Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD
Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just
Try GOLD - Free
Everest Dilemma
The Statesman
|January 25, 2025
Nepal's decision to increase permit fees for climbing Mount Everest signals a critical shift in its approach to managing the world's tallest peak. While the hike in fees from $11,000 to $15,000 during the peak season -- will undoubtedly bolster Nepal's revenues, it also raises pressing questions about sustainability, overcrowding, and the ethics of commercialisation on one of the world's most revered natural wonders.
-
For Nepal, the economic stakes are significant. Mountaineering and trekking form a crucial pillar of its economy, contributing over 4 per cent to the national GDP. The revenue generated from climbing permits supports infrastructure, local livelihoods, and development in remote regions.
By raising fees for the first time in nearly a decade, the government aims to ensure a fair return on the resources and risks involved in facilitating these expeditions. However, this increase must be paired with a broader strategy to address the mounting challenges facing Everest.
This story is from the January 25, 2025 edition of The Statesman.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM The Statesman
The Statesman Kolkata
Iran’s fault-lines
Iran’s campuses have once again become political frontiers, and that alone says something essential about the country’s present moment.
2 mins
February 25, 2026
The Statesman Kolkata
WB-Odisha border tension rekindled over road work in Udaipur stretch
ABORDER DISPUTE BETWEEN WEST BENGALAND ODISHA RESURFACED AFTER ODISHA POLICE HALTED ROAD RENOVATION WORK BY BENGAL'S PWD NEARTHE DISPUTED UDAIPUR STRETCH. ODISHA AUTHORITIES CLAIMED THE CONSTRUCTION WAS WITHIN THEIR TERRITORY ANDTERMED IT “UNAUTHORISED,” ESCALATING TENSIONS INTHE SENSITIVE BORDER AREA.
1 mins
February 25, 2026
The Statesman Kolkata
'Opposition 'non-existent' in 90-95 Assembly seats'
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday claimed that the BJP faces virtually no effective opposition in a large majority of Assembly constituencies in the state, asserting that development-led governance has firmly consolidated public support for the ruling party.
1 mins
February 25, 2026
The Statesman Kolkata
Bomb threats at Bengal courts as judges get busy with SIR duty
Bomb scare at Chinsurah court:
3 mins
February 25, 2026
The Statesman Kolkata
Luis Enrique must decide whether to protect lead or attack against Monaco
Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique may be unsure how to approach the second leg of the Champions League playoff against Monaco on Wednesday.
1 mins
February 25, 2026
The Statesman Kolkata
Midnight firing in city leaves youth critically injured
A late-night shooting incident in Kolkata left a 23-year-old youth critically injured, triggering panic in the neighbourhood and a police hunt for the accused.
1 min
February 25, 2026
The Statesman Kolkata
Sukanta seeks FIR against former chiefsecretary Manoj Pant
As the Assembly elections approach closer and there is palpable tension around the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, former Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, who is now personal secretary to CM Mamata Banerjee finds himself at the centre of a fresh controversy.
1 mins
February 25, 2026
The Statesman Kolkata
State of the union offers Trump a chance to make the case for his foreign policy approach
President Donald Trump's State of the Union address is expected to tilt heavily on domestic issues, but it's also a chance for the Republican to make the case for his foreign policy efforts to Americans who are increasingly demonstrating uneasiness about his priorities.
1 mins
February 25, 2026
The Statesman Kolkata
TMC welcomes SC order on further deployment of judicial officers for SIR
On the Supreme Court's earlier order authorising the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court to depute additional officers to the rank of Civil Judges (Senior and Junior division), the HC has made an addition, said senior advocate Kalyan Bandopadhyay.
2 mins
February 25, 2026
The Statesman Kolkata
China puts Japanese companies on export controllists as tensions rise
China on Tuesday put 20 Japanese companies on an export control list and 20 others on a watchlist, as tensions continue over the Japanese leader’s previous comments on Taiwan, the self-governed island Beijing claims as its own.
1 min
February 25, 2026
Listen
Translate
Change font size