Nepal’s Prime Minister Sushila Karki has expanded the interim government with the inclusion of five new ministers. This brings the total number of ministers in the Karki cabinet to nine. President Ramchandra Paudel, acting on the recommendation of Prime Minister Karki, appointed Anil Kumar Sinha, Mahabir Pun, Sangeeta Kaushal Mishra, Jagdish Kharel, and Madan Pariyar as ministers, according to sources from the President’s Office.
The new ministers are scheduled to be sworn in today at the Presidential Palace. Anil Kumar Sinha is expected to take charge of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, while Mahabir Pun will be responsible for the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology. Sangeeta Kaushal Mishra will lead the Ministry of Health and Population. Jagdish Kharel will head the Ministry of Information and Communication, and Madan Pariyar will oversee the Ministry of Agriculture. The cabinet now includes nine ministers, including the Prime Minister, who also retains several key ministerial portfolios.
Dr. Sangeeta Kaushal Mishra has been appointed to lead the Ministry of Health and Population. She resigned from her position as Additional Secretary in the ministry to make way for her ministerial appointment. Mahabir Pun, the chairman of the Rashtriya Aavishkar Kendra, will be the Minister of Education, Science, and Technology. Jagdish Kharel, a veteran journalist, will be responsible for the Ministry of Communication, Information, and Technology. He previously served as the news head at Image Media Group.
Furthermore, Madan Pariyar will be taking charge of the Ministry of Agriculture, while Anil Kumar Sinha, a former judge, will manage the Ministry of Industry and Land Reforms. The cabinet now has a total of nine ministers, including the interim Prime Minister. Prime Minister Karki has retained several significant ministries.
Sushila Karki assumed the role of interim Prime Minister on September 12. This followed the fall of the KP Sharma Oli government due to protests by GEN-Z over concerns related to corruption and restrictions on social media. The formation of an interim government under Karki brought an end to the resulting political uncertainty.
The interim government will remain in power until the general elections scheduled for March 5. Following her assumption of the role, Sushila Karki appointed Kulma Ghising as Minister of Energy, Water Resources, and Physical Planning, Rameswar Khanal as Finance Minister, and Om Prakash Aryal as Home Minister.