Jagriti

Lantana camara: An Invasive Plant Species with Potential Health Benefits

Roshani Gurung, Raj Kumar Thapa — Sun, 28 Jul 2024 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Lantana camara L. (L. camara), referred to as wild or red sage, is a tropical invasive plant
commonly used for both medicinal and decorative purposes. It is a member of the Verbenaceae family and is a
significant source of essential oils.
Areas Covered: Lantadenes A and B, two extremely concentrated pentacyclic triterpenes that are toxic to
sheep, cattle, and cows, are mostly found in the leaves and berries of this plant. It is therefore recommended to
utilize this plant sparingly. Despite having harmful compounds, L. camara also possesses a range of phytochemicals with therapeutic potentials, including flavonoids, terpenoids, and essential oils. These phytochemicals have
been used in the treatment of cuts, wounds, inflammation, and as insect repellants, thus recognizing this plant
with medicinal values.
Expert Opinion: Recent studies indicate that L. camara is formulated for use in cuts and wounds in a limited
number of formulations (e.g., ointments and creams). This review focuses on traditional uses, phytochemistry,
biological activities, formulations, and future prospects of L. camara for potential therapeutic effects.

Narrative Relation between Low Milk Somatic Cell Count and Mastitis Susceptibility in Dairy Animals

Dipesh Kumar Chetri — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Background: Somatic cell count in milk is closely associated with the incidences of intramammary infections
(IMI) in milch animals, and is regarded as a reliable marker of the mammary gland (MG) infection. The contradicting school of thought exist about the interpretation and consequences of SCC; most authors reported the
reduced incidences of IMI in dairy cows with lower milk SCC, but some research findings clearly explained the
elevated risks linked with lower SCC, and defended in ground of compromised immune status of the focus cows.
Areas Covered: The question of whether low SCC is correlated to increased susceptibility to IMI has aroused
the logical and rational debate. However, to date, SCC is considered a key measure in selecting dairy animals
that show reduced susceptibility to IMI. As selection indexes prioritize animals with lower SCC, it could enhance
the defense mechanisms of the MG concerns that has arisen about the potential long-term increase in susceptibility to IMI. The debate surrounding this issue persists, despite seemingly contradictory findings from previous
studies investigating the relationship between SCC and IMI susceptibility in dairy animals. A comprehensive
understanding of the leukocyte- dynamics in milk and immune-physiology of mammary cells, along with their
functions in combatting infections, can help reconcile these conflicting results. Recent studies focusing on SCCbased selection of dairy animals also contribute to resolving the matter.
Expert Opinion: It becomes apparent that the long-debated issues of susceptibility to IMI associated with
SCC is more likely a phenotypic trait linked to immunomodulation rather than a consequence of selection.

Nepal-Based Aid Organizations and Their Conflict-Sensitivity Commitments

Sampad Jamarkattel, Bishnu Raj Upreti, Durga Devkota, Naba Raj Devkota — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Background: The words ‘conflict sensitivity’ recognize foreign aid as an element having capacity to contribute
to peace and conflict based on implementation approaches of aid-driven projects. Aid recipient countries in the
world host several international organizations - bilateral and multilaterals, international NGOs and private sector
companies that are supposed to support humanitarian, development and peacebuilding interventions.
Area Covered:This paper examines the conflict-sensitivity commitments of such aid-related international organizations who provide foreign aid, or implement internationally funded activities in Nepal. International
organizations discussed in this paper are chosen from Gorkha district considering the facts of conflict-affected situation of the district and concentration of international organizations there after the 2015’s mega-earthquake in
Nepal. Thus conflict-sensitivity commitments of the organizations covered by this research are reviewed through
publicly available reports and policy documents, and were validated with key informant interviews considering
employees and beneficiary communities’ representatives. Descriptive analysis approach was followed for qualitative data analysis.
Expert Opinion: The findings revealed that most of the international organizations have embraced conflictsensitivity principles, approaches and tools in their policies. In Nepal, particularly in the context of Gorkha,
common ’Basic Operating Guidelines-BOGs’ of international organizations and agency specific approaches are
widely evident. But, commitment levels are entirely distinct from agency to agency. It applies equally among
the bilateral donors, multilateral organizations and implementing NGOs. Most of private sector companies lack
this commitment even though their presence in Nepal is increasing. Funding agencies require critical attention
on how their implementing partners, especially the private sector, are fulfilling conflict-sensitivity standards in
their policies.

