Prime Minister of Nepal, Sushila Karki, inducted five new ministers into the interim government on Sunday. This brings the total number of ministers in Karki’s cabinet to nine. According to sources in the President’s Office, President Ramchandra Paudel appointed Anil Kumar Sinha, Mahabir Pun, Sangeeta Kaushal Mishra, Jagdish Kharel, and Madan Pariyar as new ministers following Karki’s recommendation.
The swearing-in ceremony for these ministers will be held at the Presidential Palace today. Sources indicate that Anil Kumar Sinha will be assigned to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, Pun to the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology, Mishra to the Ministry of Health and Population, Kharel to the Ministry of Information and Communication, and Pariyar to the Ministry of Agriculture. With this, the cabinet now comprises nine ministers, including the Prime Minister, who holds several important portfolios.
Dr. Sangeeta Kaushal Mishra has been given the responsibility of the Ministry of Health and Population. She was an additional secretary in the ministry and resigned from her post on Sunday to pave the way for becoming a minister. Mahabir Pun will be assigned to the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology. He is the chairman of the Rashtriya Aavishkar Kendra (National Innovation Center). Senior journalist Jagdish Kharel’s name has been put forward for the Ministry of Communication, Information, and Technology. He has been the news head at the Image Media Group.
In addition, Madan Pariyar will lead the Ministry of Agriculture, while the responsibility of the Ministry of Industry and Land Reforms will be assigned to former judge Anil Kumar Sinha. The cabinet now has a total of nine ministers, including the interim Prime Minister. Sushila Karki has kept many important ministries with herself.
Sushila Karki assumed the responsibility of interim Prime Minister on September 12. The previous government of KP Sharma Oli fell after protests led by GEN-Z over corruption and social media restrictions. The political uncertainty that followed ended with Sushila Karki becoming the interim Prime Minister.
The interim government will function until the upcoming general elections, which are scheduled to be held on March 5. Upon assuming office, 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.