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नेवाः जंकु संस्कारमा ज्येष्ठ नागरिक सुरक्षा (Elderly Safety in Newar Janku Rituals)
नेपालमा रहेका १४२ जातजातिहरू मध्ये नेवाः समुदाय पनि एक हो । नेवाःहरू नेपालका आदिवासी हुन् । नेपाली समाजमा नेवाः समुदायको मौलिक संस्कृति र सभ्यताको आफ्नै महत्व छ । यस समुदायभित्र रहेका संस्कृति, संस्कार र मान्यताहरू अन्य जातिकाभन्दा फरक पाइन्छन् । नेवाः समुदाय धार्मिक रूपमा हिन्दु र बौद्ध गरी दुई भागमा विभाजन भएको पाइन्छ । यी दुवै खाले नेवाःहरूको आ–आफ्नै संस्कृति, संस्कार र रितिरिवाज छन् । नेवाःहरू समूहमा काम गर्न रुचाउने, समूहबाट निर्णय गर्ने र समूहमै बस्न रुचाउने समुदाय हो । दुवै प्रकारका नेवाःहरूले वर्षभरिका चाडपर्व, धर्म, संस्कृति, जीवन जिउनेक्रममा गरिनुपर्ने लोकव्यवहार र संस्कारहरू मान्दै आएको पाइन्छ । विशेष गरी जीव, जनावर, मानिस, पशु, पंक्षी, जल, जङ्गल जमिन, आकाश, पर्यावरण र प्रकृतिलाई नै देवका रूपमा पुज्ने र संरक्षण गर्ने संस्कार नेवाः समुदायमा प्रचलनमा छन् । नेवाः समुदायमा मानिस जन्मेदेखि मृत्यु नहुँदासम्म गरिने संस्कारहरूले मानिस हुनुको महत्व झल्काउने गरी संस्कृति र संस्कारमा आफूलाई समाहित गर्ने र गराउने गर्दै आएका छन् । जीवनलाई निराशाबाट जोगाएर सदा उत्सवमय बनाउँदै, मेहनत, इमानदारिता, कर्तव्यवोध र कर्तव्य पालना गराउन पनि नेवाः संस्कारले काम गरिरहेको देखिन्छ । ती सोह्र संस्कारहरूमध्ये नेवाः समुदायको महत्वपूर्ण संस्कार जंकु हो । नेवाः समुदायमा बच्चा जन्मेपछि र वृद्ध -ज्येष्ठ नागरिक) भएपछि गरिने दुर्ई प्रकारका जंकु संस्कार छन् । बच्चा छँदा गर्ने जंकुलाई अन्य समुदायमा अन्नप्राशन भन्ने गरिए पनि नेवाः समुदायमा भने …मचा जंकुÚ भन्ने गरेको पाइन्छ । उक्त जंकुमा …मचा जंकुÚ को पूजाविधि अनुसार जंकु गरिन्छ । अर्को जंकु वृद्धावस्था -ज्येष्ठ नागरिकको सुरक्षा लक्षित_ भएपछि गरिने जंकु हो । यसलाई ज्याथः जंकु पनि भनिन्छ । यो जंकु गरिसकेपछि जंकु गरिएका ज्येष्ठ नागरिकलाई देव सरह मान्नुपर्ने प्रचलन छ । जंकु गरिसकेका ज्येष्ठ नागरिकलाई नराम्रो र नमिठो वचन गर्न नहुने, चित्त दुखाउन नहुने, र ज्येष्ठ भएका ती व्यक्तिका जीवन अनुभव ग्रहण गर्दै नयाँ पुस्ता अगाडि बढ्नुपर्ने परम्परा छ । यसले ज्येष्ठ नागरिकलाई बेसहारा हुनबाट जोगाउने, र उमेर ढल्केसँगै दुJo{jहार हुने जस्ता विकृति न्यूनिकरणमा योगदान दिँदै आएको छ । यो संस्कारको महत्व र यस भित्रको जीवन विज्ञान बुझ्न सके परिवार, समाज र मुलुकका लागि ज्येष्ठ नागरिक अपहेलनाको पात्र होइन अनुभव र नयाँ पुस्ताका पथप्रदर्शकका साथै सहयोगी हुने देखिन्छ । समयकालसँगै पुराना पुस्ताले मनाउने गरेका जीवनोपयोगी संस्कारहरू आधुनिकतासँगै लोप हुने अवस्थामा पुगिसकेका छन् । पछिल्लो समय समाज र परिवार खण्डित हुँदै ज्येष्ठ नागरिकहरू परिवार भएर पनि परिवारविहीन भई वृद्धाश्रम वा कसैको आश्रय लिन आश्रम पुग्नुपर्ने बाध्यता देखिन्छ । नेवाः समाजका बौद्धमार्गी र हिन्दुमार्गी दुवै समुदायमा ज्येष्ठनागरिकका लागि छुट्टै आश्रमको कल्पना गरिँदैन । यो समुदायले प्राचीनकाल देखिनै ज्येष्ठ नागरिक र बच्चाहरूलाई जंकु संस्कारको माद्यामबाट सामाजिक सुरक्षा र सम्मान प्रदान गर्दै आएको पाइन्छ । Among the 142 caste/ethnic groups in Nepal, the Newar community is one. The Newars are the indigenous people of Nepal. In Nepali society, the Newar community has its own unique significance in terms of culture and civilization. The culture, rituals, and beliefs found within this community are distinct from those of other ethnic groups. The Newar community is religiously divided into two groups: Hindus and Buddhists. Both groups have their own distinct cultures, rituals, and customs. The Newars are a community that prefers to work in groups, make decisions collectively, and live together. Both types of Newars have been observed to observe year-round festivals, religious practices, cultural traditions, customary social practices, and life-cycle rituals (samskaras). Particularly noteworthy is the Newar tradition of worshiping and protecting living beings, animals, humans, cattle, birds, water, forests, land, sky, the environment, and nature as forms of the divine. The rituals performed in the Newar community from birth until death reflect the significance of being human, and they help individuals integrate themselves into culture and tradition. Newar rituals seem to work toward keeping life joyful by protecting it from despair, while also instilling diligence, honesty, sense of duty, and adherence to responsibilities. Among the sixteen traditional samskaras (sacraments), the Janku ritual is one of the most important in the Newar community. There are two types of Janku performed in the Newar community: one performed after the birth of a child and the other after a person reaches old age (elderly/senior citizenship). The Janku performed during childhood is known in other communities as