star, but a Harvard (MBA) and MIT (engineering) trained former hedge-fund analyst.

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BBC debate on minority issues in the new Constitution

BBC's Narayan Shrestha moderates a discussion on minority issues in the new Constitution with three CA members Lal Babu Pandit (लालबाबु पण्डीत), DB Karki (डिबी कार्की), and Amrita Thapa (अमृता थापा).

BBC Talks to NRNA President Dev Man Hirachan

BBC Nepali Service's Ms. Rama Parajuli talks to NRN's President Mr. Dev Man Hirachan (देवमान हिराचनसंग) on a variety of topics including government's decision to give IDs to NRN and NRNs' investment in Nepal.

Map of Baglung

The Prabal Gurung Girl Is Sexy and Smart

The Prabal Gurung Girl Is Sexy and Smart
New York Magazine, 9-Feb-2010

New York's fashion director, Harriet Mays Powell, paid a visit to Prabal Gurung's studio to talk about his cultural influences, his spring collection, and who the ideal Prabal girl is. Gurung, who is Nepalese, draws influence from the draping of saris. "If I can pinpoint one thing about the way that Nepalese women, or even in India, it's the way they drape their saris," he says. "If you look at my clothes, when it's like draping, it's always influenced by that." Prabal was also influenced by YSL's Rive Gauche perfume bottle. And what makes a girl a Prabal girl? "A beautiful girl with brains — that's a lethal combination." Find out more by watching the video.

Divide and rule

Divide and rule
ekantipur, 10-Feb-10
Bipin Adhikari

The Constituent Assembly Committee on State Restructuring and Allocation of State Powers (CSRASP) has finally published its report reaffirming its controversial commitment to re-design Nepal on the basis of federalisation along ethnic lines and resulting discontent.

As a principle, it is not uncommon to see various in-built constitutional mechanisms around the world for addressing the priorities and desires of minority or ethnic groups on a state or sub-state level. A number of institutions and procedures have been internalised by new democracies to ensure that the human rights of all communities and cultures are protected, and justice is proactively done to all those who have been exploited in the past in different ways, deprived for generations and marginalised. There have been many success stories which could serve as the point of departure for learning how to do what is best for this country along the most democratic traditions.

That was not the temperament of the CSRASP. It would indeed be very naive for anybody to expect any committee to show this temperament when one realises how fraudulently the stage was organised to set the scene for the Fourth Amendment to the Interim Constitution. The country was declared a federal state outright in December 2007 while a jumbo Constituent Assembly was being convened — precluding discussion in the house over this important issue for ever. There was no more any choice as to whether this country should “go” federal or not; the choice was only what type of federal arrangement it should seek. The house was accorded only a limited right to self-determination in this matter.

A country can certainly go for federalism if this is the decision of its Constituent Assembly. But, as a visiting British scholar pointed out recently, federalism is not inherently a superior form of democracy. It cannot guarantee democracy or good governance any more than a unitary government can. Its success depends on so many important political and other variables. If these variables contribute, even unitary states can have high performance. The house was deprived of the opportunity to debate it.

This critique always recommended asymmetrical devolution arrangements in Nepal, based on reasonable claims, capacity and potentials of each province in the country. This arrangement could provide a means for accomplishing the goal of addressing ethnic, regional, lingual and cultural discontent by granting different powers to different provinces, with an emphasis on local demand and their regional ability to control their own affairs. The constitution could have provided the necessary framework for a negotiated settlement of all issues based on given models. Such measures could have addressed or prevented disputes that otherwise would have the potential to destabilise the country’s democratic process. But it is important that these mechanisms are not based on discriminatory arrangements.

A 14-province Nepal is a big joke. It is not economically workable. It is a recipe for disaster in terms of organisation and management. It is not, as claimed, based on “identity” and “ability to stand”. There is cynicism in the demarcation of the provinces, and also the basis on which their size is determined. Most of these provinces will not be able to survive with the blueprint of autonomy that the draft intends to demonstrate for even six months.

Again, the proposal that seven of these provinces be given identity based on ethnicity and the others should go ahead on non-ethnic categorisation is going to be the bête noire of this arrangement. It links Rai-Limbus, Sherpas, Newars, Gurungs, Magars and Tamangs with their so-called lands, leaving the other 96 ethnic groups in the country to manifest themselves or their language, culture, religion and ethnicity through the remaining seven provinces.

The report does not explain anywhere why the identity of a few ethnic groups is more sacred than the identity of others. It does not explain why Khasas or Tharus should not have exclusive “Khasan” or “Tharuhat” the way “Kirantis” have an exclusive Kirant. If there could be a “Jadan” out of the blue, why cannot there be a “Yadavdesh” in the Tarai? If the history of relationship with the land is the factor, which has been accepted as the criteria for naming and shaming communities this way, then the committee report should be able to demonstrate some rigorous research on what is the communal history of Nepal.

