Page 6 - Nepal

President Paudel appoints five new ministers in Nepal, oath on Sep 22

Nepal Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Sunday extended her cabinet strength to nine by inducting five new ministers in the interim government. Following Karki's recommendation, President Ramchandra Paudel appointed Anil Kumar Sinha, Mahavir Pun, Sangita Kaushal Mishra, Jagadish Kharel and Madan Pariyar as the new ministers, according to sources at the President's Office. The swearing-in ceremony of these ministers will be held at the Rashtrapati Bhawan on Monday. Sinha will be given the portfolio of Industry and Commerce; Pun will be given Education, Science and Technology; Mishra will be getting Health & Population; Kharel will be the minister for Information and Communication, while Pariyar the minister for Agriculture, sources said. With this, the cabinet now has nine ministers, including the Prime Minister who has kept several important portfolios with her. Karki, 73, became prime minister on September 12, ending days of political uncertainty after the ouster of Prime Minister

ITC to continue Nepal investment plans in FMCG and hotels: Sanjiv Puri

ITC Chairman Sanjiv Puri said recent turmoil in Nepal will not affect the company's plans in FMCG and hospitality, with Surya Nepal and new hotels continuing expansion

Oli denies issuing shooting orders during Gen-Z protests in Nepal

Nepal's deposed prime minister K P Sharma Oli on Friday denied that he had given any shooting orders during the 'Gen Z' demonstrations, saying bullets were fired at protesters from automatic guns that the police did not possess and called for a probe into the matter. In his first public statement since his ouster on September 9, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) chairman blamed the infiltrators for the violence during the "peaceful protest" by Gen-Z. The government didn't order to shoot at the demonstrators, 73-year-old Oli said in a message issued on the occasion of Constitution Day. The bullets were fired at the protesters from automatic guns, which were not possessed by the police personnel, and this must be investigated, Oli said. Seventy-four people, including 3 policemen, were among the dead during the youth-led violent protests on September 8 and 9 against corruption and a ban on social media. Claiming that there was "infiltration" in the "peaceful ...

'Examining implications': India on US move to revoke Chabahar port waiver

The revocation of the sanctions waiver comes as a challenge for India, as it is involved in the development of a terminal at Chabahar Port

Holding elections our topmost priority, Nepal PM tells Narendra Modi

Nepal's interim PM Sushila Karki told Prime Minister Modi that elections are her government's top priority as India reaffirmed support for peace, stability and democratic transition

PM Modi speaks to Nepal's PM Karki, supports efforts to restore peace

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday spoke to his Nepalese counterpart Sushila Karki and reaffirmed India's steadfast support for her efforts to restore peace and stability. In a post on X, Modi said that during his conversation with Karki, he conveyed his heartfelt condolences on the recent tragic loss of lives during violent protests in the neighbouring country. "Had a warm conversation with Mrs. Sushila Karki, Prime Minister of the Interim Government of Nepal. Conveyed heartfelt condolences on the recent tragic loss of lives and reaffirmed India's steadfast support for her efforts to restore peace and stability," Modi said. "Also, I extended warm greetings to her and the people of Nepal on their National Day tomorrow," he said. Last week, Nepal witnessed violent protests that led to the ouster of prime minister K P Sharma Oli. During the agitation led by the Gen Z group, protesters set fire to houses of political leaders, important government buildings, including the ...

Why Nepal's new power brokers pose fresh challenges for India, China

If India and China continue treating Nepal primarily as a geopolitical pawn, they risk alienating future leaders

Datanomics: New Nepal PM faces challenges from graft to economic revival

She begins her term with a promise to fight corruption, which is the foremost challenge in the fragile economy

The fleeting fantasy of a monarch who would return to save Nepal

That turned out to be a brief royalist dream. It is a former chief justice, Sushil Karki who now leads Nepal after last week's protests and arson attacks

Three ministers inducted by Nepal's new caretaker PM Karki sworn in

Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel on Monday administered the oath of office to three ministers inducted by newly appointed caretaker Prime Minister Sushila Karki into her cabinet. Karki, 73, the Himalayan nation's first woman prime minister, assumed office on Sunday. She inducted Kulman Ghising, Rameshwor Khanal, and Om Prakash Aryal as ministers later in the day. The swearing-in ceremony of the three ministers took place at the President's Office, Sheetal Niwas, Maharjgunj, here. Former finance secretary Khanal has been sworn in as Finance Minister, while former Nepal Electricity Authority managing director Ghising has taken charge of three portfolios: energy, water resources and irrigation; physical infrastructure and transport; and urban development. Aryal, an advocate, has been sworn in as Minister for Home Affairs and for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. Soon after the swearing-in ceremony, they assumed their respective offices. Former chief justice Karki was appointe

Sudan Gurung's group demands PM Karki's resignation over cabinet picks

A group led by Sudan Gurung protested in Baluwatar, Kathmandu, opposing Om Prakash Aryal's appointment as Home Minister and accusing PM Sushila Karki of ignoring their concerns

Those involved in violence will face justice: Nepal PM Sushila Karki

Nepal Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Sunday said that those involved in violence and destruction across the country during the anti-government protests last week will be brought to justice. Karki, 73, who assumed office at the newly-built Home Ministry building at Singhdurbar Secretariat in Kathmandu at around 11 am, also announced that those who were killed during the Gen Z' protest will be declared martyrs and provided one million Nepalese rupees. The former chief justice was appointed the caretaker prime minister by President Ramchandra Paudel on the recommendation of the Gen Z group, which overthrew the K P Sharma Oli government through a two-day protest on Tuesday. Addressing a meeting of secretaries and senior government officials soon after assuming office, Prime Minister Karki said that those involved in the violence and destruction of public and private property will be brought to justice. She said that the arson and vandalism during the protests of September 9 was ...

