Fact Check
Did the government remove over 1,200 officials at once?
Short answer: Yes.
On 3 May 2026 President Ramchandra Paudel issued the “Ordinance on special provisions relating to the removal of public officials from office, 2026”. It removed more than 1,200 officials appointed before 26 March 2026 to public bodies governed by about 110 laws. Tribhuvan University, Nepal Airlines, the Nepal Electricity Authority, health science academies and many others lost their leadership at once.
Criticism
- Former UGC chair Bhim Prasad Subedi warned that so many simultaneous vacancies would cause confusion.
- Critics noted officials were removed without individual legal review or a chance to respond.
- Attention turned to how replacements would be chosen — some of those appointments are now in our tracker.
The government’s argument
To clear out appointments shared out along party lines by previous governments and open the way for merit-based appointments. It has also moved, for the first time, to open competition for ambassador posts.
Response from those concerned
Any response from the people concerned will be added here.
Sources & evidence
- Kathmandu Post — New government strikes down most major appointments made prior to March 26 (3 May 2026) kathmandupost.com
- Nepal News — Balen Shah’s government at 100 days english.nepalnews.com
- Kathmandu Post — Government set to open competition for ambassador posts, a first in Nepal (29 Apr 2026) kathmandupost.com