Sushila Karki sworn in as Nepal’s first female Prime Minister.

 

Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki has been sworn in as the head of Nepal’s interim government, becoming the country’s first-ever female Prime Minister. She took the oath of office on Friday (September 12) at 9 p.m. local time at the presidential residence. President Ramchandra Paudel administered the oath.

Among those present at the ceremony were Nepal’s Vice President Ramsahay Yadav, Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Rawat, Army Chief Ashok Raj Sigdel, and Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava, who congratulated the newly appointed Prime Minister.

According to *NDTV*, following Karki’s swearing-in, it was decided that general elections in Nepal will be held on March 5, 2026. Her appointment came after discussions between Gen-Z protest leaders, President Paudel, and Army Chief Sigdel, who reached a consensus to resolve the ongoing crisis.

The Oli government had fallen after three days of intense protests sparked by restrictions on social media and widespread anger over corruption. Initially, it seemed protesters had unanimously agreed on Karki as interim Prime Minister. However, within 24 hours, reports emerged of divisions among demonstrators.

Some groups of protesters demanded that engineer Kulman Ghising, who rose to prominence for solving Nepal’s electricity crisis, be appointed Prime Minister. His name was even formally proposed in a statement. Before that, following Oli’s fall, another popular name floated was Balendra Shah, the independent mayor of Kathmandu and a well-known rapper. But the 35-year-old declined, openly endorsing Karki instead.

At 72, Karki is not new to breaking barriers. She was Nepal’s first female Chief Justice, serving from 2016 to 2017. Now, she has made history again by becoming the first woman to lead the Himalayan nation as Prime Minister.

Karki enjoys considerable support among the youth—particularly the Gen-Z protesters who led the movement that toppled Oli’s government. Known for her honesty, integrity, impartiality, and credibility, she is especially respected for her uncompromising stance against corruption.

As Chief Justice, she did not hesitate to confront the government, sending a sitting minister to jail and clashing directly with those in power. However, her judicial career was not without turbulence. Less than a year into her tenure, impeachment proceedings were launched against her, widely seen as politically motivated. The motion was eventually dropped under public pressure, but the episode left her disillusioned, and she later stepped down.