KATHMANDU, May 2: Nepal witnessed a sweeping administrative shake-up on Saturday after President Ram Chandra Paudel endorsed an ordinance that led to the removal of nearly 1,600 public officials from their posts.
The “Special Ordinance on Removal of Public Officials, 2083,” issued on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, resulted in the immediate dismissal of 1,594 officials appointed through various political and statutory mechanisms across state institutions. The move represents one of the most extensive restructurings of public appointments in recent years.
The government has described the decision as an effort to strengthen administrative efficiency, reduce political influence in state bodies, and inject new momentum into public institutions through fresh appointments.
The ordinance affects officials serving in a wide range of constitutional bodies, public enterprises, regulatory authorities, universities, and development institutions. Those removed include chairpersons, vice-chancellors, directors, members, and chief executives appointed under various laws spanning more than five decades.
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The affected sectors include communications and media, education, health, energy, infrastructure, financial institutions, agriculture, environmental agencies, and social welfare bodies.
In the communications sector alone, officials from organizations such as the Press Council, national news agencies, and broadcasting institutions have been removed. Similarly, in the education sector, dozens of officials from major universities, including Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu University, and several provincial universities, have lost their positions.
The health sector has also seen significant changes, with officials from medical councils, health science institutes, hospitals, and research bodies being relieved of their duties.
Likewise, regulatory and infrastructure bodies such as the Nepal Electricity Authority, telecommunications authorities, aviation agencies, and financial oversight institutions are among those affected.
Officials from the Council of Ministers stated that many of these appointments were politically influenced and had resulted in inefficiencies across institutions. The ordinance, they said, is intended to “reset governance structures” and ensure merit-based appointments in the future.
A senior government official described the move as “a corrective step to streamline public administration and eliminate overlapping or politically motivated appointments that have accumulated over decades.”
Prime Minister Balen Shah’s Press and Investigation Expert, Dipa Dahal, said the move is aimed at strengthening administrative structures and revitalizing state institutions. “A total of 1,594 officials appointed through political processes under various laws and organizational frameworks will be collectively removed from their positions,” she said.
The government has also indicated that new appointment processes will begin shortly to fill the vacant positions, though no detailed timeline has been announced.
The large-scale removal is expected to trigger debate across political and administrative circles. Supporters of the decision argue that it could help professionalize public institutions and reduce political patronage.
Critics have questioned the sudden and collective dismissal of such a large number of officials, raising concerns about institutional continuity, legal implications, and potential political motivations behind the ordinance.
