# 2019-2024
## 17 Major Events and Current Affairs of National and International Importance 📅🌍
***
### 🏛️ Important National Events/Issues and Dates (Nepal)
| Date (B.S. / A.D.) | Key Events/Issues |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Ashadh 04–07, 2081
(June 18–21, 2024)
| Nepal Hosting 21st International Development Association (IDA) Conference under World Bank Groups
• First time such a conference held in Nepal.
• 92 countries attended the conference.
|
| **Jestha 29, 2081** | President Ram Chandra Poudel visited Switzerland
• Attended 112th inaugural forum of the Global Coalition for Social Justice organized by ILO.
|
| Jestha 12, 2081
(May 25, 2024)
| Purnima Shrestha sets record by climbing Mount Everest 3 times in 2 weeks
• First person to summit Everest three times in a single climbing season.
• Summits: May 12, May 19, May 25, 2024.
• Fourth ascent overall (first in 2018).
|
| **Baishakh 26, 2081** | Breakthrough in Sunkoshi Marin Diversion Multipurpose Project tunnel
• National Pride Project announced in FY 2075/76.
• Status granted on Jan 20, 2020.
• Includes 31.07 MW power station.
|
| Jestha 09, 2081
(May 22, 2024)
| Kami Rita Sherpa scaled Everest for the 30th time
• First ascent: May 13, 1994.
• Last before this: May 12, 2024.
|
| **Baishakh 03, 2081** | Nagdhunga Tunnel Passage achieves breakthrough
• Length: 2,688 meters.
• Foundation laid by PM KP Sharma Oli in Oct 2019.
|
| **Paush 19, 2080** | **Nepal-India Joint Commission meeting** – agreement on power export. |
| **Kartik 27, 2080** | **TikTok banned in Nepal** (Chinese-owned app). |
| **Kartik 20, 2080** | **Mobile Device Management System (MDMS)** fully implemented by Nepal Telecommunication Authority. |
| **Kartik 17, 2080** | **Earthquake of magnitude 6.4** struck Jajarkot district. |
| Ashwin 23, 2080
(Oct 10, 2023)
| Nepal and Germany signed MoU on labour
• Number of countries with labour agreement with Nepal reached 12.
|
| Bhadra 13, 2080
(Aug 30, 2023)
| Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) officially implemented in Nepal
• Parliament ratified $500 million compact on Feb 27, 2022.
• Nepal investing additional $130 million (total $630 million).
• Grant signed on Sept 14, 2017.
|
| **July 27, 2023** | Kristin Harila (Norway) & Tenjin Sherpa (Nepal) set new record: climbed all 14 eight-thousanders in 92 days.
• Previous record: Nirmal Purja (6 months 7 days).
|
| **July 22–27, 2023** | **PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal visited Italy** for UN Food Systems Summit +2. |
| **June 24, 2020** | Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) first reported in Morang district.
• Viral disease affecting cattle, transmitted by insects.
|
| **May 31 – June 3, 2023** | **PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal visited India** – first bilateral visit after assuming office in Dec 2022. |
| **May 19, 2023** | Hari Budha Magar became first above-the-knee double amputee to climb Everest.
• Lost legs in Afghanistan (2010).
|
| **Baishakh 27, 2080** | People's movement victim **Mukesh Kayastha** passed away. |
| **Baishakh 07, 2080** | **Google officially registered with Nepal's tax system**. |
| **Chaitra 10, 2079** | **National Housing & Population Census 2078 report released**. |
***
### 📊 Population Highlights (Census 2078)
* **Total Population**: 29,164,578
* **Male**: 14,253,551 (48.87%)
* **Female**: 14,911,027 (51.13%)
* **Sex Ratio**: 95.59
* **Population Density**: 198 per km²
* **Annual Growth Rate**: 0.92%
* **Decadal Growth Rate**: 10.08%
* **Total Households**: 6,666,937
* **Average Household Size**: 4.37
* **Literacy Rate**: 76.2% (Male: 83.6%, Female: 69.4%)
* **Absentee Abroad**: 7.52% (Male: 82.2%, Female: 17.8%)
* **Female Household Head**: 31.55%
***
### 🗳️ General Elections – 2022 (2079)
* Held on **20 Nov 2022**.
* Elected **275 members of House of Representatives**.
* Two ballots: **165 FPTP** + **110 Proportional Representation**.
* **Election Threshold**: 3% of valid votes.
* **Turnout**: \~61.85%.
