From “choose the capable” to “choose our own”? The questions over appointments

At the heart of the Gen Z uprising was anger at the “Nepo Kids” — the privileges enjoyed by the families and circles of the powerful. Both governments formed since promised merit-based appointments. What do the appointments in our tracker show?

The pattern

• Family: a minister’s wife on the insurance board; the brother and sister of the PM’s chief advisor in government posts; the wife of the interim PM’s personal secretary in the secretariat.
• Familiarity: a former colleague of the ruling party chair heading the state newspaper corporation; someone from the minister’s hometown at the Pashupati trust.
• Process: appointments without competition; a complaint that Nepal Airlines scores were ignored; vice-chancellors chosen by competition but with scores unpublished and inclusion questioned.

The other side

• RSP removed its own minister, Deepak Kumar Sah, over his wife’s appointment — an example of accountability.
• The government has moved, for the first time, to open competition for ambassador posts.
• RSP has drawn a red line on nepotism in lawmakers’ offices.
• Posts such as chief advisor or personal secretary are political positions of trust by nature; competition is not mandatory.

Our question

Action against rule-breakers is welcome. But three members of one family, several contested appointments by one minister in one week, and undisclosed “merit” criteria — the government owes answers. We are waiting for them and will publish any we receive.