Annaprashan (first rice-feeding ceremony), but in the Newar community, it is called Macha Janku. This Janku is performed according to the ritual procedures of Macha Janku. The other Janku is performed in old age (with the aim of protecting senior citizens). This is also called Jyatha Janku. After this Janku is performed, the senior citizen who has undergone the ritual is to be regarded as worthy of veneration, akin to a deity. Tradition holds that after the Janku, one must not speak harsh or unpleasant words to the elderly, nor hurt their feelings. The younger generation is expected to learn from the life experiences of these elders and move forward. This tradition has helped protect senior citizens from becoming helpless and has contributed to reducing malpractices such as elder abuse as age advances. If the significance of this ritual and the life-science embedded within it can be understood, it becomes evident that senior citizens are not objects of neglect but rather repositories of experience, guides for the new generation, and sources of support for the family, society, and nation. With the passage of time, the life-enriching rituals practiced by older generations are on the verge of disappearing due to modernization. Recently, as society and families have become fragmented, senior citizens—despite having families—find themselves effectively without families, compelled to live in old-age homes or seek shelter elsewhere. In both the Buddhist and Hindu Newar communities, there is no concept of separate old-age homes; from ancient times, this community has been providing social security and respect to senior citizens and children through the medium of the Janku ritual.
जितेन्द्र लाल Jitendra Lal श्रेष्ठ Shrestha
Copyright (c) 2026 जितेन्द्र लाल Jitendra Lal श्रेष्ठ Shrestha (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Digital Well-being and Sustainable Academic Performance among University Students: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective
Digital technology is transforming higher education, but its benefits depend on students' meaningful engagement. Guided by Self-Determination Theory (SDT), this study examines the effects of autonomy, competence, and relatedness on sustainable academic performance. Using a positivist philosophy and descriptive-causal research design, data were collected from 200 students at three Tribhuvan University-affiliated campuses. Descriptive statistics, Kendall's tau-b correlation, and multiple linear regression were used for analysis. The findings show that autonomy, competence, and relatedness significantly and positively influence sustainable academic performance, explaining 33.7% of its variance. Autonomy was the strongest predictor. The results suggest that students' self-directed use of digital learning technologies and AI-supported tools enhances sustainable academic performance by satisfying their basic psychological needs.
Copyright (c) 2026 Kriti Nepal, Suman Kamal Prajuli (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Herding Behavior on Stock Market Investment Decisions
The effect of herding behavior in the stock market is analyzed using evidence from the retail investor segment of the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE). Herding behavior occurs when investors copy each other and make investment decisions based on the actions of other investors rather than their own analysis and independent judgment. The study employed a causal comparative research design to examine the effect of herding behavior among retail investors in Nepal. Primary data collected from retail investors who are active market participants in NEPSE constitutes the main source of information. A total of 200 responses were collected using a structured questionnaire. The results suggest that herding behavior has a statistically significant impact on investment decision-making and market participation by retail investors. Specifically, investment sentiment, market volatility, information asymmetry, and past market returns were all found to significantly influence investment decisions. The regression model explained 36.0% of the variance in investment decisions (R² = .360, F = 27.427, p < .001). The study carries implications for investors, policymakers, market regulators, and financial institutions in raising awareness about behavioral biases and in formulating measures to make the stock market more efficient.