From Protests to choosing its leader: How social media is shaping Nepal

From mobilising the protests to choosing the interim prime minister - Discord, Bitchat became virtual control rooms

Nepal to hold parliamentary elections on March 5: President's Office

Nepal's next parliamentary elections will be held on March 5, President Ramchandra Paudel's office has announced, following a week of violent protests that led to the resignation of K P Sharma Oli and Sushila Karki taking over as the country's first woman prime minister. President Paudel, while dissolving the House of Representatives on the recommendation of the newly-appointed prime minister on Friday, said the next parliamentary election would be held on March 5. Former Chief Justice Karki, 73, was sworn-in as the country's first woman prime minister, ending days of political uncertainty after the abrupt resignation of Oli this week following wide-spread anti-government protests against a ban on social media and alleged corruption. Oli quit on Tuesday shortly after hundreds of agitators entered his office demanding his resignation for the death of at least 19 people in police action during Monday's protests. The prime minister will form a small Cabinet on Sunday, two days after h

PM Modi congratulates Sushila Karki on becoming Nepal's interim PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated Sushila Karki on taking oath as the prime minister of an interim government in Nepal, and underscored India's commitment to the peace, progress, and prosperity of the people of the neighbouring country. Modi posted the message on X, a day after former chief justice Karki took oath as Nepal's first woman prime minister to lead an interim government, ending days of political uncertainty after the abrupt resignation of Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli following widespread protests. President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office to Karki, 73, at the President's Office.

'Unconstitutional': Nepal parties, lawyers slam Parliament dissolution

Nepal's major political parties and apex lawyers' body have strongly criticised the president's decision to dissolve parliament, describing the move as "unconstitutional", "arbitrary" and a serious blow to democracy. The criticism followed Friday's recommendation by the first cabinet meeting chaired by interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki to dissolve the House of Representatives, a proposal that President Ram Chandra Paudel promptly approved. The house was dissolved with effect from 11 pm on September 12, 2025, according to a notice issued by the President's Office. The president also fixed March 21, 2026, as the date for holding fresh parliamentary elections, it said. Political parties across the spectrum slammed the dissolution move. Disapproving of the move, Nepali Congress (NC), the largest political party of the country, warned that any action violating the Constitution would be unacceptable. The Central Executive Committee meeting of the Nepali Congress held on Saturday ...

Important judicial records nearly destroyed in Gen Z protests: Nepal SC

Nepal's Supreme Court has said that important documents forming part of the country's judicial history were nearly destroyed in the recent student-led anti-government protests, even as it pledged to resume operations at the earliest. We remain steadfast and determined on the path of justice under all circumstances, Chief Justice Prakashman Singh Raut said in a statement on Thursday. We pledge to resume court operations at the earliest to address citizens' expectations of justice, he was quoted as saying by MyRepublica news portal on Saturday. The Chief Justice expressed grief over the damage caused to court buildings due to arson, stone-pelting, vandalism and looting during the Gen-Z movement that swept across the country. Important documents integral to Nepal's judicial history nearly destroyed in the violence, he said. Raut also expressed sorrow over the deaths of Nepali citizens in the violence and conveyed condolences to the bereaved families, while wishing a speedy recovery t

Nepal lifts curfew from Kathmandu Valley as daily life returns to normal

Authorities on Saturday lifted the curfew and restrictive orders imposed in Kathmandu Valley and other parts of Nepal, allowing daily life to gradually return to normal. The development came a day after former Chief Justice Sushila Karki on Friday became Nepal's first woman prime minister to lead an interim government, ending days of political uncertainty after the K P Sharma Oli dispensation was forced to quit in the face of a nationwide agitation triggered by a social media ban. There are no restrictive orders or curfew on Saturday, a Nepal Army spokesperson said. Shops, grocery stores, vegetable markets and shopping malls reopened after days of closure, while traffic began to flow back on the streets. Cleaning drives were launched at several places, including key government buildings that were vandalised and set on fire by agitators during the recent wave of violent protests. Oli quit on Tuesday shortly after hundreds of agitators entered his office demanding his resignation fo

Nepal dissolves Parl, sets elections for March 2026 under interim PM Karki

Announcing the decision, the President's Office said the dissolution was approved in the first cabinet meeting convened by Karki at 11 pm, marking the start of a six-month transitional government

Best of BS Opinion: Is the US still a reliable ally to its friends?

Today's wrap of the Opinion Page straddles borders and ideas, as always; from the reliability of the US, to institutional strength in democracies, to Las Vegas' shimmering lights, it's all here