Nepal, Kathmandu - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

ANSWER: Chief Justice

Explanation:
Nepal’s first woman acting Chief Justice Sushila Karki has assumed office after the country received its first woman President and Speaker. Karki is the senior most judge in the Nepalese SC. She has done Masters in Political science from BHU, Varanasi. She is known for her zero tolerance approach towards corruption.

• She succeeds CJ Kalyan Shrestha
• Her formal appointment to the post was not announced through the Parliamentary Hearing Committee due to technical reasons
• She is yet to take both of office and secrecy.
• She is known for judgements allowing women to pass citizenship to children, previously open to only men.

ANSWER: Nepal

Explanation:
Landlocked country Nepal has launched a 10 year plan to cut reliance on vegetable imports from India.

Though the western part of this nation has seen a rise in commercial vegetable farming, vegetable imports from India have continued to rise.

Region imports vegetables worth INR 55 billion each year from India.

Potatoes worth INR 370 million were annually imported. Green vegetable imports is pegged at INR 180 million.

Birgunj and Gadda Chauki are the two most important Indian trading outposts with Nepal.

Vegetable is cultivated in the following areas : Belauri, Krishnapur, Jhalari, Mahendranagar and Mahakali.

Production barely meets local demand.

The aim is to propose modern farm techniques to boost productivity, and making the country self-reliant in food.

Government has targeted making the country self-sufficient in maize and fish by the next three years.

Self reliance is sought in fruits like bananas, papaya and litchi by four years.

Towards its end, the project envisages becoming self-sufficient in fruits like kiwi, apple and orange.

Nepal Government: Know More

• Government: Federal parliamentary republic
• President: Bidhya Devi Bhandari
• Vice President: Nanda Kishor Pun
• Prime Minister: Pushpa Kamal Dahal
• Speaker of House: Onsari Gharti Magar
• Chief Justice: Sushila Karki
• Legislature: Parliament

ANSWER: Nanda Kishore Pun

Explanation:
Ex guerrilla commander from Nepal UCPN (Maoist) Nanda Kishor Pun was elected as the new vice president of the country on 31st October 2015, winning 325 out of 547 votes. His rival, Amiya Kumar Yadav (Nepali Congress) garnered 212 votes. Pun succeeds P. Jha who was one of the Madhesi party leaders. Born in Rolpa district, he was chief commander of PLA of Maoist Party during the 10 year insurgency. Pun joined the party in 1990 and commanded numerous battles against Royal Nepal Army.

ANSWER: 38th

Explanation:
Veteran Communist leader K. P. Sharma Oli was sworn in as the 38th Nepali PM a day after he was elected in Parliament with support from small parties, as the country is grappling with political unrest as regards the new Constitution. Oli was administered the oath of office and secrecy by President Ram Baran Yadav and he formed a small cabinet with two deputy ministers and 5 ministers during his first meeting.

ANSWER: Resignation from the post

Explanation:
Nepal PM Suresh Koirala has resigned as Parliament makes preparations to elect a new Premier following continued protests and inability to form consensus resulting in blocked of key trade point in India with respect to the new Constitution of the country. Koirala is in the race to become PM again, filing candidacy for the premiership from his Nepali Congress (NC) party. He is running against CPN-UML Chairman K P Sharma Oli, whose name was proposed by Unified CPN-Maoist chairman Prachanda and seconded by Rastirya Prajatantra Party chairman Kamal Thapa. The latter is seen as the most likely new PM of Nepal with more than a dozen parties supporting him. The Madhesi group is against the splitting of Nepal into 7 provinces and is protesting against the new constitution.

ANSWER: Odd even license plate system for vehicles on alternative days

Explanation:
Nepal has enforced the odd even license plate system whereby drivers can only ply on alternate days based on whether license plates are ending in odd or even numbers. This move is on account of feared fuel shortage. As Madhesi protestors have blocked the Indo Nepal border trade route since 24th September 2015, the government took this action. The protestors want amendments to the new Nepalese constitution adopted on 20th September 2015. The bridge at Birgunj, which serves as a key centre of oil and food imports, has been blocked by the protestors.

ANSWER: 7

Explanation:
Nepalese Parliament has passed a new national constitution after reaching a historic agreement for creating a federal state. Long delayed bill for the same has been passed with 507 out of a total of 598 voting in favour for it. The marathon voting follows protests from the south. New charter will replace interim constitution in place since close of 10 year civil war that caused the abolition of monarchy. The new charter will come into force w.e.f 20th September 2015.

ANSWER: Nepal

Explanation:
The agreement resolves contentious issues of federalism under the new constitution, a crucial development praised by Prime Minister Sushil Koirala. Mr Koirala and top leaders of CPN-UML, Nepali Congress, Unified CPN-Maoist and Madhesi Peoples Rights Forum Democratic, MPRFD, were present during the meeting. However, UCPN-Maoist and MPRFD, have signed the deal with some reservations.

ANSWER: Nepal

Explanation:
A majority of people wanted the word to be replaced by "Hindu" or "religious freedom," according to Nepal’s Constituent Assembly. Nepal was declared a secular country in 2007 after Nepal’s hardcore Unified Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist joined mainstream politics after a decade-long insurgency that killed over 13,000 people.

ANSWER: Nepal

Explanation:
India has agreed to Nepal's request for allowing the movement of vehicles imported from a third country into Nepal through four border points by amending the bilateral Treaty of Transit. According to the press release, the movement of vehicles on their own power to Nepal has been allowed through Raxaul-Birgunj, Jogbani-Biratnagar, Sunauli-Bhairahawa and Nepalgunj Road-Nepalgunj border points.