There are many potential pitfalls to this approach. If a certain region can have an ethnic name even though 60 percent of the people in that province are people outside this group, why should not this same categorisation work in the case of Tharus. After all, there is little controversy that Tharus along with some other identical smaller communities are the original inhabitants of that territory. Why should the so-called “Tharuhat” share its name with non-Tharuhat people simply because the demography has changed over the last few decades? There is no reply to this question as well. The charge of in-built constitutional discrimination, and potential fault lines in this framework, cannot be avoided with such an arrangement.

It is quite one thing to create a formal political space for ethnic identities and harness the country’s available political strength in support of this, but it is quite another to beef up discriminatory ethnic arrangements. These political variables apart, the symmetrical approach that the committee has applied in the matter of centre-state relations may not make this federalisation a workable model. The way the province of Jadan has been created and the Sherpa province has been established, nobody needs to doubt that developing a viable economy and an effective financial resources management will not be easy. The committee has not even tried to ensure administrative viability for most of the provinces, nor has it been able to see the farmland capacity of the demarcated territories. This is another funny part of the report.

Finally, the committee seems to have taken the challenges of globalisation as a non-issue. In the 21st century, globalisation has placed new demands on organisational systems of all types, including the restructuring of states. Whether a state is federal or unitary, its interests in relation to the rest of the nations have to be protected creating a competitive economic advantage for it. The report contains nothing about how a tribal state is going to secure a competitive advantage for Nepal. What it has done instead is create space for those who want to divide and rule this country based on ethnic strife.

Cheap Broadway Eats Before Showtime, From Tofu to Oxtail Soup

Cheap Broadway Eats Before Showtime, From Tofu to Oxtail Soup
Bloomberg, 2-Feb-10
Review by Yvette Fernandez

Chez Napoleon (French)
365 W. 50th St. [bet 8th & 9th Ave]
Ph: 212-265-6980 www.cheznapoleon.com

It’s a family affair at Chez Napoleon, a restaurant in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen that opened in 1960. On its walls are oil-lamp sconces, framed jigsaw puzzles and old family photos of its current owners, the Brunos.

For theatergoers willing to walk an extra block or two before or after a Broadway show, numerous eateries west of Eighth Avenue and east, closer to Sixth, offer great food at prices lower than many central theater area restaurants.

At Chez Napoleon, the family’s 88-year-old matriarch, Marguerite, can still be found in the kitchen on busy weekend nights. Her daughter Elyane takes care of the front of the house, while grandson Guillaume mans the bar.

French bistro classics make up the menu: escargots ($8) or frogs’ legs ($23) in garlicky butter, coq au vin ($19), beef Bourguignon ($20), and rabbit in a mustard and wine sauce ($22).

A $30 three-course, prix-fixe menu is served all evening. The night we dropped in, main courses included a whole trout with brown butter and lemon juice, and pork medallions with mushroom sauce.

We ended with a fluffy Grand Marnier souffle ($16) large enough to share.


Kyotofu (Japanese)
705 Ninth Ave. [bet 48th and 49th St]
Ph: 212-974-6012;
www.kyotofu-nyc.com

Kyotofu’s streamlined cream-colored space feels like a downtown nightclub with its dim lighting and thumping music, which needs some volume adjusting before we ever go back.

Still, we enjoyed tasting plates ($4 each) of barbecued eel in phyllo, pork sausage in puff pastry, grilled teriyaki chicken sliders, and a patty of curried rice, shimeji and shiitake mushrooms with arugula.

Cold green tea soba noodles came with scallion and wasabi ($8), an orb of soft tofu was served with a miso-dressed salad of greens, beets and onions ($9).

Great signature desserts included silken bean curd drenched with sugar syrup and green tea tofu cheesecake ($12), along with complimentary fudgy little cupcakes.


Kellari Taverna (Greek)
19 W. 44th St. [bet 5th & 6th Ave]
Ph: 212-221-0144
www.kellari.us

Kellari Taverna is the fanciest on this list, a warmly lit space with high ceilings, wooden beams and floors, and fresh whole fish displayed on ice. Go for the bargain $32.95 three- course prix-fixe menu served daily between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m.

We started with spinach and feta cheese pie and grilled whole sardines. Next, baked sea bass wrapped in grape leaves, orzo with shrimp, mussels and clams, or simple roast chicken with mashed potatoes. For dessert, honeyed walnut cake and fig ice cream.

Regular dinner main courses usually run from the roast chicken for $25.95 to a New York strip for $37.95. Fresh fish and other seafood are sold by the pound starting at about $26.95.


Utsav (Indian)
1185 Sixth Ave. [bet 46th and 47th St]
Ph: 212-575-2525
www.utsavny.com

Utsav, which is Sanskrit for “festival,” serves dishes from various regions in India. Its $30 pre-theater menu is available daily from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Saffron-tinged fabrics are draped, tent-like, from the ceiling of the airy room. Request a banquette next to the large picture windows for a view of the sidewalk trees dotted with pin lights.

