In 2008, Nepal declared itself a federal democratic republic. The 2015 Constitution formalised it. But who would have thought, on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the Constitution, the Himalayan nation of 30 million people would be picking its Prime Minister at the Army Headquarters?

Editorial | Generational rage: On the upheaval in Nepal

After Nepal’s youth-led protests against misrule and corruption led to the fall of the K.P. Sharma Oli government last week, the Army stepped in to maintain law and order, with Army chief Gen. Ashok Sigdel appointed as the chief negotiator. When youth campaigners, largely dubbed as Gen Z, proposed the name of Sushila Karki, Gen. Sigdel facilitated the process to appoint her as the head of the new government. She was administered the oath of office by President Ram Chandra Poudel on Friday at a brief ceremony. Ms. Karki, the first woman Chief Justice of Nepal, is now the country’s first woman Prime Minister.

Born on June 7, 1952, in Biratnagar, some 380 km southeast of Kathmandu, she holds a Master’s degree in political science from Banaras Hindu University, and a law degree from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu.

She married Durga Subedi, who was then a leader of the Nepali Congress. A 1973 plane hijack to raise funds for the Nepali Congress was reportedly masterminded by Mr. Subedi.

Those who have worked with her and known her personally say Ms. Karki has maintained probity throughout her career. Her anti-corruption stand has been exemplary.

She began her career in law in 1979 and became a senior advocate in 2007. Two years later, she was appointed a Supreme Court judge. In 2010, she became a permanent justice of the Supreme Court.

After serving as Acting Chief Justice from April 13 to July 10, 2016, she was appointed Chief Justice on July 11. She retired on June 7, 2017. Her refusal to bow to political pressure earned her a reputation as a woman of mettle, while also inviting an impeachment motion by the Nepali Congress and the CPN (Maoist Centre). The motion was later withdrawn after the Supreme Court barred further proceedings.

Balram K.C., a former Supreme Court judge, says there could not have been any better person to lead the country at this time. “The Gen Z campaigners, whose entire campaign was against corruption, are right to back someone who always championed clean and transparent governance,” he said. Since her retirement, Ms. Karki has remained active in public forums on various judicial and social issues, including anti-corruption efforts.

She rose to public prominence as a judge in 2012 when she convicted Nepali Congress leader J.P. Gupta in a corruption case while he was still serving as Minister of Information and Communications. It was she who had issued the order to reopen a case against then-Chief of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Lokman Singh Karki, in response to a review petition. Later, in a landmark verdict, a full bench of three justices, excluding her, disqualified Lokman Singh from office in 2017. Ms. Karki’s decision to revive the case had drawn widespread attention at the time.In yet another landmark ruling, she directed the government to investigate an Army official in the rape and murder of Maina Sunar, a case that became a symbol of human rights violations from the state side during the 1996–2006 Maoist insurgency.

On more than one occasion after her retirement, she publicly stated that political party leaders often exert undue pressure to appoint judges under “their quota” — a revelation of how the judiciary was being politicised and maligned. Hardly any politician has escaped her straightforward and scathing opprobrium. Despite making it to the Supreme Court on the Nepali Congress quota, Ms. Karki never hesitated to call out Congress leaders for their wrongdoings and misconduct.

Lok Raj Baral, a professor and former Ambassador of Nepal to India, says his acquaintance with Ms. Karki goes back a long way and he has always been impressed by her no-nonsense personality. “She speaks her mind and refuses to compromise,” Mr. Baral said. “It’s her integrity that gives her the strength.”

That is not to say she is without controversy.

She has faced allegations of favouring political figures in judicial appointments and of lacking impartiality in some decisions. In 2013, when then-Chief Justice Khil Raj Regmi was picked by Nepal’s political parties to lead an interim government to oversee elections to the Constituent Assembly, Ms. Karki and then-Acting Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha had argued that Justice Regmi’s dual role was against the spirit of the Interim Constitution.

At the time, criticism had mounted that a sitting Chief Justice leading the executive violated the principle of separation of powers. So, as Ms. Karki was being considered to lead an interim government — akin to the one once led by Mr. Regmi — some critics were quick to point to her past stance.

However, observers say it’s not the right time to dwell on past incidents and debate over the constitutionality of the process.

“If one were to split hairs, one can find foibles in everyone. So that’s not the issue here. Her anti-corruption stand has been impeccable and our Gen Z fought to root out corruption,” Mr. Balram said. “What needs to be ensured is that Ms. Karki and her soon-to-be-formed Cabinet get full support of the people for a smooth transition.”

Immediately after assuming office on Friday night, Ms. Karki, as the Prime Minister, recommended dissolution of Parliament and declared elections for March 5, 2026.

“What has been plaguing this country is the lack of rule of law, rampant corruption, and the highhandedness of political parties,” Ms. Karki has said on multiple occasions at public forums. “Once all these are rooted out, no one can stop Nepal from charting the path of peace and prosperity.”

As Ms. Karki is set to form a Cabinet, immense challenges lie ahead — she has to launch an independent probe into the September 8 violence in which 19 young people were killed, and a criminal investigation into September 9 arson and vandalism, restoring confidence among the Nepali people.

The biggest task on her shoulders is to conduct free and fair elections to restore the democratic and constitutional process and give back Parliament its inherent right to pick the Prime Minister.

