Supreme Court Upholds Rejection of Petition Against Prof. Dr. Bishwanath Paudel, Clearing Path for Governor Appointment

The Supreme Court has upheld its administrative decision to reject a writ petition filed against economist Prof. Dr. Bishwanath Paudel, paving the way for his potential appointment as Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank. The ruling was confirmed by Justice Sapana Pradhan Malla’s bench this evening, as stated by Supreme Court spokesperson Achyut Kuinikel.

With this decision, the government’s process to appoint Prof. Dr. Paudel, who has already secured consensus among the ruling parties, has been facilitated. The court’s move is expected to expedite the appointment procedure.

However, the possibility of future writ petitions challenging Paudel’s qualifications and other concerns has not been entirely ruled out following his appointment. Advocates Pratibha Upreti and Bishal Thapa had filed the initial petition in the Supreme Court, arguing against his appointment, which has now been dismissed.

Attention from investors and the public is now focused on the formal announcement of the appointment, though this decision is likely to spark further debate in the financial sector.