We started with deep-fried samosas and lightly battered cauliflower dressed in a garlic tomato sauce. Next, yogurt- marinated chicken in a tomato cream sauce or a tender lamb stew.

For vegetarians, there’s roasted eggplant, spiced spinach with cubes of soft cheese, or a mixed vegetable curry.

For dessert, an ultra-sweet rice pudding, and even sweeter kulfi, a frozen milk dish similar to ice cream.


Wondee Siam (Thai)
792 9th Ave
Ph: 212- 582-0355

Pam Real Thai Food (Thai)
404 W. 49th St.
Ph: 212-333-7500

Q2 (Thai)
788 9th Ave
Ph: 212-262-2236
q2thainyc.com

Hell’s Kitchen is home to a number of Thai places that are easy on the pocket. For years we’ve headed to hole-in-the-wall Wondee Siam for its beautifully lacquered duck with tamarind sauce ($13.95) and beef sauteed with basil, garlic and onions. Friends swear by the rich oxtail soup with lime and chilies ($10.95) and rice with anchovy paste ($7.50) at Pam Real Thai Food.

We recently dropped by Q2, with newer, slightly sleeker decor than the other two. We liked its flat noodles sauteed with shrimp, egg and basil ($9.95) and its fried rice flecked with crabmeat, carrots and tomatoes ($9.95).


Five Napkin Burger (Burgers)
630 9th Ave
Ph; 212-757-2277
www.fivenapkinburger.com.

For a quick bite, there’s Five Napkin Burger with its eponymous dish ($14.95): over half a pound of ground chuck topped with gruyere cheese, caramelized onions and aioli.

We liked the pub-like atmosphere and quirky decor: Naked light bulbs and meat hooks hang from its high ceilings; weighing scales are scattered about.

Other sandwiches (all served with fries): the 5N foot-long dog ($14.95) with mustard, cheddar, relish, tomatoes, onions and pickled jalapenos; and the Buffalo chicken ($13.50) with hot sauce and blue cheese dressing. I thought about its dense chocolate layer cake for days.


Eatery (Comfort Food)
798 9th Ave
Ph: 212-765-7080
www.eaterynyc.com

At Eatery, we squeezed in with a crowd of skinny young people who nibbled on small plates and talked loudly to hear each other above the din.

We fed ourselves well with riffs on comfort food: greens with Southern fried chicken, cheddar cheese, corn, pecans and buttermilk dressing ($12.95), and baked macaroni with jack cheese and fried onions ($13.95).

UK suspends Nepali student visa applications

UK suspends Nepali student visa applications
ekantipur, 31-Jan-10

Britain has temporarily suspended new student visa applications under the “tier 4 Point Based System” from Nepal after a sharp rise in applications, the British Embassy in Kathmandu said on Sunday. The move will not affect applicants in other visa categories.

The embassy informed in a statement that it has stopped accepting applications from Monday onwards and the suspension will be reviewed after a month.

The embassy did not release figures, but it is estimated that the number of applicants have gone up dramatically in recent months after Britain introduced tier 4 Point Based System in March last year. Under this system, students wanting to pursue further studies in Britain do not have to show source of income or property evaluation.

British officials said the move was a response to the unexpectedly high number of student visa applications from South Asia.

The suspension of visa applications also follows recent media reports of unscrupulous use of the student visa to settle in the UK. Only last week, Britain suspended at least 60 UK-based bogus institutions.

Chris Dix, Regional Director of UK Border Agency (UKBA), said in the statement that the suspension would allow UKBA to continue to scrutinise applications thoroughly and to manage the visa process efficiently for all customers in Nepal.

The appointments of Tier 4 visa applicants at the visa application centre in Kathmandu have also been suspended from Monday until the UKBA begins the process.

This move will badly affect educational consultancies for whom Britain is the main source of business. Of late, Britain has emerged as the main education destination for Nepali students, overtaking the US and Australia. Ministry of Education data show that 4,200 students get ‘No Objection Letter’ from the ministry every month. In the last two months, 6,000 students got the letter from the ministry.

Educational Consultancy Association of Nepal (ECAN), the umbrella organisation of educational consultancies, said the move would have a negative impact on genuine students who wouldn’t get there in time for their courses.

“It is not good to suspend the application without prior notice as it will adversely affect applicants, who have already made appointments at the visa application centre in Kathmandu,” said Uttam Pant, president of ECAN. He fears the suspension will not be reviewed anytime soon.
Rising number of students going abroad for higher studies means more money flowing out of the country.

Nepal Rastra Bank data show students studying abroad, including Britain, have taken away Rs. 12.12 billion from the country in the last fiscal year. And, in the first four months of the current fiscal year, Rs. 5.59 billion flowed out of the country for this purpose. The availability of sterling pound was also affected by increment in the number of students leaving for Britain. According to a banker, shortage of sterling pound still exists in the banking system