The Supreme Court has issued an interim order preventing the government from implementing a recent amendment that removed the upper age limit of 65 for the appointment of the Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank.

A single bench of Justice Nityananda Pandey issued the interim order on Tuesday, directing the Government of Nepal not to enforce the amended provision. The apex court has also summoned the government, the Ministry of Finance, and the Governor Selection Committee to appear before the court on April 20 to discuss whether the interim order should remain in effect.

The order comes in response to a writ petition filed by advocates Pratibha Upreti and Bishal Thapa, who argued that the government acted unlawfully by amending the criteria to favor a particular candidate.

The government had removed Section 3(c) of the “Criteria related to the Appointment and Nomination of Office-Bearers and Members of Public Bodies Affiliated to the Ministry of Finance.” The now-removed section had set the age requirement as: a minimum of 30 years for Chief Executive Officers, and between 35 and 65 years for other officials and members.

The petitioners alleged that the removal of the age limit was an attempt to appoint a candidate of the government's choosing without meeting established qualifications. They have also sought a mandamus order to reverse the amendment and ensure that a qualified individual is appointed as the Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank. -- RSS