President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to four newly-appointed ministers on Monday, further expanding the interim cabinet led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki.
Those sworn in at a ceremony held at the President’s Office, Sheetal Niwas, were former Supreme Court Justice Anil Kumar Sinha, National Innovation Center founder Mahabir Pun, journalist Jagadish Kharel, and agriculture scientist Madan Pariyar.
According to the allocation of responsibilities, Sinha has been assigned the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, and the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation. Pun has been given the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Kharel will head the Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology, while Pariyar has taken charge of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development.
This is the second expansion of the cabinet since Karki assumed office as interim prime minister on Sept 12 following the GenZ movement. With the new appointments, the size of the council of ministers has reached eight.
Earlier, the prime minister had inducted Kulman Ghising, Om Prakash Aryal, and Rameshore Khanal as ministers. Following Monday’s reshuffle, Khanal has been given the additional responsibility of the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration alongside the Ministry of Finance. Aryal has been relieved of the law portfolio and will now look only after the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Despite these additions, Prime Minister Karki continues to retain nine ministries under her direct control. These include the ministries of Foreign Affairs; Defense; Health and Population; Women, Children and Senior Citizens; Labor, Employment and Social Security; Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation; Forests and Environment; Urban Development; and Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation.
The swearing-in ceremony was attended by senior officials including Speaker Dev Raj Ghimire, National Assembly Chair Narayan Prasad Dahal and Prime Minister Karki. This is the first time Speaker Ghimire gave his attendance in an official forum after the recent political shuffle.
After assuming office, the newly-appointed ministers outlined their priorities. Education Minister Pun said his immediate focus would be on strengthening science, technology and innovation. He cautioned against the tendency to form unnecessary committees, stressing that resources should be directed to practical programs with measurable outcomes.
Pun assumed office in Keshar Mahal. Following the arson during the GenZ movement that damaged the Ministry of Education inside Singhadurbar, the new education minister’s office was prepared at Keshar Mahal.
Speaking to journalists, Pun said he would not speak much immediately as his appointment was sudden. “If I were Shiva or God, I would have said I’ll do this and that using my third eye. But suddenly, I’ve been brought here as a minister. I don’t want any perks or facilities. I’ll stay here in the ministry with just a bed,” he said. In a lighthearted tone, he added, “The ministry must have a kitchen. I’ll cook and eat here and sleep here as well.”
Pun stressed that he would quickly implement good suggestions received during his tenure. He said his top priority would be science, technology and innovation, in line with the ministry’s mandate. While education is also linked to his portfolio, he said he would not immediately speak about reforms and changes in education. He noted that he never wanted to become a minister, but circumstances brought him here.
The new minister emphasized that merely forming committees would not be enough; rather, concrete actions must be taken. Before signing his first decision upon assuming office, Pun made this point clear. Ministry officials had requested him to sign a decision to form a new committee of think tanks. Officials explained that based on the opinions and suggestions of experts in the field of science and technology, the ministry had decided to form a committee to guide future policies and programs, identifying four key areas to begin with.
However, Pun objected, saying forming committees alone would not suffice without securing financial resources. He pointed out that issues often remain stuck in ministries for want of funding. “Committees are always formed, but nothing progresses. The real issue is resources. We must first secure financial sources. Things have stalled simply because there’s no money. We need to identify where funds can come from,” Pun said.
Pun announced that a team of experts would be formed to work on the Education Act. Asked what the Act would look like, he admitted, “I don’t know yet. I’ll form a team of experts, and based on their advice, I’ll move forward.” Since parliament has already been dissolved, rendering all parliamentary committees inactive, he appealed to experts to provide honest recommendations.
Asked about people calling him the “scrap minister,” Pun requested not to be addressed as a minister outside the ministry premises. He also said he would engage young people between the ages of 16 and 30 in his work. On the issues of ending corruption and ensuring good governance raised by the GenZ generation, he stated that his ministry would also pay close attention.
Information Minister Kharel announced that his ministry would launch a campaign to expand free internet services in public spaces across 10 major cities within the next five months. He said the initiative would improve digital access for citizens, particularly students and professionals who rely on public connectivity.
Kharel refused to sign the first decision prepared by ministry staff, instead asking them to bring a different one. Later, his first decision was to provide free internet service in public places across 10 major cities within five months. At his swearing-in and subsequent press conference, Kharel vowed to deliver visible results “with dust and ashes still in hand,” expressing his wish to trust Nepal’s bureaucracy and pledging non-interference in their work.
Industry Minister Sinha, who appeared visibly emotional during his remarks, recalled those who lost their lives in the recent GenZ protests. He pledged that the sacrifices of the youth would not be forgotten and said his ministry would prioritize reforms aimed at promoting justice and transparency. He signed his first decision to provide employment opportunities for families of martyrs and the injured from the protests, as well as to prioritize domestic products in government procurements.
Agriculture Minister Pariyar emphasized the importance of modernizing agriculture and strengthening farmers’ livelihoods. He said his ministry would work to ensure food security, boost productivity and promote sustainable practices in the sector. He approved the formation of a coordination committee to implement Nepal-Korea cooperation on potato and rice crop research.
Addressing journalists, Pariyar pledged to work differently in the agriculture sector, prioritizing elections while also tackling governance issues and corruption. Experts stress that Nepal’s agriculture is in crisis, with multidimensional problems such as land ownership, access to quality seeds and fertilizer, irrigation, climate change, global trade policies, and weak infrastructure. They argue that long-term systemic solutions are needed to build resilient and inclusive agricultural systems. Pariyar now faces the challenge of addressing farmers’ dissatisfaction, resource limitations and market management issues during his tenure.
The expansion of the cabinet comes at a time when the Karki-led interim government is under pressure to respond to the demands raised during the GenZ movement, which called for accountability, reforms and better governance. The appointment of professionals and experts from outside traditional party politics has been seen as a response to public sentiment.