#### Results (Major Parties):
| Party | PR Votes | PR Seats | FPTP Seats | Total Seats |
| ------------------------------ | --------- | -------- | ---------- | ----------- |
| **CPN-UML** | 2,845,641 | 34 | 44 | 78 |
| **Nepali Congress** | 2,715,225 | 32 | 57 | 89 |
| **CPN (Maoist Centre)** | 1,175,684 | 14 | 18 | 32 |
| **Rastriya Swatantra Party** | 1,130,344 | 13 | 7 | 20 |
| **Rastriya Prajatantra Party** | 588,849 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
***
### 🏆 Major National Events (2021–2023)
| Date | Key Events |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Falgun 25, 2079** | **Ram Chandra Poudel** elected 3rd President of Nepal. |
| **Falgun 09, 2079** | **Dr. Sanduk Ruit** received **ISA Award** in Bahrain ($1 million). |
| **Magh 05, 2079** | **Devraj Ghimire** elected Speaker of HoR. |
| **Magh 01, 2079** | **Yeti Airlines crash** in Pokhara – 72 fatalities. |
| **Poush 17, 2079** | **Pokhara Regional International Airport** operational. |
| **Poush 10, 2079** | **Pushpa Kamal Dahal** appointed PM for 3rd time. |
| **Mangsir 29, 2079** | **Ram Chandra Poudel** honored with **Order of the Rising Sun** (Japan). |
| **Ashwin 30, 2079** | Historian **Satya Mohan Joshi** passed away (age 102). |
| **Bhadra 23, 2079** | **Koshi Province** declared "Literate Province" (96.74% literacy). |
| **Bhadra 14, 2079** | NEA launched **51 EV charging stations**. |
| **Bhadra 06, 2079** | MoU signed for **Nepali health workers to UK**. |
| **Bhadra 02, 2079** | First **Human Milk Bank** opened in Kathmandu. |
| **Bhadra 01, 2079** | **Plastic bags banned** (third time). |
| **Jestha 16, 2079** | **Tara Air crash** – 14 bodies recovered. |
| **Jestha 15, 2079** | Climate summit at **Everest Base Camp** on Sagarmatha Day. |
| **Jestha 04, 2079** | **Surakshya Panta** first Nepali actress at Cannes. |
| **Jestha 02, 2079** | **PM Narendra Modi** visited Lumbini. |
| **Baishakh 30, 2079** | **Local Elections 2022** held. |
| **Falgun 12, 2078** | **Nirmal Purja** appointed Global Goodwill Ambassador for Tourism. |
| **Mangsir 08, 2078** | **Nepal upgraded from LDC** category (UNGA resolution). |
***
### 📜 Major Appointments/Resignations in Nepal
| Date | Position | Personality |
| ----------------- | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| Chaitra 28, 2080 | Vice-chairperson, National Assembly | Bimala Ghimire |
| Falgun 30, 2080 | Chief of Province, Madhesh | Sumitra Subedi Bhandari |
| Falgun 30, 2080 | Chief of Province, Gandaki | Dilliraj Bhatta |
| Falgun 30, 2080 | Chief of Province, Sudurpaschim | Najir Miya |
| Falgun 29, 2080 | Chairperson, National Assembly | Narayan Dahal |
| Bhadra 05, 2080 | Chief Justice, Supreme Court | Bishowambhar Shrestha |
| Magh 07, 2079 | Deputy Speaker, HoR | Indira Rana |
| Magh 05, 2079 | Speaker, HoR | Devraj Ghimire |
| Chaitra 03, 2079 | Vice-president | Ram Sahaya Yadav |
| Falgun 25, 2079 | President | Ram Chandra Poudel |
| Magh 09, 2079 | Vice Chairman, NPC | Dr. Min Bahadur Shrestha |
| Poush 10, 2079 | Prime Minister (3rd time) | Pushpa Kamal Dahal |
| Kartik 23, 2078 | Chief of Province, Koshi | Prasuram Khapung |
| Kartik 23, 2078 | Chief of Province, Karnali | Tilak Pariyar |
| Bhadra 24, 2078 | Chief of Army Staff | Prabhuram Sharma |
| Bhadra 04, 2078 | Chief of Province, Bagmati | Yadav Chandra Sharma |
| Sharwan 25, 2078 | MD, NEA (2nd time) | Kulman Ghising |
| Sharwan 12, 2078 | Chief of Province, Lumbini (2nd time) | Amik Serchan |
| Ashadh 29, 2078 | Prime Minister (5th time) | Sher Bahadur Deuba |
| Ashadh 10, 2078 | Chairman, Public Service Commission | Madhav Regmi |
| Baishakh 30, 2078 | Prime Minister (3rd time) | KP Sharma Oli |
***
### 🏅 National Literary Prizes, Awards and Honors
| Award | Established | Recent Recipients (BS) |
| -------------------------------- | ----------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Madan Puraskar** | 2013 BS | Yogesh Raj (2075), Chandra Prakash Baniya (2076), Bhagiraj Ingram (2077), NabaRaj Lmsal (2078), Bibek Ojha (2079) |
| **Jagadamba Shree Puraskar** | 2045 BS | Durga Prasad Shrestha (2078), Tekbir Mukhiya (2079) |
| **Uttam Shanti Puraskar** | 2044 BS | Girish Giri (2078), Dr. Nabaraj K.C. (2079), Roshan Sherchan (2080) |
| **Padma Shree Sahitya Puraskar** | 2063 BS | Keshav Raj Gyawali (2078), Dr. Devi Prasad Subedi (2079) |
| **Padma Shree Sadhana Puraskar** | 2067 BS | Maya Thakuri (2078), Durga Baral (2079) |
| **Yogmaya Rastriya Puraskar** | – | Chandra Bahadur Basnet (2080) |
***
### 🖥️ Awards in Science & Technology
* **ICT Award** (since 2016) – 8th edition 2023 winners: Yarsa Tech, QuickRPA, Blanxer, Money Mitra, etc.
