KATHMANDU, Sept 22: Newly appointed Minister for Communications and Information Technology Jagdish Kharel assumed office on Monday, keeping his father as a witness.
After taking the oath of office and secrecy, Minister Kharel arrived at Singha Durbar the same day to take charge.
Kharel was accompanied by his father, Siddhi Prasad Kharel, who was introduced to the ministry staff. Siddhiprasad advised his son to perform well in his new role, he told journalists.
Minister of State for Communications pledges new mass communica...
After assuming office, Kharel chose to make his first decision personally and refused to sign a proposal brought by ministry employees, instructing them to prepare a new proposal.
Upon assuming office, he has announced a few key initiatives. He expressed commitment to expanding access to information and communication in honor of the sacrifices made during the Gen Z movement.
Minister Kharel prioritized the approval and implementation of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) policy. Recognizing that social media was the origin of the Gen Z movement, he also announced his first decision to provide free internet access in public spaces to ensure citizens’ access to information.
He outlined plans to make free internet available at major public locations in the Kathmandu Valley within the next two months and committed to expanding this facility to ten key public sites across the country within the next five months.
