PODS by PEI

#Ep.107 Purushottam Ojha is the former Commerce Secretary of Nepal and has extensive expertise in trade, transit, investment, private sector, and institutional development. Mr. Ojha has held key roles in public service since 1979 and has also served as a Trade Facilitation Consultant for The World Bank and Global Training Institute Development & Research, providing strategic advice on trade ne...

PEI- Modi 3.0: Is neighborhood still first? Unpack the evolving India-South Asia dynamic as Modi enters his third term as Prime Minister. PEI brings a curated panel of experts from India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh to dissect the regional shifts for a can't-miss panel discussion. The conversation is a part of the PEI Webinar Series on Managing India, China, and the US. If you liked the e...

Shradha is the Research Coordinator at the Centre for Social Change (CSC) focusing on Nepal's natural resources, climate governance, and environmental peacebuilding. Recently, she co-authored an article titled "Understanding the Interrelations Between Natural Resources and Development Governance in Federal Nepal." She has a Master’s in Humans and Natural Resources from Kathmandu Univ...

अब जारी: पि. ई. आईको गभर्नेन्स टिमका ३ जना सहकर्मीहरु - जनक पोख्रेल, अविनाश कर्ण र सुशभ निरौला,  गत महिना फिल्ड भिजिटमा कोहि कर्णाली त कोहि लुम्बिनी पुग्नुभएको थियो | आजको भागमा उहाँहरुले नेपालको गभर्नेन्स स्पेसमा गरिरहनु भएको अध्ययन अनुसन्धान र त्यसै क्रममा देशका विभिन्न ठाउँमा पुगेर विभिन्न क्षेत्रका मान्छेसँग अन्तरक्रिया गरेर, सुनेर, सिकेर, बुझेर आएका कुराको छलफल र समिक्षा गर्नुभएको छ | उहाँहरु...

Namaste and Happy Pride Month! The pursuit of marriage equality in Nepal has experienced both progress and setbacks over the last 15 years. In 2008, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of full rights for LGBT individuals. However, significant delays followed, with temporary registration of same-sex marriages only beginning in 2023. A year later, in April 2024, Nepal finally legalized same-sex marriag...

#Ep.102 Soni Thapa , a professor at Humber College in Toronto, holds a PhD in Sociology and an MA in Women's Studies. Her research focuses on gender equality, violence against women, race, ethnicity, and immigration. She recently published " The Nepalese Diaspora and Adaptation in the United States " in the Journal of Genealogy (2024). Soni is the executive director of a non-profit e...

The practice of preparing an annual budget dates back to 1951, right after Nepal’s political transition that led to the end of the Rana regime in the country. Subarna Sumsher, the finance minister then, had publicly announced an outlay of NPR 50.25 million. The political context of the country then was such that the budget was not presented in the Nepali parliament but announced via Radio Nepal. I...

#Ep.100 Sudeshna Thapa is a human rights lawyer and holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law from Lund University, Sweden. She is currently working as Research Coordinator at Social Science Baha, where she is involved in research on a range of issues including gender and social inclusion, minority rights and labour migration. She has previously worked as Research Assistant to the UN Special...

With: Host Deependra Chaulagain and guests Dipendra Jha and Khim Lal Devkota Despite the significant achievement of federalism in Nepal's political transition, it faces criticism for its financial costs, perceived inefficiencies, and corruption. Reflecting on these challenges, Project Sambaad hosted Khim Lal Devkota and Dipendra Jha in a panel discussion moderated by Deependra Chaulagain. The...

#Ep.098 Riya Sinha is an Associate Fellow at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress (CSEP) in New Delhi, where she coordinates the Sambandh Regional Connectivity Initiative and co-manages the Sambandh Policy Dialogue. Her research focuses on regional economic connectivity in South Asia, covering trade, logistics, infrastructure, and border management. In 2022, she was a Visiting Fellow at the...

#Ep.097 Shabda is the Investment Director and a partner at Dolma Impact Fund, the largest private equity fund focused on Nepal. He leads the investment team at Dolma, overseeing deal origination, transaction execution, regulatory approvals, and post-investment management. He is actively involved in sectors such as healthcare, renewable energy, and technology​ . He holds a B.A. in Economics from Co...

With: Host Anup Upreti and guests Samikshya Rai and Shabda Gyawali  The difficulties are endless for doing business in Nepal  but every entrepreneur present in the session  spoke of the untapped potential in Nepal. There are opportunities for growth and to take Nepali products to a global market. However, there are impediments for growth. In this session moderated by Anup Upreti,  corporate lawyer...

