Capital Market Response to COVID-19 Pandemic – A Systematic Review on Stock Volatility and Performance

This paper aims to identify the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on stock market volatility and market return as well as the impact of government response to the COVID-19 pandemic on stock market performance. To analyze the same, the paper has adopted Systematic Literature Review (SLR) approach and conducted a review of 40 journal articles published between between2020 to mid-2021. The paper identified that the short-term impact of the COVID-19 outbreak and government policy measures had a significant and adverse impact on stock market volatility, return and overall performance. In the longer term, the stock markets slowly started to stabilize and revive. This effect on the stock market was also attributed to investor sentiment and thus, in the later stages, targeted government response had a positive effect on boosting investor confidence towards the market.

प्राथमिक तहका गरुङ मातृभाषी विद्यार्थीको शब्द भण्डार [Vocabulary of primary level Gurung mother tongue students]

प्राथमिक तहका गुरुङ मातृभाषी विद्यार्थीको गुरुङ शब्द भण्डार क्षमता अध्ययन गर्ने उददेश्यले तयार गरिएको यो लेख गुणात्मक अनुसन्धानको स्थलगत अध्ययनमा आधारित छ । यस अध्ययनका लागि उद् देश्यमूलक तरिकाबाट छनोट गरिएका लमजुङ जिल्लाका प्राथमिक तहमा अध्ययन गर्ने गुरुङ मातृभाषी विद्यार्थीहरूलाई आफ्नो घर परिवार, विद्यालय लगायत अर्घुं, ल्होछार जस्ता विभिन्न विषयमा गुरुङ भाषामा वर्णन गर्न लगाई आधारभूत शब्दहरू सङकलन गरिएको थियो । यस क्रममा स्वादेश शब्दसूचीका आधारमा नेपाली शब्दसूची तयार गरी शिक्षित गुरुङ मातृभाषीहरूलाई अनुवाद समेत गर्न लगाइएको थियो । यसरी सङ्कलन गरिएका तथ्यहरूलाई वर्णनात्मक विधि अवलम्बन गरी पहिले समष्टिमा त्यसपछि क्रमशः शब्दवर्ग र विषय क्षेत्रका आधारमा गुरुङ भाषाका आधारभूत शब्दहरूको व्याख्या विश्लेषण गरिएको छ । गुरुङ मातृभाषी विद्यार्थीले जम्मा ३८७ ओटा शब्द प्रयोग गरेका छन जस अनुसार उनीहरूले शब्दवर्ग अन्तर्गत सबैभन्दा बढी नाम त्यसपछि क्रमशः क्रियापद, विशेषण, अव्यय र सर्वनाम प्रयोग गरेका छन् विषय क्षेत्र अन्तर्गत सबैभन्दा बढी भूगोल, खगोलसँग सम्बन्धित शब्द प्रयोग गरेका छन्, त्यसपछि क्रमशः मानव र मानवीय अङ्ग, खाद्यय–पेय पदार्थ, समय, वार, महिना, पशुपक्षी, किरा फटयाङग्रा, चाडपर्व, पोशाक, धातु, रङ, नाता सम्बन्ध, बोट विरुवा, फलफूल, घरायसी वस्तु, गुण, स्वभाव, भाव, अवस्था, संख्या, परिमाण र स्वास्थ्य एवम् वातावरणसँग सम्बन्धित शब्दहरू प्रयोग गरेका छन्

Economic Contribution of Homestay Tourism: A Case Study of Magar Homestay of Naruwal, Lamjung

Tourism involving homestay is one of the Nepal government's key efforts to diversify its cultural tourism product. Moreover, homestay can be a new model of tourism development in Nepal. This article aims to highlight the economic contribution of homestay entities based on the descriptive design. Data were collected from the ten homestay entities of Magar homestay at Naruwal, Lamjung through in-depth interviews. The contribution of homestays has been studied from various aspects like average income earned, the number of jobs created, women entrepreneurs, reverse migration, development of infrastructure, rise in living standard, etc. The result shows that the rate of income and expenditure has been gradually increased since the date of homestay tourism commencement in the community. This study has found that many of the respondents have managed their daily expenditures through the income of homestay entities. All homestay operators have reported the increment in their economic status. However, it is also found that there is a need to improve the quality of service to increase the flow of national and international visitors/tourists.

Gender Issues in Freeman’s The Revolt of Mother

This paper analyses the gender role in Mary E. Wilkins Freeman's (1890) one of the most popular short stories, The Revolt of Mother through a Marxist feminist perspective. The story depicts the gender disparity created by the patriarchal American society of the nineteenth century and the revolt of a female character, Sarah as the indication of the women's movement of 1848. The analysis of the story reveals how females are dominated and oppressed by the males in the family and also in society concerning decision-making affairs. Furthermore, it shows that if male domination and suppression continue without understanding females’ desires and fulfilling the promises made for them, they can be turned into rebellions and the traditional gender dichotomy can be broken down in a while as the protagonist appears in the story. This article also relates gender discrimination and proposes possible ways to maintain the equality and harmony between males and females concerning Nepali society.

