The government of Nepal has appointed Govinda Bahadur Karki as the new Chief Secretary, the highest-ranking civil service position in the country. The decision was made during a meeting of the Council of Ministers held on July 8 at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM).

Karki, who has been serving as Secretary at the Prime Minister’s Office, was promoted to the rank of Secretary on September 5, 2024, and has now been elevated to Chief Secretary after approximately 22 months in that capacity. His appointment follows his recent leadership role in overseeing key administrative reforms within the government.

Following the formation of the Shah-led administration, the Cabinet adopted a 100-point action plan that included a commitment to administrative reform, restructuring, and fiscal prudence. Among its objectives was the reduction of the number of ministries to 17. In line with this, on April 5, 2026, the Cabinet approved an organizational and management survey covering all ministries, secretariats, commissions, and subordinate bodies under the Nepalese government.

To facilitate the implementation of these reforms, a six-member Restructuring Management Secretariat was established under Karki’s leadership. At the time, he was serving as Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, where he was charged with steering the organizational review.

Karki’s elevation to Chief Secretary underscores the government’s emphasis on administrative restructuring and seeks to advance the execution of its reform agenda aimed at enhancing governance efficiency and fiscal management across Nepal’s public institutions.