Nepal PM set to expand her Cabinet

Ten days after being nominated caretaker, Prime Minister Sushila Karki is set to expand her Cabinet by adding several more members to the Council of Ministers.

Karki is under pressure to complete her compact Cabinet quickly. But it appears that her attempt to find professionals with non-political background, integrity, a record of professionalism while making the selection inclusive has not been easy.

Till Sunday evening, several figures confirmed that they had been approached by the Prime Minister’s Office and they had expressed their willingness to join the Council of Ministers. They included Magsaysay winner Mahabir Pun, tv anchor Jagadish Kharel, public health expert Sangita Kaushal Mishra and former Justice Anil Kumar Sinha.

Other candidates that Prime Minister Karki had approached refused to join the interim government. Some have political ambitions and were worried that they would not be able to campaign ahead of early elections called for 5 March 2026.

Among those who opted out for various reasons include famed ophthalmologist Sanduk Ruit who said his main responsibility was running his Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology.

Also considered for the role of the Health Minister was cardiologist Bhagwan Koirala who is thought to have declined because of his association with Min Bahadur Gurung, owner of Bhat-Bhateni supermarket chain who had pledged Rs410 million to his Kathmandu Institute of Child Health. Twelve Bhat-Bhateni stores across the country were looted and set on fire during the GenZ protests on 9 September.

Sangita Kaushal Mishra appears to be confirmed as Health Minister, while sources said Mahabir Pun of the National Innovation Center is likely to become the Minister of Education, Science and Technology. Tv talk show host Jagadish Kharel runs a popular current affairs program, and Anil Kumar Sinha seems set to be named Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs. Sinha and Mishra are from the Madhes.

The names of the new ministers were finalised in consultation with the representatives of the GenZ protesters. Appointments of new ministers last week, especially of advocate Om Prakash Aryal as Home Minister, was rejected by Sudan Gurung of Hami Nepal, one of the GenZ campaigners, who even demanded resignation of the newly appointed Prime Minister Sushila Karki because his group was not consulted.

Last week, advocate Om Prakash Aryal was appointed Home Minister as well as Minister of Law, while former CEO of NEA Kulman Ghising as Energy Minister Urban Development Minister and Minister of Physical Infrastructure, and former finance Secretary Rameshwore Khanal as Finance Minister last week and were sworn in on 15 September.

The new ministers have their work cut out as Prime Minister Sushila Karki has set elections for the House of Representatives for 5 March 2026. Electoral reform such that Nepalis outside the country could vote remains a challenge due to time limitation and because of the dissolution of Parliament. The interim government could ask for two more months beyond the initial six to prepare for voting.

KNOW THE MINISTERS

Names of possible ministers and their portfolios:

Mahabir Pun, Minister of Education, Science and Technology

He is the founding chair of the National Innovation Center which was set up in 2012 and most recently restored 484 medical devices including ventilators, dialysis machines, X-rays and autoclaves worth Rs243 million in government hospitals.

Pun, 70, is the recipient of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for community leadership in 2007 for his effort in connecting rural Nepal with wireless internet.

Jagadish Kharel, Minister of Communications and Information Technology

He is a tv journalist with nearly 20 years of experience. He is currently the news head of Image Channel as well as the host of the show Hot Seat, and is known for in-depth political and government policy analysis and commentary.

Kharel was previously thought to have been invited to join Rabi Lamichhane’s Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) after it emerged as the fourth biggest party in Parliament after the last elections.

Sangita Kaushal Mishra, Health Minister

She was serving as the Additional Secretary as well as the Director General of the Department of Health Services at the Ministry of Health and Population, and was the first female spokesperson of the Ministry.

Mishra holds a doctorate in Obstetrics and Gynaecology and completed her Master’s in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University, and has extensive experience in sexual and reproductive health as well as prevention and treatment programs for communicable and non-communicable diseases. She was superseded to be Health Secretary last year, and had been preparing to go to court alleging discrimination. She is currently Director and Chief Consultant at Paropakar Maternity and Women’s Hospital.

Anil Kumar Sinha, Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs

Anil Kumar Sinha was appointed as a Supreme Court Justice in 2016, and retired in 2023, after reaching the age limit of 65. Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal was formerly also given the responsibility of leading the Ministry of Law. Sinha specialises in tax and corporate law.

Most recently, Sinha was a member of the Supreme Court bench that issued a verdict allowing an investigation into misappropriation of government land at Lalita Niwas in Baluwatar.

Sinha played a significant role in the eventual impeachment of the then chief of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA) Lokman Singh Karki ion 2016 over legality of his appointment. He also resolved the dispute concerning the first dissolution of the House of Representatives by then-Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on 20 December 2020.

OTHER NAMES

Ajaya Bhadra Khanal, research director of the thinktank Center for Social Innovation and Foreign Policy (CESIF Nepal) is likely to be appointed the chief adviser to the Prime Minister.

GenZ campaigners have also suggested the name of veteran Nepal Airlines aptain Vijay Lama for the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation. Rights activist Mohna Ansari, heritage conservationist Ganapati Lal Shrestha and Mansi Bhattarai, daughter of former Maoist prime minister Babauram Bhattarai have also been floated for various ministries.

PM Karki has said she will limit her cabinet to 11 members for 22 ministries. Karki is likely to handle two or more ministries herself. At present, Kulman Ghising is leading three ministries while Om Prakash Aryal has two.