Phytochemical Profiles and Antifungal Activity of Essential oil from Artemisia vulgaris Grown at Different Altitudes of Nepal

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the components of essential oil extracted from Artemisia vulgaris grown
at different altitudes and evaluate its antifungal activity.
Methods: Essential oils were extracted by using hydro distillation method. The essential oil analyses were
performed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry technique. Principal component analysis (PCA) and
hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) were used for the multivariate analyses. The antifungal activity of essential
oil was evaluated against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum by poisoned food technique. The collected data were entered
into Microsoft Excel 2019 program and variables were statistically analyzed using ANOVA with the help of R
studio.
Results: The highest essential oil yield percentage was observed in the plant samples collected from 1200 m
altitude with an average yield of 0.95± 0.14 v/w %. Altogether 73 components of essential oil were visualized.
Among these components Amorphene < gamma− > showed the highest peak area (10.58 %) in the plant samples
collected from 1800 m altitude. Similarly, Amorphene < gamma− > was present at highest concentration (10.35
%) in 1500 m, (11.88%) in 900 m, (13.85 %) in 600 m, and (10.46 %) in 300 m altitude plant samples. PCA analysis
gave rise to four different clusters and evaluation of HCA showed the amount closeness of components between the
plant samples collected from different altitudes. The extracted essential oils showed highest antifungal activity
against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum at 350 ppm (100 %) which was reduced with a decrease in the concentration of
essential oil.
Conclusion: The phytochemical profiles of the essential oil showed 73 components and the essential oil of
Artemisia vulgaris possessed antifungal activities against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.

Gender Disparities and Age Trend in Child Survival in Nepal

Kailash Timilsina, Ashmita Adhikari, Ravi Bhandari — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: Child survival rates are critical indicators of a nation’s health and development. Despite significant
efforts by the Nepalese Government, child mortality rates remain high compared to neighboring and developed
countries. This study examines gender disparities in child survival in Nepal, focusing on different age groups.
Methods: This study utilizes data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey 2016 to assess survival trends
and gender disparities among infants, children under two, and children under five. The analysis aims to identify
gender bias in these age groups.
Results: The study shows a sharp decline in the survival rate during the first five months for infants, stabilizing
for children under two years. However, gender disparities persist, with females consistently having lower survival
rates across different age groups. The average survival rates for males were 0.975 for infants, 0.974 for those
under 2 years, and 0.966 for those under 5 years. In comparison, the average survival rates for females were 0.967
for infants, 0.966 for those under 2 years, and 0.959 for those under 5 years.
Conclusion: Addressing these issues requires targeted interventions to ensure equitable healthcare and nutrition
for both boys and girls. Improving maternal education, healthcare infrastructure, and social attitudes towards
gender can significantly enhance child survival rates and reduce gender disparities in Nepal. Policymakers and
health stakeholders must prioritize equitable access to healthcare and implement injury prevention strategies to
improve overall child health outcomes in Nepal.

Detection of Cadmium, Lead and Mercury Ions by a Chemically Modified Carbon Paste Electrode with Schiff Base Using Square-wave Anodic Stripping Voltammetry

Kisan Koirala, Jose Hernandez Santos — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: A modified carbon paste electrode (CPE) was developed to determine the content of cadmium (Cd²⁺),
lead (Pb²⁺) and mercury (Hg²⁺) ions in aqueous solutions.
Methods: The CPE was modified using the Schiff base of 2-hydroxy-5-nitrobenzaldehyde with S-benzyldithiocarbazate. The performance of modified and unmodified electrodes were compared. Several important
parameters controlling the performance of the modified electrode were optimized using square-wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). The electrochemical behavior of the modified electrode was characterized by cyclic
voltammetry.
Results: The modified electrode exhibited good selectivity, stability and reproducibility. Under optimized conditions, calibration curves demonstrated linearity over a concentration range of 25 – 1000 ng mL^-1 for Cd²⁺ and
Hg²⁺; and 25 – 2500 ng mL^-1 for Pb²⁺ using a deposition time of 70 s. The limits of detection for Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺
and Hg²⁺ were 9.50, 17.09 and 13.16 ng mL^-1, respectively. Simultaneous determination of Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺ and
Hg²⁺ was performed and no interference was observed.
Conclusion: The modified electrode was successfully used to determine the content of Cd²⁺, Pb²⁺ and Hg²⁺
in river water samples, giving results that agreed well with those obtained by atomic absorption spectrometry
(AAS).