#Ep.095 Nirjan is a researcher with over 20 years of experience of designing, managing, and leading analytical studies in Nepal and the United States. He specializes in political economy analysis and has examined critical reforms in the electricity sector, water governance, and geopolitics. Nirjan is the primary author of the recent PEI report “Pen, Power, Politics: How China and India wield soft...

Despite the inflow of remittance that keeps the country afloat, migration is considered a net loss for Nepal. To move beyond this persistent rhetoric of loss, Project Sambaad brought together migration scholars Amina Maharjan, a Senior Specialist at ICIMOD, and Slesh Shrestha,  a former economics Professor at the National University of Singapore, for an evidence-based conversation on the state of...

Last month, in our efforts to revitalize deep discussions in Nepal, PEI and other like-minded organizations in Kathmandu began a new venture we call Project Sambaad.   Project Sambaad is a collaborative platform that promotes in-depth conversations that critically examine Nepali society and its policy-making space. Through Project Sambaad, we seek to explore broad, impactful questions that will co...

Namaste and Happy Earth Day.  Over the year, we have collaborated with visionary individuals who have enhanced our discussions and expanded our perspectives on environmental sustainability and stewardship. At PEI, Earth Day 2024 is about expanding the conversation surrounding the environment to include and highlight the narrative of climate change, energy, and sustainable development.   For today’...

Last month, in our efforts to revitalize deep discussions in Nepal, PEI and other like-minded organizations in Kathmandu began a new venture we call Project Sambaad.   Project Sambaad is a collaborative platform promoting in-depth conversations that critically examine Nepali society and its policy-making space. Through Project Sambaad, we seek to explore broad, impactful questions that contribute...

Ep#090 Dilrukshi is an international award-winning investigative journalist and a lawyer from Sri Lanka. She has worked extensively across South Asia as an on-ground reporter and trainer. As an investigative journalist, she has broken stories on grand corruption and crime, conflict and communities, and dedicated significant time to reporting on women, children, health, and the environment. A recip...

Ep#089 Kshitiz Daha l is an economist at South Asia Watch on Trade, Economics and Environment with key interests in international trade, development economics, and econometrics. He has worked extensively in Nepal’s international trade, trade in digital services, migration and remittances, Nepal’s industrial policy, and public debt. He has contributed to the research initiatives of international or...

#Ep.088 यस एपिसोडमा पि. ई. आईका सुशभ , पुर्व मुख्यसचिव लिलामणि पौडेलसँग नेपालको कर्मचारीतन्त्रको बारेमा संबादमा बस्नुभएको छ। पौडेलले आफ्नो लामो अनुभवका आधारमा, नेपालमा निजामती सेवाको विकास, यसका मूल्य-मान्यता, वर्तमान अवस्था र चुनौतीहरुको विमर्श गर्नुभएको छ भने उहाँहरुले यस विषयलाई नेपालको सङ्घीयता र निजामती सेवा ऐन लगायत सम्बन्धित विषयको सन्दर्भमा समेत केलाएर चर्चा गर्नुभएको छ। लिलामणि पौडेलले वि...

#Ep.087 Alex Shrestha represents a generation of architects and urban planners creating a positive impact across the Nepali landscape. As managing director at Wonaw & Associates, he focuses on beautiful, functional and sustainable architecture. Alex’s creations have earned national and international distinctions in being among the top 4 resorts in Asia and is recognized by the Society of Nepal...

#Ep.087 Pankaj Saran is a former diplomat. He has served as India’s Ambassador to Russia and India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh and as Head of the Northern Division in the Ministry of External Affairs dealing with Nepal and Bhutan. He has worked in different capacities with successive Indian Prime Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Office, contributing to decision-making at the highest levels...

#Ep.086 Mandakini is an international development consultant with more than 18 years of expertise in program design, development, and aid management in South Asia. She has managed complex regional programs in South Asia focused on sustainable development, with a strong understanding of governance systems, institutions, and political economy dynamics. In March of last year, she worked with The Asia...

#Ep.085 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...

#Ep.084 राजुप्रसाद चापागाई संवैधानिक तथा मानवअधिकार कानुनको क्षेत्रमा क्रियाशिल अधिवक्ता हुनुहुन्छ । वहाँ न्याय तथा अधिकार संस्था (जुरी नेपाल)को संस्थापक अध्यक्ष तथा संवैधानिक कानुन व्यवसायी मञ्चको पूर्व अध्यक्ष समेत हुनुहुन्छ । वहाँले राष्ट्रसंघीय मानवअधिकार उच्चायूक्तको कार्यालय नेपालको कानुनी सल्लाहकार तथा एम्नेस्टी इन्टरनेसनलको दक्षिण एसियाको अनुसन्धानकर्ताका रुपमा भूमिका खेल्नु भएको छ । साथै...