* **National ICT Award** (since 2018) – 7th edition 2024 winners: Sailendra Giri, Lena Keshari Kankakar, Data Hub, SSF, One Point Company.
* **NAST Awards 2078** – various scientists honored.
***
### 🌏 Important International Events (2020–2024)
| Date | Event |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Sept 8, 2022** | Queen Elizabeth II died (reigned since 1952). |
| **Aug 4, 2022** | USA declared **Monkeypox** a Public Health Emergency. |
| **July 23, 2022** | WHO declared Monkeypox a **PHEIC**. |
| **July 21, 2022** | **Draupadi Murmu** became 15th President of India. |
| **July 20, 2022** | **Ranil Wickremesinghe** elected President of Sri Lanka. |
| **June 25, 2022** | **Padma Bridge** inaugurated in Bangladesh. |
| **June 8, 2022** | **Thailand** legalized marijuana for medical use (first in Asia). |
| **June 1, 2022** | **Turkey** changed name to **Türkiye**. |
| **May 21, 2021** | Chipko Movement pioneer **Sunder Lal Bahuguna** died. |
| **April 2022** | China proposed **Global Security Initiative (GSI)**. |
| **April 7, 2022** | **Russia suspended from UNHRC**. |
| **April 7, 2022** | **Ketanji Brown Jackson** first Black female US Supreme Court Justice. |
| **Feb 24, 2022** | **Russia-Ukraine War** began. |
| **Dec 8, 2021** | **Olaf Scholz** became Chancellor of Germany. |
| **Oct 31–Nov 12, 2021** | **COP-26** in Glasgow – Nepal committed to net zero by 2045. |
| **Jan 6, 2021** | US Congress certified **Joe Biden** election victory. |
| **Jan 4, 2021** | **Saudi Arabia ended Qatar blockade**. |
| **Jan 1, 2021** | Australia amended national anthem to "one and free". |
| **Dec 30, 2020** | **Brexit trade deal** signed. |
| **Dec 3, 2020** | UN removed **cannabis** from strictest drug category. |
| **Dec 2, 2020** | **New Zealand** declared climate emergency. |
| **Oct 13, 2020** | **Nepal re-elected to UNHRC** for 2021–2023 term. |
| **Oct 7, 2020** | **Aava Murto** (16) became PM of Finland for a day. |
| **Aug 25, 2020** | WHO declared **Africa polio-free**. |
| **Aug 5, 2019** | India revoked **Article 370** (Kashmir's special status). |
| **May 9, 2019** | **Ireland** declared climate emergency. |
| **April 10, 2019** | First image of a **black hole** captured. |
| **March 17, 2019** | **Philippines** withdrew from International Criminal Court. |
***
### 🦠 COVID-19 Timeline
| Date | Event |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Dec 31, 2019** | First identified in Wuhan, China. |
| **Jan 27, 2021** | Nepal started vaccination drive (first recipient: Dr. Sagar Rajbhandari). |
| **Mar 7, 2021** | Vaccination for 65+ started. |
| **Nov 14, 2021** | Pfizer vaccine introduced in Nepal for immunocompromised. |
| **Nov 24, 2021** | **Omicron** variant first identified in South Africa. |
| **Jan 17, 2022** | Booster doses started in Nepal. |
| **Oct 24, 2022** | **XBB** variant detected in Nepal. |
| **May 5, 2023** | WHO declared end of COVID-19 as global health emergency. |
| **Poush 23, 2080** | **JN.1** variant detected in Nepal. |
#### Major Vaccines:
* **Sputnik V** (Russia) – approved in Nepal Baishakh 07, 2078.