An Impose of Dense Neural Network for Detecting Clickbait on Nepali News

Shiva Ram Dam, Saroj Giri, Tara Bahadur Thapa, Sanjeeb Prasad Panday — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: This research aims to detect clickbaits on Nepali news. Clickbaits are frequently existing in online
Nepali digital media. Media house put catchy headlines which, in most of the cases, appears significantly different
from the actual content inside it. They embellish the truth to entice readers to click on it.
Methods: A Machine learning model with Dense Neural Network (DNN) is imposed to train and test on the
Nepali clickbait dataset. The model takes a featured dataset with cosine similarity and Term Frequency Inverse
Document Frequency (TFIDF) to detect clickbaits and non-clickbaits.
Results: Our model achieved a high performance, evidenced by an F1 score of 96.27 on the test data with cross
validation, demonstrating its effectiveness in distinguishing between clickbait and non-clickbait content.
Conclusion: Our study presents a successful application fo dense neural networks for clickbait detection in Nepali
news, offering a valuable tool for improving news consumption quality. Future works will explore expanding the
dataset and incorporating more advanced neural networks.

Genetic Diversity and Population Structure Analysis of Nepalese Cattle Breeds Inferred from Microsatellite Markers

Ishwari Prasad Kadariya — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: This study was conducted to investigate the genetic diversity and relationship among five Nepalese
indigenous and crossbreeds’ cattle using microsatellite markers.
Methods: Experiments were done using blood samples taken from different geographical locations and extraction of genomic DNA, PCR and GEL electrophoresis accomplished in the Center for Biotechnology lab AFU.
Amplified fragments were analyzed by gel documentation system and dara were analysed by GenAIEx 6.51software program.
Results: The study of nuclear DNA was accomplished in 119 cattle which exhibited highly genetic variability
across all the sample population. Mean allele number and observed heterozygosity for all loci were 18.00±0.67
and 0.04±0.01 respectively. Moreover, moderate genetic variability (4%) was reported among the sampled population. In spite of the sufficient genetic variability high inbreeding coefficient was observed within five different
cattle breeds. Nei’s genetic distance analysis, genetic distinctness was observed in Achhami as compared to other
cattle breeds. Findings also revealed a close relationship between indigenous Pahadi and Jersey and Holstein
crossbreds’ cattle which might be due to Artificial insemination program of government.
Conclusion: Findings showed that bovine DNA markers has moderate genetic variability and genetic differentiation in Nepalese cattle breeds. Based on the results concluded that Achhami breeds was distinct from other
breeds. However, results showed straightforward evidence of genetic diversity and relationships of Nepalese cattle that facilitate in executing effective breeding plan for the preservation and improvement of indigenous cattle
breeds of Nepal

Dietary Supplementation of Cabbage Leaf Meal (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) on Feed Intake, Growth and Carcass Quality of Commercial Broiler Chicken

Shanker Raj Barsila, Jay Bikram Shah — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: A profitable production of broiler meat is commonly valued for a sustainable poultry business. However, the increasing rate of the price of, especially that of imported feed ingredients is making the poultry industry
less -profitable business. So, an alternative to expensive feed ingredients is a dire need. Under this context, an
experiment was done for 42 days with the objective to investigate the feed intake, growth performance and carcass
characteristics of broiler chickens based on cabbage leaf meal feeding.
Methods: One hundred eighty-day-old Cobb 500 Strain broiler chickens were used. The birds were randomly
allotted into four treatment groups consisting of three replicates for each treatment with 15 birds per replicate.
A mature and compact head of cabbage was chopped and mixed with the basal feed in the various treatment
groups such as T0 (control), T1 (Basal diet + 5% cabbage), T2 (Basal diet + 10% cabbage), and T3 (Basal diet
+ 15% cabbage were randomly allocated to birds.
Results: Findings revealed that T2 had resulted the best performance p < 0.05 in all growth traits studied –,
feed intake and feed conversion ratio, final body weight, and carcass characteristics. Administration of chopped
cabbage leaf to broiler chicken increased their performance and feed intake.
Conclusion: It is, thus, suggested for the inclusion of cabbage leaf ‘at the level of 10% of the basal diet in broiler
feedings.

