2020 Year in Review: An Unforgettable Year for ‘Nepal’

This time last year, we are almost very unfamiliar with the concept of ‘social distancing,’ ‘hand sanitization,’ ‘mask mandates,’ and ‘lockdowns.’ Today, they became a part of our everyday life as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact us. It brought new challenges no one was prepared for, changing the way we live, work, and connect.

From the economic crisis and catastrophic loss of life caused by the pandemic to the revised Nepal’s political map controversy, the heightened intraparty disputes in ruling NCP, the Rukum incident, the monsoon mayhem, and the dissolution of HoR by PM Oli, 2020 was as sobering as it was defining.

But amid a series of rolling disasters, there was hope, there was sacrifice, there was courage, and there was grace. Though 2020 is the year of uncertainty, it will indeed be recalled with no small measure of pride.

Here is an infographic about some of Nepal’s most prominent news and events in 2020:

Download 2020 Year in Review Nepal

January 2020

• 1^st – ‘Visit Nepal Year 2020’ inaugurated
• 21^st – 8 Indian tourists die at Daman resort
• 23^rd – National Assembly elections held to elect 18 NA members
• 23^rd – First COVID-19 case confirmed
• 26^th – Agni Sapkota elected as Speaker
• 26^th – Sets ‘Guinness Record’ for Highest Altitude Fashion Show

February 2020

• 13^th – Anushma Wins ‘Miss Eco International Nepal 2020’ Title
• 20^th – IT Minister Baskota resigns over audiotape scandal
• 29^th – Visit Nepal Year 2020 campaign suspended

March 2020

• 20^th – All international flights suspended till March 31
• 24^th – Nationwide lockdown begins

April 2020

• 2^nd – Essentials goods companies resume operations
• 6^th – Maha Prasad Adhikari becomes the new Governor of the NRB
• 7^th – Grade 11 and 12 exams postponed
• 16^th – Sushil Ghimire becomes Executive Chairman of Nepal Airlines
• 17^th – Minister Mahendra Bahadur becomes Nepali Ambassador to China
• 25^th – Suspension on domestic and international flights extended
• 26^th – Nationwide lockdown extended till May 7

May 2020

• 6^th – Nationwide lockdown extended till May 18
• 7^th – COVID-19 cases crossed 100-mark
• 16^th – First COVID-19 death reported
• 17^th – Nationwide lockdown extended till June 2
• 20^th – Nepal’s new map released
• 20^th – Six Dalit youths were killed in Western Rukum
• 28^th – COVID-19 cases crossed 1,000-mark
• 28^th – Finance Minister presented Federal Budget of NPR 1,474.64 billion

June 2020

• 5^th – Govt. begins repatriating Nepalis in foreign countries
• 18^th – President endorsed second Constitution Amendment Bill
• 23^rd – COVID-19 cases crossed 10,000-mark
• 27^th – Agriculture Ministry reported locusts entered four districts of Nepal

July 2020

• 2^nd – President prorogued the sixth session of Federal Parliament
• 21^st – Nationwide lockdown was lifted

August 2020

• 15^th – COVID-19 deaths reached 100-mark
• 18^th – Daily COVID-19 cases crossed 1,000-mark

September 2020

• 1^st – Deaths due to monsoon mayhem reached 282
• 19^th – China encroaches into Nepal’s territory
• 24^th – CAN signs contract with female cricketers for first time

October 2020

• 3^rd – Prince of Bahrain and team climbed the 6,119-meter-high Mt. Lobuche
• 4^th – Provincial 5 renamed as Lumbini with Deukhuri as capital
• 15^th – Prince of Bahrain and team climbed the 8,163-meter-high Mt. Manaslu
• 16^th – President inaugurates historical pond Ranipokhari

November 2020

• 4^th – COVID-19 deaths reached 1,000-mark
• 5^th – Indian Army chief Naravane conferred honorary rank of ‘General of Nepali Army’
• 23^rd – Anshu Gurung Becomes British Gurkha Army Captain
• 24^th – Sapana Roka Named in BBC’s 100 Influential Women

December 2020

• 5^th – Namrata Shrestha won ‘Miss Nepal 2020’ title
• 8^th – Nepal, China announced the new height of Mt. Everest to be 8,848.86m
• 17^th – Kathmandu Valley recorded year’s lowest temperature at 2.3 degrees
• 17^th – Nepal unveiled first ‘National Water Resources Policy-2077’
• 20^th – President Bhandari dissolved the HoR on the recommendation of PM Oli
• 20^th – 7 Cabinet Ministers resigned protesting the HoR dissolution
• 22^nd – Dahal-Nepal faction expelled PM Oli as NCP Chairman and Parliamentary Leader
• 23^rd – Nepal imposed travel restrictions to and from the UK

Either way, 2020 clearly was an unforgettable year that we will find extremely hard to wipe off our collective memory. It will certainly find its way into our references, our anecdotes in the future ahead.

NepaliSansar Wishes a Better, Safer, and More Fulfilling 2021!

Also Read: Nepali Currency Exchange Rate Calculator