Nepal’s evolving digital landscape highlights a growing tension between constitutional guarantees of privacy and access to information, and a fragmented, outdated data governance framework. In a recent article published in Republica on March 17, 2026, Avash Mainali, Country Researcher for Nepal for LIRNEasia’s D4D Asia project, argues that while the introduction of the Personal Data Protection Policy, 2082 (2025), marks a positive step, its impact will depend on whether it can move beyond aspirational language to enforceable rights. 
Nepal’s evolving digital landscape highlights a growing tension between constitutional guarantees of privacy and access to information, and a fragmented, outdated data governance framework. In a recent article published in Republica on March 17, 2026, Avash Mainali, Country Researcher for Nepal for LIRNEasia’s D4D Asia project, argues that while the introduction of the Personal Data Protection Policy, 2082 (2025), marks a positive step, its impact will depend on whether it can move beyond aspirational language to enforceable rights. 
Pakistan’s Indus AI Week reflects a growing shift in how the country is approaching artificial intelligence, not simply as a technological trend, but as a strategic tool for economic growth, public sector reform, and national competitiveness. In an article published on March 5, 2026, in the ProPakistani news platform, Muhammad Aslam Hayat, Senior Policy Fellow at LIRNEasia, notes that discussions during the event highlighted ambitions to use AI to improve productivity, create new economic opportunities, and enhance government efficiency. However, he argues that effective and trustworthy AI depends not only on algorithms or computing power, but also on strong systems of data governance. 
The rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence is reshaping debates around copyright, accessibility, and innovation. In a recent article published in The Hindu, Pranesh Prakash, Co-Principal Investigator for LIRNEasia’s D4D Asia Project, discusses how copyright law must adapt to the realities of AI-driven technologies in a way that balances creators’ rights with the public interest. 
On July 22, LIRNEasia, in collaboration with the United States–Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission, hosted a thought-provoking Roundtable Dialogue on the Ethics of Explainable AI at its premises. The session featured Dr. Robert T. Pennock, University Distinguished Professor at Michigan State University, who is affiliated with Lyman Briggs College, the Departments of Philosophy and the Departments of Computer Science & Engineering, and the Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior program. With a PhD in the History and Philosophy of Science, Dr.