Thanks. But speaking for myself, I am NOT cut out to be political minister -- on and off Sajha! So thanks but no thanks! Since I post in my own name, there is every incentive for me to post only that information which can be verified to be TRUE. Sajha folks have come to expect only verifiably true info from me, and I'll do my best to live up to that expectation. And I don't even take the precautions to protect my jobs by ending my opinion-laden published pieces with a disclaimer saying something like "the opinions expressed here do not reflect those of the organisations where the author works!" If you want to be a political minister in Nepal, you'd better start covering your tracks -- a talent others have and I don't. :-) ******* That aside, if I were indeed the Minister of Information and Communication, I would: a) Sell off The Rising Nepal and Gorkhapatra b) Sell most of the assets of The Radio Nepal, and rent out the rest to community groups to broadcast their messages. c) Ditto for The Nepal Television. d) Allow foreign and domestic investment in print and electronic media, including Internet media. e) Make sure that every Nepali has a postal address and an email address, and can use either address anytime with almost no interference from the state. f) Allow foreign and domestic investment in the telecom area: so that prices will come down, services will get better and the monopoly of the Nepal Telecom will fall apart and millions more Nepalis have mobile and/or land phone lines at rates they can easily afford. g) settle ALL media-related disputes through the Nepali court system and NOT througfh arbitrary decisions of the Ministry You see, the idea is to DIVERSIFY media ownership, DEREGULATE the telecom industry and create extensive and various NETWORKs with the citizens. After all, Markets with choices and competition and networks artound the world -- not Maoism nor Monarchy -- remain the best friend of democracy anywhere. oohi ashu