Herbage Intake and Digestibility Considering Chlorophyll Content of Tropical Grass-legume Mixed Forages under Melia Azedarach Tree Shade

Shanker Raj Barsila — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: The impact of native multipurpose trees on herbage mass productivity was researched at low profile
in Nepal using physiological markers to the herbage intake and digestibility studies.
Methods: Under this context, the experiment was done with glycine (Neonantia weightii) and green leaf desmodium (Desmodium intortum) mixed with the Napier (Pennisetum purpureum) and blue panic (Panicum antidotale)
planted under three levels of shade of Melia trees by using the Split Plot Design (SPD). Each plot was replicated
three times, with one open. Standard agronomic practices were followed in the growth of the forages, whereas
three shade levels (heavy, medium, and low) were maintained by pruning the lowest branches of Melia tree and
also by measuring light intensity using a Lux meter. Additionally, 100 g of fresh leaf tissues were subjected
to a chlorophyll analysis. After regrowth, herbage mass was collected from a 1 m2 quadrant cutting over the
ground at 60 and 75 days in August and September, respectively. Lab analysis was done on the sampled forages
for proximate fractions, and a chlorophyll assay was performed on 100 g of fresh leaf tissues collected. Four
goats were used in the herbage digestibility experiment using the metabolic crates during the second year of
observation. Afterwards, the link between the digestibility attributes, herbage consumption, and relative dried
weight yield of the herbage mass was noted.
Results: Research results had shown that the forage combination only affected p < 0.05 the total chlorophyll
content, while the shade level p < 0.05 and forage mixture had significant effects p < 0.05 on the relative dried
weight yield. Later, it was found that the dry matter yield, dry matter intake, and digestibility of dry matter
(DM), crude protein (CP) and crude fiber (CF), respectively, have a significant positive correlation p < 0.05 with
the total chlorophyll concentration.
Conclusion: The study’s findings proved the Melia tree’s broad effect on under-storey forages and provided
the possibility of the establishment of an alternate model for forage development in Nepal’s southern plains to
have utilization by cultivating forages under tree shade, provided optimum shade is maintained by looping lower
branches of Melia tree.

Growth Performance of Khari and Crossbred Boer Goats with Respect to Different Levels of Crude Protein-based Feeding in the Mid-hills of Nepal

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: Goats are one of the important livestock species in Nepal and among available goat, Khari breed is
popular for meat purpose. They have long history of disease resistance and have contributed meaningfully to
the livelihood support of Nepalese farmers. In spite of these facts, they are relatively small in body size whereas
farmers are lately inclined to crossbred of Khari with heavy body weight imported breed such as Boer. Under
this context research was done to analyze the effect of Crude Protein (CP) based nutritional plan of feeding on
growth performance, especially body weight gain of crossbred Boer and Khari goats under various Crude Protein
(CP) feeding regimes.
Methods: Four types of CP based diets were formulated and fed by keeping 50% Boer and Khari crossbred
goats for 120 days at 6 months of age and were fed ad libitum fodder trees and available seasonal fodders in a
randomized Complete Block Design, by replicating each treatment for three times.
Results: Results clearly revealed that Khari breed and Boer 50% crossbred had different response to varied
level of CP content in their diet for growth performance whereas feed intake and body weight gain which was
relatively better for Khari with lower level of CP (12%). On the other hand, Boer 50% crossbred responded well
to higher (18%) CP, especially during later stage of growth.
Conclusion: Thus, these differences might be crucial to be considered while formulating additional diet through
formulated feed whereas in-depth study on availability of major nutrients of common fodder trees and seasonality
of variation might be further useful to consider for scientific study. Since preparing strategic feed plan is very
important in rearing goats, findings of this research would also have further imperative value in determining the
feed preparation plan by considering in body physiology and nutritional requirements.

