Kathmandu, Sep 22 (IANS) Nepali President Ram Chandra Poudel on Monday administered the oath of office to four additional ministers of the interim government.
In a televised ceremony held at the Office of the President in Kathmandu, former Justice of the Supreme Court Anil Kumar Sinha was sworn in as minister for industry, commerce and supplies and minister for land management, cooperatives and poverty alleviation.
Sinha also oversees the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, which was originally put under the charge of Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal, Xinhua news agency reported. Mahabir Pun was sworn in as minister for education, science and technology, and Madan Prasad Pariyar as minister for agriculture and livestock development. Jagdish Kharel is in charge of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.
Sushila Karki, a former chief justice, was named as the prime minister of the interim government on Sept. 12, after KP Sharma Oli stepped down as prime minister on Sept. 9 over deadly protests in Kathmandu and other parts of the country.
The first three ministers were introduced into the interim cabinet on September 15.
A fresh general election in Nepal has been set for March 5, 2026.
Last week, reiterating India’s “unwavering support” for restoring peace and stability in Nepal, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) assured that as a close neighbour and fellow democracy, it will continue working closely with the Himalayan nation for the well-being and prosperity of people from both countries.
“When the new interim government happened in Nepal, we issued a statement. We welcomed the new interim government. Post that, we had a telecon conversation between our Prime Minister and Prime Minister Karki, where we reiterated and reaffirmed our steadfast support to Nepal that we’ll ensure all support in terms of establishing peace and stability,” said MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal during a weekly media briefing on Friday.
“We, as a development partner, fellow democracy, and a close neighbour, have extended all support to Nepal so that there is early restoration of peace and stability in the country. And, it is a relationship where we will be working together for the progress and prosperity of the peoples of the two countries,” he added.
Asserting India’s full support to Nepal, Jaiswal further said that India is ready to continue working closely with Nepal to further strengthen the special ties between the two countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held a telephonic conversation with Nepal’s Interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki and reaffirmed India’s steadfast support for her efforts to restore peace and stability in the Himalayan nation.
Following their talks, PM Modi in a post on X wrote, Had a warm conversation with Mrs Sushila Karki, Prime Minister of the Interim Government of Nepal. Conveyed heartfelt condolences on the recent tragic loss of lives and reaffirmed India’s steadfast support for her efforts to restore peace and stability. Also, I extended warm greetings to her and the people of Nepal on their National Day tomorrow.”
–IANS
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