Copyright (c) 2026 Basant Katuwal, Bibek Poudyal, Keshaba Chokal, Keshaba Rokaya, Gautam Bohora (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Impact of Investment Behavior on Loss Aversion among Youth Investors
This study examines the impact of investment behavior on loss aversion among youth investors trading on the Nepal Stock Exchange (NEPSE). Drawing on behavioral finance theory, the research investigates how cognitive biases specifically availability bias, regret aversion, mental accounting, and herding behavior influence loss aversion in young investors. A structured questionnaire was administered to 222 youth investors, and data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Kendall's tau correlation, and multiple linear regression. The findings reveal that the overall model is statistically significant (F = 34.599, p < .001), explaining approximately 37.8% of the variance in loss aversion (Adjusted R² = .378). Among the predictors, regret aversion (β = .472, p < .001) and herding behavior (β = .245, p < .001) emerged as significant determinants of loss aversion, while availability bias and mental accounting did not demonstrate significant effects. The study contributes to the understanding of youth investment psychology in emerging capital markets and underscores the importance of financial literacy and behavioral intervention programs.
Copyright (c) 2026 Pratigya Pokharel, Rajan Bilas Bajracharya (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Mediating Role of Management Commitment in the Relationship between Green Finance and Competitive Advantage: Evidence from Commercial Banks in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal
This study examines the mediating role of Management Commitment in the relationship between Green Finance and Competitive Advantage among commercial banks in Kathmandu Valley, Nepal. Grounded in the Resource-Based View and Stakeholder Theory, it proposes that Green Finance strengthens Competitive Advantage more effectively when channeled through top-level Management Commitment. Data from 385 bank employees were analyzed using SPSS, including reliability analysis, Pearson correlation, regression diagnostics, and the Hayes PROCESS macro (Model 4) with 5,000 bootstrap resamples. All constructs showed acceptable reliability (α = 0.794–0.874), and regression assumptions were satisfied. The model explained 59.5% of variance in Competitive Advantage (R² = 0.595, p < .001), with both Green Finance (β = 0.516) and Management Commitment (β = 0.339) as significant predictors. A significant positive indirect effect (0.248, 95% CI [0.182, 0.319]) confirmed partial mediation, indicating green finance alone is insufficient without genuine management commitment.
Copyright (c) 2026 Bhawana Kaphle, Purushottam Subedi , Hira Lal Shrestha (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Ethical Issues and Dilemmas among the Counselors in Nepal
It would be interesting to know how counselors in Nepal deal with ethical dilemma in the absence of necessary laws, licensing body and ethical code of rules published by professional associations deemed necessary for professional integrity and effectiveness. Hence, in this context, the current study was conducted to explore understanding of three most important ethical dilemmas among the counselors in Nepal i.e. value conflicts, confidentiality and boundary. The study was based on primary data collected through a questionnaire which included both open and close ended item that mostly relied on descriptive analysis. Purposive and snowball sampling method was used where majority of the respondents were working as counselors in different NGOs providing psychosocial counseling services to the various communities around the country. The result showed that the counselors were aware that they should never impose their values on their clients, maintain confidentiality and boundary issues such as not to have sexual and economic relationships with their clients. However, counselors also seemed to have a very brief exposure to courses related to ethics during their training programs as upon further exploration it was found that nearly 57 percent of the counselors were not sure that it was their responsibility to report a child sexual abuse to the concerned authorities which was in contrast to majority of the developed countries such as USA, UK and Australia which require mandatory report of child sexual abuse. As counseling and psychotherapy aren’t ubiquitous in this country, such clarity would ensure compliance of professional ethics among the counselors which may require promulgation of necessary laws and publication of code of ethics by concerned professional associations working in the field.
Copyright (c) 2026 Dipesh Upadhyay (Author) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
Digital Service Quality and Customer Loyalty in Commercial Banking: A Comparative Analysis of Generation Z and Millennial
This study examined six dimensions of digital service quality Reliability, Assurance, Tangibility, Empathy, Responsiveness, and Security and their relationship with Customer Loyalty, which was modelled as a distinct outcome variable rather than as one of the service quality dimensions itself, and compared perceptions of Generation Z and Millennial customers in commercial banks. Using a quantitative, comparative cross sectional design, data were collected from 400 digital banking users (200 Gen Z and 200 Millennials) through a structured five point Likert scale questionnaire. Reliability analysis indicated acceptable internal consistency for most constructs. Pearson correlation analysis revealed significant positive relationships both among the six digital service quality dimensions and between each of these dimensions and Customer Loyalty (r = .317–.708, p < .01). Independent samples t tests showed that Millennials reported significantly higher perceptions of Assurance (p = .002) and Responsiveness (p = .018), whereas no significant generational differences were observed for Reliability, Tangibility, Empathy, Security, or Customer Loyalty. Normality and outlier diagnostics supported the use of parametric tests. Both generations exhibited similar perceptions of digital banking service quality and comparable levels of loyalty, with generational differences confined to the assurance and responsiveness dimensions, providing practical implications for age segmented digital banking strategies.
Copyright (c) 2026 Author(s) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0