Nepal's interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki has today administered oaths to her first three cabinet members, marking a tentative step toward stability in the Himalayan nation reeling from a week of violent protests that claimed over 70 lives and forced the previous government from power.

The ceremony, held under a tent outside the fire-scarred presidential office, saw President Ram Chandra Paudel swear in Om Prakash Aryal as home minister, alongside his oversight of law, justice, and parliamentary affairs; Kulman Ghising for energy, infrastructure, transport, and urban development; and Rameshwor Khanal for finance. Broadcast live on national television, the event underscored the transitional government's focus on addressing the unrest that began on September 8, triggered by a controversial social media ban and fueled by youth frustration over corruption and economic stagnation.

Karki, a 73-year-old former chief justice and Nepal's first female prime minister, was installed on September 12 following negotiations brokered by the army chief amid chaos that saw parliament, the Supreme Court, and government buildings torched. The Gen Z-led protests, organized largely through Discord servers with over 145,000 members, demanded an end to elite corruption and "nepo kids" favoritism, escalating into the deadliest unrest since the 2008 abolition of the monarchy. Official figures report 72 deaths, including protesters, police, and prisoners who escaped during the turmoil, with 191 still hospitalized and thousands of inmates at large.

The appointees bring targeted expertise to the crisis. Aryal, an advocate renowned for anti-corruption and human rights cases, steps into the home ministry role amid calls for accountability in the protest violence. Ghising, hailed for resolving Nepal's chronic power outages as former Nepal Electricity Authority head, takes on infrastructure to tackle urban decay exposed by the unrest. Khanal, a veteran economist and ex-finance secretary, faces the daunting finance portfolio, where youth unemployment exceeds 20 percent for ages 15-24 and GDP per capita lingers at $1,447, per World Bank data.

Karki's interim administration, backed by student leaders who polled her as their choice on Discord, has dissolved parliament and set elections for March 5, 2026. The army lifted a nationwide curfew on Saturday, but tensions persist with reports of ongoing arrests and compensation pledges of 1 million Nepalese rupees (about $7,000) for victims' families.

While protesters celebrate the shift toward transparency – Karki's judicial record includes landmark rulings against ministerial corruption – critics question the constitutional path to her appointment and warn of fragility without swift reforms. As the new ministers assume duties, Nepal braces for the challenges of rebuilding trust in a polarized landscape.