Nepali-language based Hajur AI launched

Kathmandu, Mar. 3

‘Hajur AI’ - a new digital app offering services in Nepali language - has been launched. Developed with Nepali users in mind, the app, claiming to offer multidimensional services from a single platform, came into operation since Sunday.

One of the app’s main attractions is a social media feed called ‘TheekThak’. According to the company, every post shared on ‘TheekThak’ will receive a ‘score’ based on which the top 100 users each month will be awarded cash prizes.

"The best creator of the month will receive a cash prize of Rs. 25,000. It is expected that this arrangement will encourage young people to engage in digital content creation," said the company in a statement.

Hajur AI also includes a range of other services including ‘Hajur AI Chat’, language-learning, health and entertainment.

To use the AI Chat, users need to have an access to AI chatbot that understands and responds in the Nepali language.

Similarly, the language-learning feature enables users to learn various languages through stories. Users who perform exceptionally well can receive monthly rewards of up to Rs. 15,000.

In the health category, a ‘Pranayama’ feature has been incorporated, which provides guidance on meditation and breathing exercises in the Nepali language.

For entertainment, news, music, live radio, Nepali films, and television channels will be available through a single feed, informed the company stating that it aimed at providing a comprehensive digital experience.

As part of the launch offer, the company is providing with free premium membership until 1 July 2026.

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 4 March 2026.      

Nepali firms face service disruptions from unauthorised Google workspace plans

Kathmandu, Feb. 28

Tele Digital Services Pvt. Ltd., a Google Workspace Authorised Direct Reseller in Nepal, has issued an alert to organisations across the country following increasing cases of account suspensions linked to unauthorised Google Workspace subscriptions.

Businesses that have unknowingly purchased subscriptions through vendors operating outside Google’s authorised reseller framework are facing sudden service disruptions, restricted access to email and shared drives, and serious operational interruptions. In some cases, enforcement actions have occurred without prior internal awareness of non-compliance, the company said in a statement.

The official listed price for Google Workspace in Nepal is USD 7 per user per month. Subscriptions offered below USD 7 per user per month should be treated as a ‘serious warning signal’. Such pricing may indicate that the subscription is not sourced through Google’s approved licensing and distribution structure.

“In several instances, education-specific plans have been promoted to non-educational organisations at discounted rates. These arrangements fall outside Google’s licensing policies and significantly increase the risk of enforcement action,” read the statement.

According to it, many businesses did not knowingly violate policy. However, the consequences are equally severe regardless of intent. Violations of Google Cloud’s Terms of Service can result in account suspension and potential data loss.

“The consequences are equally severe regardless of intent. We strongly urge every organisation in Nepal to audit its Workspace subscriptions immediately,” said Nikhhil Kheradi, Head of Business and Marketing of the company.

Tele Digital has served more than 60 clients across several sectors. 

 Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 1 March 2026.     

New online trade directives further enhance consumer rights

Kathmandu, Feb. 19

The government has implemented a fresh directive to regulate the online trade (e-commerce) with enhanced provisions for consumer rights protection.

The Electronic Trade (E-commerce) Directives, 2082 issued by the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies (MoICS) on Tuesday has provisions for return and exchange of goods purchased online, protection of consumer rights and data privacy and confidentiality.

The Ministry has issued the new policy as mandated by the Electronic Trade (E-commerce) Act, 2081.

It said that the Directives were implemented to make trade conducted through electronic means transparent, secure, reliable, and consumer-friendly.

According to the Directives, consumers have the right to return or exchange goods if they are found to be defective, damaged, or do not match the description provided on the platform. The entrepreneur must facilitate the return or exchange process within the timeframe specified in their policy, which must comply with consumer protection laws.

Likewise, entrepreneurs are prohibited from engaging in unfair trade practices, including misleading advertisements or the sale of prohibited or counterfeit goods.

The Directives also has a provision that the entrepreneurs must establish a dedicated grievance handling mechanism to address consumer complaints effectively. Such complaints should be addressed within the timeframe specified by the Department of Commerce, Supplies and Consumer Protection.