Role of Language in Shaping Cultural Identity

This paper aims to explore the role of language in shaping the cultural identity of people in a society with an argumentative explanation based on the relevant literature. The descriptive summary from the documentary analysis in the paper mainly focuses on the positive and communicational role of language to establish the foundation of cultural landscape through the continuous representation and transmission of diverse cultural characteristics such as people’s thoughts, behaviors, cultural histories, traditions, values, principles and boundaries within a socio-cultural context. Moreover, the paper indicates that language as a linguistic channel navigates people’s commonality and unity framing them in a single pattern of cultural identity. It is suggested that every language as a powerful source of introducing cultural politics requires continuous transmission, preservation and promotion by the nation as an opportunity for the new generations to be born with distinct cultural identity.

Deteriorating Performance of Students of Community School in English

Tremendous attempts have been made to ensure the quality of education and educational status of the students since if performance in the English language is good, it opens the door of the vast ocean of knowledge. Even though community school education in Nepal receives a significant portion of the total national budget, students' performance in those schools is below average, when compared to students in private institutions with limited resources and teachers who receive merger remuneration. This paper attempts to shed light on the causes of poor performance in the English language among Nepalese community school students in Nepal. This is a qualitative study in which assertions are backed up by pieces of evidence. It is based on previous studies about deteriorating English language performance in the world in general, and in Nepal in particular. The study identified student enrolment, motivation and language learning, politicization, lack of teachers’ professional development, and limited exposure to the English language as the major causes of students’ poor performance in English.

Evaluation System at School Level in Nepal: Major Pitfalls and Considerations

This paper aims to explore the pitfalls of the current evaluation system at the school level in Nepal focusing on the major consequences of educational practices as the output of the evaluation system. Although the provisions of formative assessment tools such as portfolio management and project work were included in the curriculum framework and policy documents, the evaluation process was based on a theoretical basis. Similarly, the judgmental written examination for assessing theoretical aspects and Continuous Assessment System (CAS) with backward-looking nature were involved in the evaluation process. The paper suggests to the educational stakeholders for the practical application and evaluation of soft-skills associated methods such as communication, creativity, cooperation and collaboration of basic and secondary students to promote formative evaluation and the curriculum concept of 'assessment for learning in Nepal.

Knowledge Regarding Gastritis among Late Adolescence in Central Nepal

Gastritis is an inflammation or irritation of the lining of the stomach, can be a brief and sudden illness (acute gastritis), a long-lasting condition (chronic gastritis). Gastritis is the top most common cause of morbidity. This study is designed to find out knowledge regarding gastritis among late adolescence. A descriptive research design was used for the study. A semi-structured self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data. Data were analysed and the descriptive and inferential test was applied by using SPSS. The study finding revealed eighty percent of the participants knew the definition of gastritis,66% on risk factors, 50% respondents on causes, 23.7% on sign and symptom,56.66% on management and 48.5% respondents on complications, and 66.55% on prevention of gastritis. The level of knowledge is average in causes, signs and symptoms, management and complications. More specifically,68% of respondents had average knowledge on gastritis and 4% had excellent knowledge. The level of knowledge of respondents is statistically significant with sex (p=0.021) and socio-economic status (p=0.008). The finding of the study revealed that knowledge on gastritis is average among the respondents. So the health education is needed for students to increase their knowledge.

Factors Affecting Parental Choice of Private and Public Schools in Dhading

This study explores the factors which attract parents to prefer public or private schools. The data were collected from six secondary schools of Dhading district. From each school, three parents were selected by using non-random sampling method. The eighteen parents were given a questionnaire. The collected questionnaire was analyzed and interpreted descriptively. A comparison of results was undertaken to explore the identified factors related to the Quality of Instruction; Class Size; Teacher-Student Relationship; Parent-School Relationship; School Facilities and Environment for learning. It was found that Class Size was the strongest factor that parents had a higher agreement on this variable. The second strong factor was favorable environment for their children and the final influencing factor of parental choice was identified as School Facilities.

Safe Motherhood Practices of Women in Urban and Rural Areas of Chitwan District, Nepal

Safe motherhood practices ensure all women receive the care they need to be safe and healthy throughout pregnancy and childbirth. It is one of the most important pillars for preventing maternal morbidity and mortality. A descriptive comparative study was conducted to compare the safe motherhood practices in selected VDC and Municipality of Chitwan District. The purposive sampling method was applied in which 120 respondents were married and had at least one child. Among them, 59 respondents were from Bharatpur Municipality and 61 respondents from Mangalpur VDC. Data was collected by interviewing mothers using a structured interview schedule. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. The results showed that the number of mothers in the rural area practicing safe motherhood is lower than the number of mothers in the urban area. The number of ANC visits/PNC visits, use of Iron tab, institutional delivery and use of extra nutritious diet or meal per day during pregnancy and after pregnancy were higher in respondents of the urban area. The main reason for not taking ANC/PNC services during their last birth was lack of knowledge and second was their poor economic conditions. This study concludes that the trend of visiting ANC services, delivery care, and PNC services properly are high in the age group 20-39 years and it is increasing with their level of education. Special awareness programmes about information regarding safe motherhood practices should be planned and launched especially targeting the women of rural areas.