The former Chief Justice of Nepal, Sushila Karki, has taken the oath as the interim Prime Minister of Nepal. She was the frontrunner for the post since the first day of the Gen-Z protests. Gen-Z representatives and other leaders regarded her as someone capable of managing the country during this crisis. The government was overturned by the Gen-Z protestors, creating unrest in the country since Monday. Prime Minister K.P.Sharma Oli, with other ministers, was forced to resign after the unrest, which resulted in the death of at least 50 people in Nepal.
Who Is Sushila Karki?
The leader chosen by the Gen Z movement is jurist Sushila Karki, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal, and notably, the only woman to have ever held that position. Karki became Chief Justice on July 11, 2016. In 2017, an impeachment motion was filed against her in Parliament by the Maoist Centre and the Nepali Congress. However, the motion was later withdrawn following public pressure and an interim order by the Supreme Court, instructing Parliament not to proceed with the impeachment.
10 Facts About Sushila Karki
- Sushila Karki was Nepal’s first female Chief Justice. She served as Chief Justice from July 2016 to June 2017.
- She is also the first woman prime minister of Nepal.
- During her tenure, she followed a zero-tolerance policy against corruption.
- Karki was born as the eldest of seven children.
- She is fond of India and hopes to maintain a strong and friendly relationship with the country.
- Her family came from a farming background.
- Her family had close ties with BP Koirala, who was Nepal’s Prime Minister from 1959 to 1960.
- She completed her BA from Mahendra Morang Campus in 1972.
- She earned her MA in Political Science from Banaras Hindu University in 1975.
- She completed her Bachelor of Laws from Tribhuvan University in 1978.
- During her tenure, Information and Communications Minister Jaiprakash Prasad Gupta was convicted in a corruption case.
Education and Career
Sushila Karki completed her Bachelor of Arts degree from Mahendra Morang Campus, Biratnagar, in 1975. She went on to earn a Master’s degree in Political Science from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India. She later obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Law from Tribhuvan University, Nepal.
Karki began her law practice in Biratnagar in 1979. Prior to that, she briefly worked as an assistant teacher at Mahendra Multiple Campus, Dharan, in 1985. She became a Senior Advocate in 2007.
She was appointed an Ad-Hoc Justice at the Supreme Court on January 22, 2009, and later became a Permanent Justice on November 18, 2010.
Karki served as the Acting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from April 13, 2016, to July 10, 2016, and was officially appointed Chief Justice from July 11, 2016, until June 7, 2017.
Literary Career
Sushila Karki has also made a mark as a writer. Her autobiographical book, Nyaya, was published on September 28, 2018. Her second book, a novel titled Kara, was released in December 2019. The novel is set in Biratnagar Jail, where she herself was imprisoned during the Panchayat regime.