Similarly, personal and financial information of consumers collected during transactions must be kept confidential and protected from unauthorised access. The Directives have restricted the concerned companies from using consumer data except for the purpose of completing the transaction or as permitted by the consumer. Selling or sharing consumer data with third parties without explicit consent is strictly prohibited.

This rule equally applies when accepting electronic payments, and the company must ensure the security and confidentiality of the consumer's financial data in accordance with prevailing banking and cyber security laws.

According to the Directives, the online traders must disclose the name and nature of goods, services or information, total price including applicable taxes, quantity, date of manufacturing and expiry, and name and address of manufacturer – or name of distributor in case of imported goods. Shipping or delivery charges and estimated timeframe for delivery and terms and conditions regarding the return, exchange or refund of the goods and services should be clearly specified.

The price of goods or services listed on the e-commerce platform must be clearly mentioned in Nepali rupees. If there are any discounts, offers, or loyalty schemes, they must be explicitly stated alongside the original price.

Similarly, the new policy has mandated that the entrepreneur or the delivery service provider shall be responsible for the safety of the goods until they are handed over to the consumer.

The Electronic Trade (E-commerce) Act, 2081 has also provisioned that if any purchased goods or services do not meet the buyer’s requirements, the buyer is entitled to return them to the concerned trader.

The trader is obliged to accept the returned goods or services without any conditions. Upon returning the goods or services, the buyer may, if they wish, obtain another item or service of equivalent value in exchange.

Under the Act, traders, sellers, intermediaries, and transporters would be punished, with imprisonment of 2-3 years or a fine between Rs. 300,00 to 500,000, if they violated the provisions of the Act.

The Act also prohibits traders from publishing advertisements for goods or services that mislead buyers or consumers regarding their actual features, method of use or other relevant details.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 20 February 2026.     

Only 10 per cent cyber-related crimes reported

Kathmandu, Dec. 15: Chief of the Crime Investigation Bureau (CIB) of the Nepal Police DIGP Nawa Raj Silwal Thursday said that only about 10 per cent of the cyber-related crimes were reported in Nepal.

Speaking at an interaction on ‘Cyber security and trust in technology’, organised by the Nepal Bankers’ Association (NBA) in association with Microsoft, he said, “Most of the cases related to cyber crime go unreported, and only 3 to 4 per cent get prosecuted.”

According to Silwal, people and organisations were reluctant to report breaches in cyber security because it involved the victim’s privacy, and the victims were unaware of it.

Nepal Rastra Bank’s deputy director (IT) Ajit Regmi said the banks were more focused on physical security, and there were no proactive approaches.

“We have experienced malware attacks recently. If you can’t keep your IT secure, you may lose your business overnight,” he warned the bankers.

However, experts said that due to non-convertibility of the Nepalese currency, there were fewer chances of cyber attacks on Nepalese banks and financial institutions. But they accepted that risks existed in the system.

Director of Nepal Telecommunication Authority Ananda Raj Khanal said that the telecom sector regulator had prepared a National Cyber Security Policy with support from the International Telecommunication Union.

According to him, the country had a National Framework for Cyber Awareness, and a cyber crime regulation was in the offing.

President of NBA Anil Keshari Shah shed light on the threats and consequences of cyber-attacks on the banking system.

“News of security breaches continues to dominate headlines, and the scale and scope of intrusions are growing. In 2014 alone, data breaches were up by 78 per cent over the previous year, and cyber criminals compromised more than a billion data records in more than 1500 breaches,” he said.

Dr. Astrid Tuminez, senior director of corporate affairs at Microsoft South East Asia, said that the other side of the innovation in information technology was cyber crime, which was become more frequent, sophisticated and targeted.

“Therefore, the enterprises need to understand cyber security and resilience through trusted technology,” she remarked.

According to Tuminez, the median time for compromise discovery of cyber crime/attack in the Asia Pacific was 520 days against 146 days for the world’s average.

She suggested that the banks opt for cloud for the storage of sensitive data to ensure security and privacy.