Prime Minister Balen Shah Completes Cabinet with 17 Members

Kathmandu. Prime Minister Balendra (Balen) Shah has completed the cabinet for the sixth time.

The cabinet was completed on Tuesday with the appointment of Home Minister Sudhan Gurung and Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Mahabir Pun. Gurung, who was previously the Home Minister in the Balen government, resigned on April 9 due to being implicated in a 'share connection' case with controversial businessman Deepak Bhatt.

Gurung has returned to his old responsibility after the high-level investigation committee formed by the government gave him a clean chit regarding the allegations against him. Pun, who was the Education Minister in Sushila Karki-led interim government, got the ministry of his choice.

In the previous government, he left with three months remaining in his ministerial term, became an independent candidate from Myagdi, and won.

The cabinet has become a 17-member cabinet. In the cabinet with a majority of youth under 40 years of age, Pun is the only elderly minister at 72 years old. He got the opportunity to become a minister from Rastra Swatantra Party even as an independent MP.

Prime Minister Shah himself is 37 years old. When the country gets a prime minister under 40 years of age after 52 years, Pun is the only one in the cabinet over 70 years old.

The youngest minister in Shah's cabinet is Sasmit Pokharel. He is the government spokesperson and Education Minister, and he is just 29 years old. Earlier, Industry, Commerce and Supplies Minister Gauri Yadav surpassed the oldest minister, former Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle. Gauri is 54 years old. Wagle is 51 years old.

Including Prime Minister Balen, there are 9 ministers in the cabinet between 30 and 40 years of age. Home Minister Gurung is 38, Physical Infrastructure Minister Sunil Lamshal is 35, Health Minister Nisha Mehta is 38, General Administration Minister Pratibha Rawal is 32, Law Minister Sobita Gautam is 30, Agriculture Minister Gita Chaudhary is 32, Youth, Labor and Employment Minister Ramji Yadav is 30, and Women and Children Minister Sita Wadi is 30 years old.

Education Minister Pokharel is the only one under 30 years of age.

There are 4 ministers between 40 and 50 years of age. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal is 47, Energy Minister Birajbhakta Shrestha is 44, Tourism Minister Khadakraj Poudel is 46, and Communication Minister Dr. Bikram Timilsina is 43 years old. There are three ministers over 50 years of age.

There are 8 ministers younger than Prime Minister Balen and 7 ministers older than him.

Meanwhile, Minister Pun has set his own tenure. After taking the oath of office, he said that he would remain in office for only three years and leave the remaining tenure to the youth.