* **Moderna / Pfizer / Johnson & Johnson** – approved Ashadh 16, 2078.
* **Oxford/AstraZeneca** – WHO approval Feb 15, 2021.
* **Sinovac / Vero Cell** – approved Jestha 21, 2078.
* **Covishield** – approved Magh 02, 2077.
#### Variants of Concern (VOC):
1. **Alpha** (B.1.1.7) – UK, Sept 2020.
2. **Beta** (B.1.351) – South Africa, May 2020.
3. **Gamma** (P.1) – Brazil, Nov 2020.
4. **Delta** (B.1.617.2) – India, Oct 2020.
#### Variants of Interest (VOI):
* Epsilon, Eta, Kappa, Lambda, Iota, Theta, Zeta, Mu.
#### SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund Contributions:
* India: $10M
* Bangladesh: $1.5M
* Nepal: NPR 100M (\~$831K)
* Others: Sri Lanka $5M, Pakistan $3M, Afghanistan $1M, Maldives $200K, Bhutan $100K.
***
### 🌐 International Summits/Conferences
| Organization | Last Summit | Upcoming Summit |
| -------------- | ------------- | ---------------- |
| **UNGA** | 78th (2023) | 79th (2024) |
| **SAARC** | 18th (2014) | – |
| **ASEAN** | 42nd (2023) | 43rd (2024) |
| **BIMSTEC** | 5th (2022) | 6th (2024) |
| **BRICS** | 15th (2023) | 16th (2024) |
| **UNFCCC COP** | COP-28 (2023) | COP-29 (2024) |
| **G-7** | 49th (2023) | 50th (2024) |
| **G-20** | 18th (2023) | 19th (2024) |
| **NAM** | 19th (2024) | 20th (Venezuela) |
***
### 🏅 Nobel Prize Facts
* **First woman**: Marie Curie (Physics, 1903).
* **Youngest laureate**: Malala Yousafzai (Peace, 2014, age 17).
* **Oldest laureate**: John B. Goodenough (Chemistry, 2019, age 97).
* **Only person with two unshared Nobels**: Linus Pauling (Chemistry 1954, Peace 1962).
#### Nobel Winners 2023:
* **Medicine**: Katalin Karikó, Drew Weissman (mRNA vaccines)
* **Physics**: Pierre Agostini, Ferenc Krausz, Anne L’Huillier (attosecond physics)
* **Chemistry**: Moungi Bawendi, Louis Brus, Aleksey Yekimov (quantum dots)
* **Literature**: Jon Fosse (Norway)
* **Peace**: Narges Mohammadi (Iran, human rights)
* **Economics**: Claudia Goldin (women’s labor market history)
#### Nobel Winners 2022:
* **Medicine**: Svante Pääbo (ancient DNA)
* **Physics**: Alain Aspect, John Clauser, Anton Zeilinger (quantum entanglement)
* **Chemistry**: Carolyn Bertozzi, Morten Meldal, Barry Sharpless (click chemistry)
* **Literature**: Annie Ernaux (France)
* **Peace**: Ales Bialiatski (Belarus, human rights)
***
#### **🏆 Major Awards & Recognitions**
**Grammy Awards**
* **65th Grammy Awards (2023):**
* Album of the Year: Harry Styles (*Harry's House*)
* Record of the Year: Lizzo (*About Damn Time*)
* Song of the Year: Bonnie Raitt (*Just Like That*)
* **66th Grammy Awards (2024):**
* Album of the Year: Taylor Swift (*Midnights*)
* Record of the Year: Miley Cyrus (*Flowers*)
* Song of the Year: Billie Eilish (*What Was I Made For?*)
**Academy Awards (Oscars)**
* **2022 Oscars:**
* Best Film: *CODA*
* Best Director: Jane Campion (*The Power of the Dog*)
* Best Actor: Will Smith (*King Richard*)
* Best Actress: Jessica Chastain (*The Eyes of Tammy Faye*)
* **2023 Oscars:**
* Best Film: *Everything Everywhere All at Once*
* Best Director: Daniel Kwan & Daniel Scheinert (same film)
* Best Actor: Brendan Fraser (*The Whale*)
* Best Actress: Michelle Yeoh (*Everything Everywhere All at Once*)
**Time Person of the Year**
* **2020:** Joe Biden & Kamala Harris
* **2021:** Elon Musk
* **2022:** Volodymyr Zelensky
* **2023:** Taylor Swift
**Pulitzer Prize**
An award for achievements in journalism, literature, and music composition within the United States, established in 1917.
