Kathmandu: Nepal’s Interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki on Sunday evening recommended five new ministers to the president, marking the second expansion of her cabinet within a week. Karki’s council already had four members, including herself.
According to sources, former Supreme Court Justice Anil Kumar Sinha has been proposed to simultaneously head three ministries—Industry, Commerce and Supply; Law and Justice; and Land Reforms, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation.
Mahabir Pun, a Ramon Magsaysay Award winner, has been recommended as Minister for Education, Science and Technology, while Madan Prasad Pariyar, a noted climate and agriculture expert, has been named Agriculture Minister. Jagdish Kharel, editor of Image Channel and head of news at Image Media Group, has been proposed as Minister for Information and Communications.
For the Health Ministry, Karki recommended Sangeeta Mishra, a former additional secretary in the ministry.
Pariyar currently leads the Samata Foundation, a non-profit focused on social justice and inclusiveness, and previously coordinated the Constituent Assembly’s high-level state restructuring commission. Pun, who heads the National Innovation Centre, has long championed science and research in Nepal.
The existing members of Karki’s cabinet are Rameshore Khanal (Finance), Kulman Ghising (Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation), and Om Prakash Aryal (Home Affairs).
Separately, the government has set up a high-level commission to investigate the killings, arson, and vandalism that followed the Gen Z uprising two weeks ago, which left heavy casualties and property damage.