Published – September 14, 2025 01:36 am IST

Nepal President Ram Chandra Poudel appointed former Chief Justice Sushila Karki as the country’s new Prime Minister and dissolved the Parliament on Friday (September 12, 2025), as days of political turmoil showed signs of abating in the Himalayan nation. He also announced fresh elections on March 5, 2026.

President Poudel has announced elections to the House of Representatives for March 5, 2026. The House dissolution comes soon after Ms. Karki was sworn in as the Prime Minister of an interim Cabinet.

Mr. Poudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to Ms. Karki at a brief ceremony.

Ms. Karki, 73, the first woman Chief Justice of Nepal, is now the country’s first woman Prime Minister.

Following hectic meetings that began late on Thursday (September 11, 2025), Mr. Poudel on Friday (September 12, 2025) evening agreed to dissolve Parliament, a key demand of Gen Z protesters who brought down the government of K.P. Sharma Oli on September 9, and decided to appoint her as head of an interim government.

She will soon form a Cabinet that will oversee the next elections within six months, according to the Office of the President.

Also read: Nepal unrest highlights | Sushila Karki becomes first woman to lead government

Even after Gen Z campaigners agreed on Ms. Karki’s name as the leader of the next government, a dispute over the dissolution of Parliament had delayed the process of her appointment.

‘House dissolution non-negotiable’

Mr. Poudel has held several rounds of consultations with Ms. Karki and other legal experts, facilitated by the Army, since Thursday (September 11, 2025) night. According to sources and experts he consulted, the Nepali President was extremely concerned that dissolving Parliament before appointing the head of government could give a free rein to the new Cabinet, with nobody to hold it accountable.

Ms. Karki, however, backed the protesters’ demand that the House be dissolved. Protesters argued that if Parliament was not dissolved, the same old parties against whom they fought would retain their control and influence.

Sudan Gurung, a prominent Gen Z campaigner, said on Thursday (September 11, 2025) that House dissolution was non-negotiable, echoing Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, a leading figure in the movement. Protesters had agreed on the choice of Ms. Karki only after Mr. Shah endorsed her.

Extended consultations

As young campaigners waited in front of the President’s Office throughout Friday (September 12, 2025), party insiders said Mr. Poudel had also consulted major political leaders, who told him that any action he took should remain within constitutional limits.

The Army, the key facilitator whose presence on the streets has ensured a semblance of calm, was waiting for the process to move ahead as soon as possible and was getting exasperated as the hours passed, sources said.

Though some expressed concerns that the process of appointing Ms. Karki fell outside constitutional bounds, constitutional expert Bipin Adhikari said it was “unlikely” to be challenged in court.

“Given that her appointment is a remedial measure taken at a time of crisis, its legitimacy is not likely to be questioned,” said Mr. Adhikari, who is also a professor of law at Kathmandu University. “Crises have been handled in a similar way in the past as well.”

Gen Z takeover

Nepal’s tech-savvy Gen Z, frustrated with the political class for their years of misrule and flashy, luxurious lifestyles, hit the streets. At least 19 people were killed in a brutal response by the Oli government on Monday (September 8, 2025), which triggered further protests and a sweeping social media ban. On Tuesday (September 9, 2025), the protests turned violent, as demonstrators stormed politicians’ homes, set them on fire, and manhandled them. They also burnt down key government infrastructure — the Supreme Court, Parliament, and Singha Durbar, the seat of the government — in a symbolic takeover of the state.

As the protests escalated, Mr. Oli stepped down and has been under Army protection since. After much deliberation, the campaigners locked in Ms. Karki’s name to lead a civilian government to clean up the mess created by political parties and lead the country forward.

Now that Ms. Karki has been given the helm of the country, a daunting task rests on her shoulders — staying true to the demands of Gen Z and overseeing elections to hand over power to a newly elected democratic government.

Anti-corruption crusader

Ms. Karki is widely regarded as clean and upright, with many even calling her an anti-corruption crusader. She holds a master’s degree in political science from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, and a law degree from Tribhuvan University. After serving as Acting Chief Justice from April 13 to July 10, 2016, she was appointed Chief Justice on July 11, 2016. She retired on June 7, 2017.

Lok Raj Baral, a professor and former Ambassador of Nepal to India, says that in the current context, the selection of Ms. Karki is wholly justified.

“The immediate challenges for her would be to maintain law and order, boost confidence among all organs of the state, and oversee elections,” said Mr. Baral, author of Nepal: From Monarchy to Republic, in an interview with The Hindu. “With her clean image and upright personality, I believe she will be able to carry out the task of peacefully handing over power.”

Top priorities

After assuming office, Ms. Karki will need to form a Cabinet by appointing Ministers to carry out essential functions of government while leading the country toward elections.

Mr. Adhikari says the first two priorities of the interim government should be an independent investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the September 8 carnage, and a criminal investigation into those who carried out attacks and arson against state infrastructure.

“The interim head also needs to pave the way for constitutional reforms to strengthen democracy and accountability,” he added.

MEA on the formation of Nepal’s interim government

The Ministry of External Affairs released a statement, welcoming the formation of Nepal’s new interim government. “We welcome the formation of a new Interim Government in Nepal, led by Right Honourable Mrs. Sushila Karki. We are hopeful that this would help in fostering peace and stability,” the statement read.

“As a close neighbour, a fellow democracy and a long term development partner, India will continue to work closely with Nepal for the well-being and prosperity of our two peoples and countries,” it said.

Published – September 12, 2025 10:39 pm IST

Nepal’s former Chief Justice Sushila Karki. File.
| Photo Credit: Reuters