Effects of Feeding Time, Breed, Parity, Stage of Lactation and Milking Methods on Somatic Cell Count and Milk Constituents in Dairy Cows

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: This study investigated the effect of feeding time, parity, stages of lactation, milking methods, and
breed on milk composition and somatic cell count (SCC) with the main objective of understanding how these
factors influence the nutritional properties and udder health of dairy cow.
Methods: Twenty (Holstein Frisian, Jersey and Lulu) subclinical mastitis-free crossbred cows were used for a
180-day study on different feeding strategies (pre-milking, during milking, and post-milking feeding at varying
intervals). The animals were categorized into three groups, each based on their parity (early, mid and late)
and stages of lactation (early, mid and late), then their effect on different parameters were examined. The milk
composition and SCC was analyzed (by transforming them at log10 base) fortnightly. The effect of feeding time,
parity, stages of lactation, breed and milking methods on SCC and milk composition were worked out for ANOVA
by General Linear Model (univariate) using SPSS statistical packages (version 25).
Results: Results revealed that feeding time significantly affected milk composition, with pre-milking feeding
yielding in higher milk fat, while post-milking feeding strategies led to lower SCC. Parity and stages of lactation
also showed notable effects on milk composition and SCC, with early parity and mid-lactation cows exhibiting
higher SCC. Additionally, milking methods and breed influenced milk composition, with higher protein and
lactose in machine milked cows, and Lulu producing milk with higher fat (numerical), protein and lactose.
Conclusions: Our research findings provided valued insights into the factors influencing milk quality and udder
health in dairy cows, which could be inferred for a better management practice aimed at optimizing quality milk
production.

Estimate the Genetic Parameters of Major Economic Traits of Crossbred Murrah Buffalo in Nepal

Deo Nandan Sah, Naba Raj Devkota, Mohan Prasad Sharma, Nirajan Bhattarai — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: The main objective of this research was to estimate the genetic parameters of major economic traits
of crossbred Murrah Buffalo in Nepal.
Methods: The performance records of 16912 buffaloes from the year 2017 to 2020 at mid-hill and Terai and
maintained at the Veterinary Hospital Livestock Specialties Center, Artificial Insemination records, buffalo farm
were used for analysis. We analyzed the data by using the mixed technique of the Harvey model.
Results: The analysis revealed that the heritability for age at first calving (AFC) and gestation length (GL)
was relatively low (h2= 0.06, 0.15) and moderate heritability for calving interval (CI) (h
2 = 0.36), and the lower
estimates for lactation length (LL), lactation milk yield (LMY) (h2 = 0.140.078, 0.280.159), higher estimates for
heritability of standard milk yield (SMY), daily milk yield (DMY) (h2=0.44±0.266, 0.57±0.365), and there was
lower heritability of peak milk yield (PMY) (h2 = 0.060.031). Productive traits showed positive genetic correlations, with lactation milk yield (LMY) at 0.31, standard milk yield (SMY) at 0.95, and daily milk yield (DMY)
ranging from moderate to high positive correlations of 0.35 to 0.95. Conversely, negative genetic correlations
ranged from -0.13 to -0.71. Similarly, genotypic correlations for daily milk yield were moderate to highly positive
(0.35-0.95) and negatively correlated (-0.13 to -0.71), as well as for peak milk yield (0.24-0.93) with negative
correlations (-0.19 to -0.74).
Conclusion: The research findings underscore the genetic potential for enhancing milk yield traits in crossbred
Murrah Buffalo, with positive correlations indicating opportunities for improvement. However, the negative correlations with reproductive traits suggest the need careful selection strategies to optimize both productivity and
reproductive efficiency, with further research needed to optimize genetic potential in Nepal.

Evaluation of Different Fodder Oats (Avena sativa L.) varieties for their herbage mass and seed production potentials in Rasuwa, Nepal

