Badrinath Shrestha came into limelight after the third general convention of Nepal Student Union (NSU) when he was elected joint secretary of the Tribhuvan University committee.

A member of one of the most popular families of Dharan and a close relative of Ganesh Man Singh, Shrestha took part in all democratic movements of his time. Whether the 1990 people’s movement or the 2006 revolution, Shrestha was always at the frontline of the fight for democracy. He was detained several times for taking part in protests.

After 1990, Shrestha started his career in administration as member-secretary of the National Sports Council. He is widely hailed for his calm yet bold approach to decision-making. Although he was aligned with a political party, his work reflected no political bias.

When Nabin Prakash Jung Shah was appointed vice-chancellor of TU in 2001, Shrestha was called to join his advisory team. Before that, he had worked as assistant dean of the Food Technology department of Central Technical Campus, also known as Hattisar Campus. During Shrestha’s time in the VC's office, the post of exam controller of TU became vacant, and he was transferred there.

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When Shrestha entered the office of the exam controller in Jamal,  it was a total mess. Shrestha commissioned a separate building in Balkhu. Shah remembers Shrestha as a determined and passionate person. “Police apprehended both of us during the 2006 movement and detained us for 18 days,” Shah recalls.

Bipin Dhoj Karki, former exam deputy controller at Tribhuvan University, remembers Shrestha as a friendly person, both at personal and professional level. “His decisions were universally accepted as he sought advice from every staff member, no matter their position,” Karki adds.

Twelve years after retiring as exam controller, he was made the chairman of the Service Commission of Purbanchal University. As soon as his tenure ended, Shrestha traveled to Australia to visit his daughter—just before the Covid-19 pandemic. But his vacation was extended for an extra two years because of the lockdown and travel restrictions.

Soon after he returned to Nepal, he suffered from liver-related problems and was referred to a hospital in New Delhi, India. Shrestha passed away on October 16, three days before his 75th birthday. He is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.