Questions Mount Over Nepal Telecom Authority Chair Appointment as Cabinet Approved Pick Before Interviews Ended

Kathmandu. Serious questions have emerged over the appointment of the new chairperson of the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), with documents and timelines suggesting the Cabinet approved the appointment before the interview process for all shortlisted candidates had concluded.

The controversy centers on the appointment of Arjun Ghimire, whose selection has prompted concerns over transparency and adherence to the competitive selection process.

The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology had shortlisted candidates for project presentations and interviews as part of the open competition. Among the initial candidates was IT expert and former Nepal Police Deputy Inspector General Dr. Rajib Subba. However, after the government recommended him for the post of Election Commissioner on July 3, he withdrew from the NTA chairperson race.

Following Subba's withdrawal, the ministry revised the interview schedule and moved another shortlisted candidate, Sanaullah Khan, into the vacant time slot. Khan told TechPana that his interview began at 2:50 p.m. and lasted about 50 minutes. The final shortlisted candidate, Sushil Prasad Shah, was interviewed afterward, with the process continuing until around 5 p.m.

However, ministry sources said Minister for Communication and Information Technology Bikram Timilsina had already left for the Cabinet meeting with the proposal to appoint the new NTA chairperson before the final interview concluded. According to the sources, the proposal submitted to the Cabinet included the names of Arjun Ghimire, Madhu Sudan Dahal of Nepal Telecom, and Janardan Bhatta of Thapathali Engineering Campus.

Questions Raised Over Timing

Technical analysis of photographs shared from the Cabinet meeting has further fueled questions about the appointment process.

According to information shared through the Prime Minister's official WhatsApp group, the Cabinet meeting began at 4:12 p.m. on July 8. TechPana's metadata analysis of photographs from the meeting indicates they were taken at approximately 4:08 p.m., before the meeting officially began.

At the same time, the interview of the final shortlisted candidate was still underway at the ministry. The sequence of events has raised questions over whether the Cabinet considered the appointment proposal before the evaluation process had been completed.

Further scrutiny has arisen because government spokesperson and Minister for Education, Science, and Sports Sasmit Pokharel briefed the media on Cabinet decisions at around 4:43 p.m. that day but did not announce the appointment of the NTA chairperson, despite the proposal having reportedly been presented.

Appointment Announced After Oath Ceremony

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The ministry formally disclosed Arjun Ghimire's appointment only after administering his oath of office on Monday.

A press statement issued following the ceremony stated that the Cabinet had approved the appointment on July 8, despite the decision not being publicly announced immediately after the Cabinet meeting. The delayed disclosure has prompted further questions about the transparency of the appointment process.

Selection Process Also Under Scrutiny

Concerns have also been raised over the shortlisting process itself. Several experienced candidates from Nepal Telecom and the Nepal Telecommunications Authority, including former Nepal Telecom Managing Director Buddhi Prasad Acharya, Narendra Man Singh Maharjan, and former NTA Director Ambar Sthapit, were not shortlisted despite their extensive experience in the telecommunications sector and regulatory affairs.

By contrast, newly appointed chairperson Arjun Ghimire comes from an administrative background rather than a technical telecommunications role, prompting experts to question the basis of the selection.

Earlier, on May 21, TechPana had reported concerns over the eligibility criteria outlined in the Ministry's selection guidelines. Critics argued that the requirement for government employees to have served at least 10 years in a first-class gazetted position at the 11th level or above effectively excluded many technically qualified professionals from the NTA and Nepal Telecom.

Although the ministry later stated that all 32 applicants met the minimum eligibility requirements, the circumstances surrounding the selection process have continued to fuel debate over the fairness and transparency of the appointment.

पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: असार ३०, २०८३ १५:५