PODS by PEI

Ep#074 In this episode, PEI colleague Aslesh Shrestha sits with Kalpana Khanal to discuss Nepal's heavy reliance on remittances, analyzing their pivotal role in driving economic growth while also scrutinizing the associated risks and vulnerabilities. Exploring the historical trajectory of this dependency, they uncover the factors behind the reliance and examine their impact across sectors ranging from the macroeconomy to households and sector-specific consequences. Kalpana Khanal is an economist specializing in public policy, international finance, money and banking, development economics, and institutional economics. She currently serves as a Senior Research Fellow (SRF) and Head of the Center for Economic and Infrastructure Development Policy at the Policy Research Institute (PRI) in Nepal. She obtained her Ph.D. and MA degrees in Economics from the University of Missouri Kansas City (UMKC), USA. Her research focuses on the comprehensive analysis of economic policy issues at a broader level. If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!

#Ep.073 Despite once being gripped by patriarchy, Nepali society has come a long way in terms of gender equality and equity, and gender policy efforts have played an undeniable role in reshaping the reality of women in Nepal. Today, women’s representation and participation is incentivized in different development sectors, including education, health, workforce, and politics.  However, the strides of progress are still enervated by inefficient implementation, which poses questions about the vitality of gender policies.   In this episode, guest host Yuki Poudyal sits with Sucheta Pyakurel to explore Nepal’s policy landscape with Gendered Lenses. They begin by elucidating the case for gender equality and its vital connection to responsive policies and budgeting in patriarchal societies like Nepal. Tracing Nepal's history of gender policies, Sucheta shares pivotal reforms that have significantly narrowed the gender gap while also critically examining the formal and informal hindrances. The two discuss crucial gender policy events and debates to extract observations on the efficiency of such policies and recommend changes. Sucheta Pyakuryal is the Director of the Center for Governance at the Institute of Integrated Development Studies (IIDS). She teaches Gender in Politics/Policymaking for the Masters and PhD programs at Tribhuvan University and is a visiting faculty of Kathmandu University’s Masters in Public Policy and Management program. An alumna of the Regional Center for Strategic Studies of South Asia, her work focuses on studying democratic development and good governance in the region.    Yuki is currently the co-founder of the Nepal Institute of Study Abroad and has experience working across a myriad of sectors, from non-profits to innovative start-ups as a consultant, strategist, and leader. She completed her Masters in Development Practices and International Business from Tufts University.  If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!

#Ep.072 The human pursuit of purging corruption in its social systems has perhaps been as old as the problem of corruption itself. Regardless, the problem persists and grows rampant, accentuating development challenges.  While some have given up in the face of corruption’s seeming invincibility, others have mobilized to reimagine anti-corruption strategies to encompass diverse aspects and stakeholders like never before.  In this episode, PEI’s Khushi Hang and Narayan Adhikari discuss anti-corruption strategies with a focus on the role, significance, and need for innovation in the field. They explore what it means to embrace innovation in anti-corruption, dissecting the different aspects and challenges in reimagining this pursuit.  They also go over revered innovative anti-corruption campaigns led by Narayan himself and discuss their impacts and limitations.  Narayan Adhikari is a social entrepreneur and leader in global accountability and governance. He is the Co-founder and South Asia Representative for Accountability Lab Nepal and runs Open Gov Hub Kathmandu to promote transparency, accountability, and civic participation in governance. He is on the board of Trustees to RESULTS UK and Co-Chair for C7, Open, and Resilient Society for 2023, and is a strategic advisor to the  #ShiftThePower global movement.   This episode is a part of our Curbing Corruption Series.  Curbing Corruption is a PODS audio series unraveling the complexities of corruption and exploring the strategies to combat this global challenge, where PEI colleagues engage in candid conversations with experts, practitioners, and thought leaders who offer insights into the intricate web of corruption, its impact on communities, and the ever-evolving innovations and strategies to measure and combat it.  If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!! 

