Kathmandu- The Government has quietly amended the eligibility criteria for appointing the governor of Nepal Rastra Bank.
A key revision to the Standards for Appointment of Officials and Members of Public Bodies under the Ministry of Finance, 2016 has eliminated the maximum age limit, allowing candidates over 65 to take the helm of the central bank.
Previously, Clause 3(g) of the standard mandated that candidates be at least 30 but no older than 65 to qualify for executive leadership roles in public institutions under the ministry. That restriction is now gone.
The government approved the amendment on March 10, fueling speculation that the move could benefit two high-profile candidates over 65—Dr. Rabindra Pandey and Rajendra Kishore Kshetri—who are both in the running for governor.
Kshetri, born in 1958, was forced into mandatory retirement as Chief Secretary in 2017 at age 58, per civil service rules. Pandey, born in 1955, previously served as an Executive Director at Nepal Rastra Bank for seven years before retiring 15 years ago.
With current governor Maha Prasad Adhikari set to step down on April 6, a three-member selection committee led by Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel is tasked with recommending his replacement.
