Thapa appointed Chair of TU Service Commission

Jha named Ministry Advisor

 

Kathmandu, July 1

The government has appointed former secretary and urban planner Kishor Thapa as Chair of the Tribhuvan University Service Commission.

The appointment was made by Prime Minister and Chancellor of Tribhuvan University, Balendra Shah.

The Chair Recommendation Committee, led by Pro-Chancellor and Minister for Education and Sports Sasmit Pokharel, had reviewed applications, conducted evaluations and interviews, and recommended three candidates to the Chancellor for the position.

Widely recognised as an architect and urban planner, Thapa has contributed to Nepal's civil service for more than four decades in a range of senior leadership roles. He previously served as Secretary at the Ministry of Urban Development, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, and the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat, among other government institutions.

He played a leading role in the formulation and implementation of several major government policies and programmes, including the National Housing Plan, the National Urban Development Strategy, the Technical and Vocational Education and Training Policy, and Nepal Tourism Year 2011.

Following the 2015 earthquake, Thapa served as an expert member of the Steering Committee of the National Reconstruction Authority, contributing to the country's post-disaster reconstruction efforts. He brings extensive experience in housing, urban development, infrastructure, disaster management and public policy.

Likewise, Professor Dr. Rejina Maskey has also been appointed as a Member of the Commission.

Meanwhile, Shailendra Jha, has been appointed Advisor to the Ministry of Education and Sports.

Jha is currently undertaking academic study and professional research at Vanderbilt University in the United States under the prestigious Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship (2025–26) funded by the U.S. Department of State.

Previously, Jha served as a Board Member of the Kathmandu Metropolitan City Urban Planning Commission, where he oversaw education, technology and social innovation. In that role, he led policy development, strategic planning, resource mobilisation and monitoring for the Metropolitan City's Education Department, Social Development Department, and research and innovation initiatives.

He also spent nearly eight years with Teach for Nepal. Jha is the founding Chair of BITS Leader International Pvt. Ltd. Academically, he holds Master's degrees in Information and Communication Engineering from Germany, Development Management from the Philippines, and Applied Economics from Bangladesh.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 2 July 2026.