#Ep.071 आजको भागमा, पि. ई. आई. का जनक पोख्रेल, पत्रकार रमेश कुमार न्यौपानेसँग नेपाली समाजमा न कानुनले न त आम जनमानसले नै बढी ध्यान दिएको बिषय,  'स्वार्थको द्वन्द्व' बारे संवादमा बस्दैछन् | वहाँहरू न्यौपानेको गत साउन २१ गते, हिमाल खबर पत्रिकामा प्रकाशित “एकै घरानाको सर्वत्र लगानी, जताततै स्वार्थको द्वन्द्व” नामक खोजमुलक लेखमा आधारित भई, स्वार्थको द्वन्द्वको अवधारणा र यो कसरी भ्रष्टाचारसँग सम्बन्धित छ भनेर बैंक तथा वित्तीय संस्था, बीमा लगायतका सार्वजनिक कम्पनी, साथै विभिन्न सरकारी संयन्त्रको उदाहरण लिएर विश्लेषण गर्नुहुँदैछ। रमेश कुमार न्यौपाने, पेशाले एउटा पत्रकार हुनुहुन्छ। उहाँले त्रिभुवन विश्वविद्यालयबाट पत्रकारिता तथा आमसञ्चार र चीनको शाङहाईस्थित थोङ्ची विश्वविद्यालयबाट दिगो विकास विषयमा स्नातकोत्तर गर्नुभएको छ| पत्रकारिता पेशामा उहाँ पछिल्लो १४ वर्षदेखि संलग्न हुनुहुन्छ र उहाँ अहिले हिमाल खबर पत्रिकासँग आवद्ध हुनुहुन्छ।हामी आशा गर्दछौँ तपाईंलाई आजको संवाद फलदायी लाग्नेछ !

#Ep.070 Nepal's water sector is experiencing significant shifts due to its transition to a federal system, prompting a reevaluation of legal and policy frameworks to clarify roles across government levels. A major proposal under consideration is adopting a river-basin-based framework for improved governance and management. While aimed at enhancing operations and Integrated Water Resource Management, this reform faces challenges. The sector's future hinges on successfully avoiding conflict, forging consensus, and enhancing collaboration among institutions and governments, with river basin offices playing a pivotal role. In this episode, Saumitra Neupane and Jane Doolan, an Australian water management specialist, on the intricacies of multi-jurisdictional water governance. They discuss Australia's established practices and the parallels between Nepal's shift to federal water governance, focusing on transparent and credible institutional frameworks. Jane's insights cover the development of water regulations, the efficacy of water markets, and sustainable water allocation in Australia. The dialogue also delves into the impacts of climate change on water resources, providing valuable lessons for Nepal as it considers adopting similar strategies in its federal framework. The episode is an enlightening discussion on the importance of stakeholder trust and sustainable practices in water resource management. Dr. Jane Doolan brings over 25 years of experience in sustainable water resource management, offering policy advice to Australian and state governments on a wide array of issues including water supply and security, national water reform, and river health. Her career features significant roles in intergovernmental policy, especially concerning the Murray–Darling Basin, and in overseeing major water projects. Jane currently serves as a Director of Southern Rural Water Corporation in Victoria, is a Founding member of the Water Policy Group, an Adjunct Professor at the University of Canberra, and chairs various consultative and advisory committees. Her past roles include Environment Commissioner with the Australian Productivity Commission, Commissioner with the National Water Commission, and Deputy Secretary for Water in the Victorian Department of Environment and Primary Industries. If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!

#069 Despite its prevalence across cultures and timelines, corruption is still a painstakingly elusive phenomenon to define, measure, capture, and address. And its impacts fuel some of the most significant socio-economic challenges of our time, including poverty, social exclusion, and climate change.    In Curbing Corruption, PEI colleagues sit in candid conversations with experts, practitioners, and thought leaders to dissect the vast issue of corruption. Over the span of the series, we embrace a multiprong approach to comprehending corruption with discussions that include defining its core concepts, exploring the evolution in anti-corruption and measurement innovations, investigating the role of political and campaign financing, and recounting high-profile cases of corruption in Nepal and beyond. Through these conversations, we hope to contribute to the public discourse on the philosophical and theoretical foundations of the issue of corruption and gain insights into how we may be able to best overcome it.  Join us on this journey as we navigate through the challenges, successes, and innovative approaches to curbing corruption, aiming to pave the way for transparent, accountable, and equitable societies. In this episode, PEI's Nirjan and Utpal Misra set the stage right for the series as they introduce key terms, concepts, and ideas in anti-corruption discussions and practices. Drawing from his observations, Utpal defines and illustrates the vast forms of corruption, citing recent high-profile cases from Nepal. They then recount the actions and approaches in anti-corruption and corruption measurement practices and the key actors at the forefront of this cause. Utpal Misra is the Senior Governance Manager at the International Republican Institute's Center for Global Impact based in Washington, DC. He leads a team of Governance Specialists that support programs on anti-corruption, political strengthening, global policy, and governance issues in different parts of the world. He spent almost a decade in the World Bank headquarters, implementing global anti-corruption and social accountability programs. He started his career as a journalist with the Kathmandu Post and also worked in Kantipur Television, covering politics, policy, and social issues in Nepal.

