All about Kulman Ghising, an India-educated power reformer in race for Nepal PM

A nationwide movement led by Nepal's Gen Z has gained momentum following the resignation of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. The protests, initially sparked by a government ban on social media platforms, have escalated into a movement against corruption and economic stagnation. Amidst this unrest, the Gen Z group has put forward former Nepal Electricity Authority Executive Chief Kulman Ghising to head the interim government.

The decision to propose Ghising comes after Balendra Sah and Sushila Karki, earlier nominees, were disqualified. In their statement, the Gen Z group endorsed Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah but noted he declined to accept it. This prompted them to turn to Ghising.

"Since Bolendra Sah has not shown interest, Hark Sampang has little chance of leading everyone, and Sushila Karki is incompetent and over 70 years of age, it has been decided to send Engineer Kulman Ghising, a patriotic person who is loved by everyone," stated the Nepali Congress General Secretaries.

Who is Kulman Ghising?

Kulman Ghising, 54, is renowned for resolving Nepal's long-standing power outage issue. His academic background in electrical engineering from the Regional Institute of Technology in Jamshedpur supports his expertise.

Later, he earned a Master's degree in power systems engineering from the Institute of Engineering, Pulchowk, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. The 54-year-old power engineer joined the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in 1994 and rose steadily through the ranks.

In 2016, he was appointed as the managing director of the NEA and is widely credited for putting an end to 18-hour daily power cuts and years of load-shedding in Nepal. After a 4-year stint, he was replaced in 2020 but returned to the post in 2021. 

An old axe to grind?

On March 24, 2025, Ghising received the shock of his life when the then KP Sharma Oli government removed him as the executive director of NEA, just 4 months before his tenure was about to end in August.

Hitendra Dev Shakya replaced Kulman Ghising shortly after. The opposition criticised his ouster as being driven by political interests rather than performance. 

Nepal protests update

The Gen Z movement, initially sparked by a social media ban involving 26 platforms like Facebook and YouTube, has evolved into a protest against governmental corruption and the lack of opportunities for youth. Thousands have taken to the streets in Kathmandu and other cities, resulting in violent clashes with security forces.

Security forces have responded to the protests with force, employing tear gas, rubber bullets, and live ammunition. The resulting confrontations have been deadly, with reports of at least 34 protesters killed and over 1,000 injured.