Who Is Sushila Karki? All You Need to Know About Nepal’s First Female Prime Minister

New Delhi, September 12: Ending days of political uncertainty and unrest in Nepal, President Ram Chandra Poudel on Friday appointed former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki as the country’s interim Prime Minister. The move came after the fall of K P Sharma Oli’s government, which collapsed following violent protests triggered by a controversial social media ban and allegations of corruption. The appointment of Karki, 73, marks a historic moment as she becomes Nepal’s first woman prime minister, tasked with restoring calm and addressing the demands of a restless generation.

Karki’s appointment was endorsed by Gen Z protest leaders and Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah, who had emerged as powerful voices amid the nationwide demonstrations. Despite resistance from traditional political parties, President Poudel swore her in at Shital Niwas late Friday night, setting in motion an interim government outside the control of established political players. Her first challenge will be stabilising a nation rocked by mass protests, violence that claimed more than 50 lives, and widespread public anger over corruption and misrule. Nepal Political Crisis: Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki Appointed As Head of Interim Government, Set To Take Oath As PM Today.

Who Is Sushila Karki?

Sushila Karki is best known as Nepal’s first woman Chief Justice, serving from July 2016 to June 2017. Her reputation as a tough jurist, uncompromising on corruption and abuse of power, has propelled her into the political spotlight at a crucial juncture. During her judicial career, she presided over several landmark cases, including the conviction of a former Information and Communications Minister in a corruption scandal. She also survived an impeachment attempt in 2017 after lawmakers accused her of bias, a move that sparked massive public protests and was ultimately withdrawn. Nepal Political Crisis: Uncertainty Continues Over Interim PM Appointment; After Sushila Karki Gen Z Protesters Put Forward Kulman Ghising’s Name for Top Job.

Born in 1952 in eastern Nepal as the eldest of seven children, Karki studied political science at Banaras Hindu University in India before earning her law degree at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu. She began her career as a teacher and later built a legal practice in Biratnagar before joining the Supreme Court as a judge in 2009. By 2010, she was a permanent justice, and six years later, she rose to the top post. Her tenure was defined by a zero-tolerance approach to corruption, a stance that earned her both admiration and resistance.

Her personal life, too, intersects with Nepal’s turbulent political history. While studying in Varanasi, she met Durga Prasad Subedi, a Nepali Congress youth leader who became her husband. Subedi played a role in the infamous 1973 hijacking of a Nepal Airlines flight, during which party activists seized state funds to finance their armed struggle against the monarchy. This connection placed Karki close to the heart of Nepal’s long democratic struggle.

Karki’s rise to interim prime minister comes amid protests that left at least 51 people dead and over 1,300 injured after police fired on demonstrators. The unrest began when the Oli government banned social media platforms, sparking outrage among young people who accused the state of silencing dissent. Although the ban was later lifted, violence escalated, forcing Oli to resign.

President Poudel’s decision to appoint Karki reflects both a nod to the protesters’ demands and an effort to install a leader viewed as independent from entrenched party politics. Drawing comparisons to Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus’s appointment in Bangladesh last year under similar circumstances, her leadership is seen as a reset moment for Nepal. As she takes charge, her insistence on investigating corruption and state violence will test her ability to balance accountability with stability in a fragile political climate.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Sep 12, 2025 09:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).