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Ep#068 The judiciary often deals with cases that involve both political and legal aspects, and the political question doctrine helps maintain the separation of powers by determining which issues are for political bodies to address and which fall within the  jurisdiction of the judiciary. In Nepal, however, there are no predefined norms or tick boxes within the language of the law for distinguishing political and legal questions. Instead, the judiciary exercises its discretion and relies on established legal practices, principles, and precedents to make these determinations, often blurring the lines between what constitutes a political or legal case.  In this episode, PEI colleague Saumitra Neupane sits down with Semanta Dahal to discuss political question doctrine in Nepal's judiciary. The two draw from Semanta's article, 'Political Questions, Your Honor,' published in the Kathmandu Post, to delve further into how the Nepali judiciary determines the application of the Political Questions doctrine, and navigates through the nuanced and complex process of adjudication. Semanta Dahal is an accomplished legal professional with a BA and LLB with Honors from the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, and an LLM in International Law from the University of Nottingham. Currently, Semanta is an Advocate and Partner at Abhinawa Law Chambers in Kathmandu, where he provides legal expertise across various aspects of Nepalese laws, regulations, policies, and market practices. His advisory work encompasses areas such as hydro concession, infrastructure finance, electricity laws and regulations, land matters, cross-border investment, and potential power trade with India.  If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics ( https://policyentre.substack.com/welcome ), and click here ( https://patreon.com/podsbypei ) to support us on Patreon!!

#Ep.067 Kathmandu is a city famous for plenty of its charms but its capacity urban planning isn’t one of them. In fact the city struggles with overwhelmed roads, lack of open spaces, mismanaged waste and other problems which often outspill into vulnerable communities. However, urban planning has been institutionalized in Nepal for more than a decade. This begs the question, what’s holding Kathmandu back from becoming a planned city? In todays episode, PEI’s Sudipa is in covnersation with Urban Planner Shrinkhala Khatiwada to discuss Kathmandu’s urban planning history, current state, unique challenges, and opportunities. The two explore the core principal behind how urban planning is approached in the city, as Shrinkhala’s own experiences working in the field. They evaluate the cities priorities as exemplified by its recent urban planning projects, and end with an exploration on potentials and possibilities. Shrinkhala is founder of Gaatha, an architecture and design firm. She completed her Masters in Urban Planning from Harvard University. She has led multiple national and international architectural and urban planning projects, where she collaborated with a range of stakeholders including local government bodies, development partners, technical experts and community.  She has a Masters in Urban Planning from Harvard University.  If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!  

#Ep.066 This episode was recorded as a special episode prior to PM Dahal’s official visit to China. In this special release, PEI colleagues Saumitra and Anurag are joining Shreeya to discuss the evolving Nepal-China relationship amidst a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. Saumitra is the Executive director at PEI. He leads projects on infrastructure, bilateral investments, and aid. He has been an integral part of key reforms in Nepal’s electricity sector and contributed to numerous researches on cross-border electricity trade and transboundary water resources. Anurag is the Director of Practice, he leads PEI in thematic areas of governance, politics, and foreign aid. Anurag is a well-known political commentator and has written extensively on Nepal and South Asia, for national and international publications. If you liked the episode, hear more from us through our free newsletter services, PEI Substack: Of Policies and Politics, and click here to support us on Patreon!!