Bodh Raj Baral, Birendra Khanal, Neena Amatya Gorkhali — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: Eleven fodder oat (Avena sativa L.) varieties were evaluated for herbage mass and seed production
under two cut management system at Pasture and Fodder Research Station (PFRS) Station, Dhunche, Rasuwa
for two winter seasons in 2022/23.
Methods: The oat genotypes used were: 1. Sweet oat, 2. Kona, 3. Titan 4. Baler No.1, 5. Monida, 6.
Longyan No.2, 7. Everleaf, 8. Longyan No.3, 9. Qingyin No.1, 10. Qinghai 444, 11. Parbati (as a check variety).
The experiment was conducted by using a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with each treatment
replicated thrice, each in 6 m2 plot size. The seeds of respective varieties were sown in third week of October. The
seed rate, fertilizer and irrigation were applied as per recommendation of NARC. The half of each experimental
plot was used for growth and herbage mass evaluation and another half of the plot was left for seed harvest. A
total of two harvests was taken to assess herbage mass production. The production parameters viz: plant height,
leaf length, leaf breadth, leaf number/tiller, number of tillers/plants, green herbage, dry herbage, fresh straw
weight and seed yield were recorded. The collected data were analyzed by using GenStat.
Results: The results showed that the highest cumulative dry herbage (9.7 t/ha) was produced from Qinghai
444 followed by Titan, Kona, Parbati and Longyan No.3 whereas lowest herbage mass was obtained from Baler
No.1 p < 0.01. Likewise, the average seed yield was 3.3 t/ha which was statistically non-significant among the
evaluated oat varieties p > 0.05.
Conclusion: Findings of this research thus firmly suggested that there are varietal differences in terms of herbage
biomass as well as their seed production potentials of oats varieties; thus these important aspects are worthy to
consider while recommending specific varieties to the niche specific regions of Nepal.

Governance in National Sports Governing Bodies of Nepal: A Study of Current Status

Madhu Sudhan Subedi — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to evaluate the level of governance structures and practices in national
sports governing bodies of Nepal and identify areas for improvement in promoting good governance and minimizing the misconducts.
Methods: The study employs a case study methodology and concentrates on Nepal’s seven National Sports
Governing Bodies (NSGB’s) i.e. Taekwondo, Tennis, Athletics, Swimming, Handball, Fencing, and All Nepal
Football Association. The researcher adopted document analysis as a study methodology, carried out desktop
research to gather data, and examined the websites, statutes, financial audit reports, multi annual policy plans,
internal rules, and any other relevant documents that were available for the federations. For this study, governance status was evaluated using data from the National Sports Governance Observer (NSGO) survey tool.
The NSGO indicators are a comprehensive set of 274 indicators for good governance in sports federations that
operate at the national or sub-national level, with four dimensions: Transparency, Democratic Process, Internal
Accountability and Control, and Societal Responsibility.
Results: With an overall NSGO index of 24%, the study revealed that Nepal’s National Sports Governing Bodies’ performance on good governance was poor. The NSGO score for the Democratic Process dimension is the
highest (33%), while the NSGO index for internal accountability and societal responsibility is the lowest (19%).
With 35% transparency, the tennis association is reasonably transparent.
Conclusion: According to the study’s findings, Nepal’s National Sports Governing Bodies have serious governance issues in all respects, and improving good governance and the long-term sustainability of sports growth is
crucial for them going forward.

An Analysis of Relationship Between Remittances and Imports of Nepal

Lila Raj Lohani — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Background: The remittance has become one of the main sources of foreign exchange and it has brought significant and structural changes in the economy of Nepal. Similarly, Nepal has had a significant trade imbalance
for many years. These two variables are most contentious topics in this decade.
Objectives: In this context, the paper has examined the impact of remittance inflows on import in Nepalese
economy. Method: A suitable econometric model was developed by including the major sources of foreign exchange i.e. export, foreign assistance, and tourist earnings together with remittance in the explanatory variables.
The necessary data were obtained from the official website of NRB from the years 2000/01 to 2021/22, and then
the stationarity of the variables was tested. Based on the results of the stationarity test, a suitable ARDL model
was then applied to measure the long- and short-term effects of the explanatory variable.
Results: The study’s findings revealed that remittances and the lagged import were main variables to determine
the size of import. Both variables had a positive impact on imports, but other factors i.e. tourist earning, export
and foreign assistance had an insignificant impact over response variable.
Conclusion: The study indicates that the hypothesis was accurate. It means when remittance revenue rises
in the economy, imports rise along with it. The primary cause of this is remittances have increased recipients’
income and the domestic production hasn’t increased significantly due to an increase in absenteeism. As a result
of mismatch between rising demand and stagnant supply, the import volume has increased.

