Kathmandu, Oct 26 (IANS) 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.

Sinha oversees three ministries: Industry, Commerce and Supplies; Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs; and Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation. Pun serves as Minister for Education, Science and Technology, while Pariyar leads the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development. Kharel heads the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.

Even now, Prime Minister Karki is expected to further expand her Cabinet, as she continues to hold several key ministerial portfolios, including Foreign Affairs, Tourism, Defence, Water Supply, Labour, and Women and Children.

–IANS

int/scor/pgh