***
#### **🐅 International Tiger Conservation**
* **Global Tiger Initiative (GTI):** Launched in 2008 to save wild tigers. The **St. Petersburg Declaration (2010)** set a goal to double the wild tiger population by 2022 (TX2 goal).
* **Nepal's Success:** Successfully doubled its tiger population, from 121 in 2010 to **355 in 2022**.
* Chitwan NP: 128
* Bardia NP: 125
* Parsa NP: 41
* Shuklaphanta NP: 36
* Banke NP: 25
* **TX2 Award:** Awarded to sites achieving remarkable tiger population increases.
* Winners include Bardia National Park (Nepal) and Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (India).
**Other Conservation Awards (Nepali Recipients)**
* **Rolex Awards 2021:** Rinzin Phunjok Lama (for snow leopard conservation).
* **National Geographic Explorer Award 2021:** Uttam Babu Shrestha (research on COVID-19's impact on conservation).
* **Whitley Awards 2020:** Sonam Tashi Lama (for red panda conservation).
***
#### **🚀 Recent Space Exploration (Key Missions)**
| Date | Country/Org | Mission | Key Achievement |
| --------- | ------------ | ----------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Jan 2024 | Japan (JAXA) | SLIM | Japan's first lunar landing; 5th country to land on the Moon. |
| Aug 2023 | India (ISRO) | Chandrayaan-3 | Successfully landed on the lunar South Pole; 4th country to soft-land on the Moon. |
| Jan 2024 | India (ISRO) | Aditya-L1 | Reached its destination for solar observation. |
| June 2024 | China (CNSA) | Chang'e-6 | Successfully landed on the far side of the Moon to collect samples. |
| Dec 2020 | USA (NASA) | Perseverance Rover & Ingenuity Helicopter | Landed on Mars; Ingenuity performed the first powered flight on another planet. |
**China's Lunar Program:** Chang'e-4 (2019) was the first mission to land on the far side of the Moon. Chang'e-5 (2020) returned lunar samples to Earth.
***
#### **🏅 Major Sports Events & Highlights**
**Tokyo 2020/21 Summer Olympics**
* **Held:** July 23 - Aug 8, 2021.
* **Motto:** "United by Emotion"
* **New Sports:** Skateboarding, Surfing, Karate, Sport Climbing.
* **Nepal:** Participated with 5 athletes. Flag bearers: Gaurika Singh (swimmer) and Alex Shah (swimmer).
**Tokyo 2020 Paralympics**
* **Held:** Aug 24 - Sep 5, 2021.
* **New Sports:** Badminton and Taekwondo.
**Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics**
* **Motto:** "Together for a Shared Future"
* **Top Medal Winner:** Norway.
**Football Tournaments (2021)**
* **UEFA Euro 2020:** Winner - **Italy** (held in 2021).
* **Copa América 2021:** Winner - **Argentina**.
* **Africa Cup of Nations 2021:** Winner - **Senegal**.
**Cricket & Other Events**
* **ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2022 (Australia):** Winner - **England**.
* **ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 (India):** Winner - **Australia** (6th title).
* **FIFA World Cup 2022 (Qatar):** Winner - **Argentina**.
* **19th Asian Games 2023 (Hangzhou, China):** Held from Sep 23 - Oct 8, 2023.
**Nepal in Sports**
* **19th Asian Games 2023:** Arika Gurung won Nepal's first-ever **silver medal in Karate**.
* **Paris 2024 Olympics Qualifiers:** Table tennis player **Santu Shrestha** qualified.
* **Paris 2024 Paralympics:** **Palesha Goverdhan** (Para-Taekwondo) became the first Nepali Paralympian to qualify via selection.
* **9th National Games (2080):** Held in Pokhara. **Tribhuvan Army Club** topped the medal tally.
***
#### **👑 International Beauty Pageants (The "Big Four")**
| Pageant | 2023 Winner | Country | First Winner (Year) |
| ---------------------- | ----------------- | -------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| **Miss World** | Krystyna Pyszkova | Czech Republic | Kiki Håkansson, Sweden (1951) |
| **Miss Universe** | Sheynnis Palacios | Nicaragua | Armi Kuusela, Finland (1952) |
| **Miss International** | Andrea Rubio | Venezuela | Stella Márquez, Colombia (1960) |
| **Miss Earth** | Drita Ziri | Albania | Catharina Svensson, Denmark (2001) |
| **Miss Nepal** | Srichchha Pradhan | Nepal | Ruby Rana (1994) |
***