Kathmandu, Oct 27: Nepal’s interim government, led by Prime Minister Sushila Karki, added new faces to her Cabinet on Sunday. The Prime Minister continues to hold several ministerial portfolios.She inducted Sudha Gautam, a former Health Secretary, as Minister for Health and Population, and Bablu Gupta, a social activist, as Minister for Youth and Sports. Gupta is regarded as one of the prominent faces of the Gen Z movement. The duo took the oath of office before President Ram Chandra Poudel during a ceremony at the President’s Office.
Although two other names had been circulated for ministerial appointments, they were not included in Sunday’s expansion. A group of Gen Z leaders had urged Prime Minister Karki to appoint ministers from among Gen Z representatives, as most of the previously appointed ministers were professionals.
This is the third time Karki has expanded her Cabinet since being appointed interim Prime Minister on September 12, following the Gen Z protests that ousted then Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli.
Prime Minister Karki first expanded her Cabinet on September 14, inducting three ministers — Rameshore Khanal as Finance Minister, Kulman Ghising to head multiple ministries (Physical Infrastructure and Transport; Urban Development; and Energy), and Om Prakash Aryal as Home Minister.
On September 22, she carried out the second expansion by appointing four new ministers — Anil Kumar Sinha, Mahabir Pun, Madan Prasad Pariyar, and Jagadish Kharel — to various portfolios.