Newly appointed ministers assume office

Newly appointed ministers have assumed their respective offices today after taking an oath from President Bidya Devi Bhandari at the Sheetal Niwas.

Newly appointed Minister for Education, Science, and Technology, Shishir Khanal, promised policies and programs required to improve the quality of education in the country. The Minister said he would use his experiences in the education sector and remain effortful to enhance the education sector. Pledging to proceed with the introduction of the Federal Education Act and the University Umbrella Act, he said adjustment of teachers’ quota for schools, management of textbooks on time, implementation of post-COVID learning and teaching activities for further development of education sector and policy-level arrangements of quality improvement would be focused during his term.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation, Rajendra Lingden, also assumed office today. Shortly after, the Minister decided to form a three-member task force to prepare a five-year strategy for the development of domestic energy, water resources, and the energy sector. According to him, a planned approach in any development sector will help achieve substantive outcomes. He committed to utilizing his term at the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation to transform challenges into opportunities.

Similarly, newly-appointed Minister for Defence Hari Uprety assumed office at the Ministry of Defence in Singha Durbar. "The Minister's leadership role will not only contribute to the Ministry but will also be significant to the overall national independence, national unity, and national interest," Ministry Secretary Kiran Raj Arya said. The Ministry of Defence has the responsibility of formulating the laws, and policies for the overall national interest, security, defense, and the Nepali Army as well as carrying out monitoring, directives, and formulating the annual programs and budget. The Ministry has four Divisions and 83 employees.

Newly appointed Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Rekha Sharma, assumed office today shortly after she took an oath of office and secrecy before the Head-of-the State. The new Minister reached the Singha Durbar to assume office following the swearing-in ceremony at the Office of President, Sheetal Niwas. Assuming the office, the Minister digitally launched the ‘program to ensure access to communications’. On the occasion, the Minister pledged her special role to extend communications and technology services nationwide. She vowed to work collectively in efforts to make communications services easily and widely accessible.

Minister for Industry, Commerce and Supplies Damodar Bhandari made a decision on reviewing the commerce policy after taking charge of the Ministry today. He was assigned the portfolio of the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies today. After assuming office, Minister Bhandari reiterated that he would work for the development of industries in a way to create an environment in which the Nepalis working in foreign countries will be able to get employment within the country itself. The existing policy-level hurdles would be sorted out soon, he said and added that the Ministry would focus its activities on fulfilling the topics covered in the 21-point common program brought by the government.