Exploring Service Quality Dimensions in Savings and Credit Cooperatives Societies of Nepal

Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: The study explores the factors affecting service quality (SQ) of Savings and Credit Cooperatives
Societies (SACCOS) in Nepal.
Methods: Adopting the Service Quality (SERVQUAL) framework, the study investigates the factors of SQ
among three SACCOS in Nepal. In doing so, the research employed a self-constructed questionnaire focusing
on SQ, tailored to the specific context. Data was gathered from three SACCOS using a cross-sectional survey
approach, involving 1,209 respondents for quantitative data. These districts were chosen to encompass Nepal’s
diverse geographical regions, including the Hills, and Terai areas. The factor analysis of the collected data determined four dimensions of SQ in the SACCOS context. Based on the empirical analysis, the research findings
developed hospitality, integrity, resilience, and autonomy (HIRA) model, identifying key dimensions impacting
SQ.
Results: Practical implications suggest that SACCOS should adopt a holistic approach, simultaneously enhancing operational dimensions and member-centric elements. Addressing concerns related to ethical practices,
governance, and decision-making processes is essential for a uniform and better satisfaction level.
Conclusion: This comprehensive roadmap encourages SACCOS to navigate key dimensions and leverage positive associations within SQ dimensions. SACCOS can position themselves as indispensable financial partners,
ensuring sustained success and welfare for their members in the cooperative sector.

Intergovernmental Relations (IGR) in Agriculture Sector and Its Effects on Service Delivery at Local Level in Federal Nepal

Bishnu Kumar Bishwakarma, Bishnu Raj Upreti, Durga Devkota, Naba Raj Devkota — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: This research was done with the objective to explore the current practice of sectoral IGR; factors
affecting it, and effects of IGR on agricultural service delivery.
Methods: Mixed method was employed to collect data. The qualitative method employed 35 Key Informants’
Interviews (KII) and nine Focused Group Discussion (FGD). Empirical data were obtained from the crosssectional survey of 140 sectoral staff from 18 local governments during 2021 to 2022 and analysed accordingly.
Results: The current agricultural sector IGR lacks coordination, cooperation, has a distinct gap on information
exchange and local level have limited negotiation capacity. Fiscal transfer, functional demarcation, clarity in
roles and responsibilities and institutional establishment between three tiers of the government were found major
factors affecting sectoral IGR. Ninety percent of the respondents reported that the current gap in sectoral IGR
has resulted duplicating functions, overlapping roles, thin institutional arrangement, limited capacity of the local
governments, and higher dependency of local governments to federal level for financial and human resources.
Such gap in IGR has negatively affected agricultural service delivery at local level.
Conclusion: Findings of this research suggests that the federal government need to facilitate for the sectoral
coordination mechanism and strengthen the negotiation capacity of local governments for smoothening sectoral
IGR and thereby effective service delivery, particularly those related to agricultural extension and service delivery.

Agricultural Growth and Performance in Nepal: Assessing Trends and Signals for Policy Reforms

Nirmal Gadal, Durga Devkota, Purna Nepali, Naba Raj Devkota — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: Despite its crucial role in poverty reduction, the agricultural sector in Nepal has exhibited lagging
performance by large within the context of the broader economy over the past decades. Agricultural growth, at
2.2%, was nearly half of the national economy’s growth rate of 4.0%. Additionally, the contribution of agriculture
to the overall economy has decreased from 33.4% in 2010 to 24.2% in 2022. This decline is mainly attributed to
factors such as low crop productivity, limited diversification, a substantial increase in production costs, and the
influx of low-cost subsidized foods from abroad, particularly India and China.
Methods: The research employed a mixed-method approach, integrating both quantitative data from secondary
sources and qualitative insights through case studies and literature reviews. The study began with a desk review of agricultural performance trends over the past decade, followed by week-long qualitative case studies in
three rural municipalities in western Nepal. These case studies involved fieldwork, semi-structured interviews
(SSIs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and observations with various stakeholders, totaling 196 respondents
using snowball sampling.
The study also analyzed Nepal’s agricultural policies using the Political Economy and Policy Analysis (PEPA)
framework. This framework was used to examine the political and economic factors affecting agricultural outcomes. Quantitative data on various agricultural indicators, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth,
agricultural productivity, and trade, were collected from multiple sources, covering the period from 2013 to 2022.
The integrated methods aimed to provide a comprehensive understanding of Nepal’s agricultural landscape by
combining macro-level policy analysis with grassroots-level insights.
Results: A significant disparity was observed between policy provisions in the agriculture sector and the actual
implementation of its services. Despite having a strong Agricultural Development Strategy’s (ADS) emphasis on
fostering self-reliance, sustainability, competitiveness, and inclusivity, we found that agricultural extension programs, constituting 70% of public agriculture expenditure, predominantly focused on subsidies. These programs
seemed more aligned with welfare initiatives than a strategic approach. Further analysis of government programs at federal, provincial, and local levels revealed that over 60% of subsidies were directed toward purchasing
costly inputs (chemical fertilizers, farm machinery, equipment, hybrid seeds, and agrochemicals) from neighboring countries, contributing to a widening trade imbalance. Findings also revealed that extension programs
disproportionately favored elite groups, distorting market prices and adversely affecting women, marginalized
communities, and resource-poor farmers. A comprehensive FGD involving 196 participants indicated that only
7.7% had access to government subsidies and services, with over 70% of the subsidies focusing on private and
personal capital development. Findings also uncovered a troubling trend of diminishing investments in the agricultural sector. The average agriculture budget allocation of 2.9% over the last 13 years signals a significant lack
of both political and fiscal commitment to fostering the growth and development of the agriculture sector.
Conclusion: These insights emphasize the evolving landscape of budgetary priorities, underscoring the urgent
need for strategic interventions to rejuvenate support for this crucial agricultural domain.

