Kathmandu. Newly-appointed Minister for Education, Science and Technology, and Youth and Sports Sashmit Pokharel has assumed office in Singha Durbar today. Minister Pokharel said that the party was very sensitive towards the people’s mandate and would work with a target to fulfill the commitments made by the party within the next five years. He said that he took the trust of the voters as his responsibility. “We see the vote as a responsibility, not just an endorsement,” he said.

Regarding the reforms in education sector, Minister Pokharel said that the government has a plan to expand the successful programmes implemented in Kathmandu Metropolitan City to the national level. Priority would be given to capacity building of teachers, improvement of school infrastructures, operation of result-oriented programmes and promotion of scholarships, he said.

Minister Pokharel said that a policy would be brought to link information technology, AI, health and sports with education from a very young age. Talking about the sports sector, he said that a plan would be put forward to provide proper training and nutrition to the players from a young age for long-term improvement. He made it clear that sports would be developed from the school level by changing the trend of producing players based on security agencies.

Expressing concern over the growing politicization in sports and education sector, Minister Pokharel pledged to control it. “Politics is not taking place where it is necessary, it is not taking place where it is not necessary. ’

He also pledged to make Nepal’s education and sports sector competitive, systematic and result-oriented keeping in mind the modern technology and global change.

Pokharel, who was elected to the House of Representatives from Kathmandu constituency-5 on a Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) ticket, has been appointed as the Minister for Education, Science and Technology. He had defeated Nepali Congress general secretary Pradip Poudel, former senior vice-chairman of CPN-UML Ishwor Pokharel, former chairman of Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP) Kamal Thapa and other top leaders of established political parties.

Born in Kathmandu on Falgun 1, 2052 BS, Pokharel had been pursuing alternative political movement. Pokharel, who started his political career with Bibeksheel Sajha Party, had joined Ujjwal Thapa’s election campaign in 2074 BS.

He graduated in law from Kathmandu University and completed his 12th grade studies in the United States. He had contested for the post of State Assembly member from Kathmandu-5 (A) as an independent candidate in 2079 BS. After that, Pokharel worked as an education and assistant expert in urban planning in Kathmandu Metropolitan City.