Development Effects of Electrification from Decentralized Renewable Energy Technologies in Nepalese Context

Rana Bahadur Thapa, Bishnu Raj Upreti, Durga Devkota, Naba Raj Devkota — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: Access to electricity is recognized as an important factor for socio-economic development that ultimately contributes to poverty reduction. But, the question is whether it contributes socio-economic development
of rural people and if so to what extent? This research attempted to answer these questions, by evaluating
development effect of electrification from decentralized renewable energy technologies in Nepal. The research
also focused about the effects of electrification perceived by the consumers due to project intervention.
Methods: Accordingly, household data collected from 404 beneficiaries electrified by 84 projects based on a stratified random sample method was used. MS-Excel and IBM-SPSS-25 was used for analyzing data at p = 0.05.
The results were presented as frequency, mean, minimum, maximum, and standard deviation.
Results: The empirical analysis and results revealed that access to electricity induces substantial welfare
gains, which tend to be relatively skewed towards women. An increase in economic activities, improvements on
economic status, contributing environmental conservation, enhanced social cohesion, and improvements in living
standards of rural people were the key determinants of development effects from electrification.
Conclusion: However, access to electricity efforts should be embedded with complementary supports including
awareness, training and fiscal incentives for enhancing the economic use of electricity. Furthermore, poverty is
inversely proportional to electricity access that implies focusing on providing reliable, affordable, and modern
energy access for combating rural poverty in developing countries like Nepal.

Economics of Organic Finger Millet Farming and Its Contribution to Rural Livelihood: A Case of Dolakha District, Nepal

Rajendra Pandit, Naba Raj Devkota, Durga Devkota, Tamanna Pandit — Sun, 12 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Purpose: Finger millet is important food crop for ensuring food and nutrition security of smallholder farmers
in the hilly area of Nepal. It is widely grown in the eastern hills and mid-western region. This research was
conducted to assess the economic viability of organic finger millet farming and its contribution to livelihood of
farmers at Dolakha district of Nepal.
Methods: Simple random sampling was done to select 60 finger millet growers from the list of millet growers at
Baiteshwor Rural Municipality, Dolakha, Nepal. The field survey was done using set of structured questionnaires
as well as check-list to perform semi-structured interview to collect primary information whereas secondary
information was collected from relevant publications.
Results: Result showed the benefit-cost (BC) ratio of greater than one (1.26) and positive gross margin of NRs.
13676 per hectare indicating the financial viability of organic finger millet production. Moreover, it is revealed
that the average net income from the sale of processed value-added alcoholic beverages made from one-kilogram
grain was NRs.102; the average price of one-kilogram grain was calculated NRs. 54. In addition, the average
partial food availability from finger millet was calculated 2010 kilocalories per hectare per person per day which
showed its contribution to household food security. Lack of technical knowledge (I=0.83) was, however, identified
as the first major problem associated with finger millet farming.
Conclusion: Organic finger millet cultivation could support the livelihood and food security of rural farm
households, especially the marginal farmers of hilly regions of Nepal, provided, technical support is available from
the government in production, value addition, and marketing by integrating into the mainstream of agricultural
development.