Sharma Sworn in as NIA Chair

Finance Minister Rameshore Khanal on Friday, September 26, administered the oath of office and secrecy to newly appointed Chair of the Nepal Insurance Authority (NIA), Janak Raj Sharma, at the Ministry of Finance.

Sharma, Deputy Director General at the Excise and Investigation Division of the Inland Revenue Department, was appointed to the post by a Cabinet decision on September 25. He is expected to assume office later Sunday, according to the ministry.

His appointment comes in the wake of the dismissal of former chair Sharad Ojha on August 18. Ojha was automatically suspended after the government formed a probe committee to investigate his credentials.

Ojha, appointed NIA chair through a Cabinet decision on February 24, 2025, challenged his dismissal in court. His case names the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, the Ministry of Finance, and probe committee, its  coordinator and members, as well as the body tasked with recommending his successor as defendants.

Moreover, he reported back to the NIA on September 8 after the Supreme Court issued an interlocutory interim order directing the government not to immediately implement its decision to dismiss Ojha or move ahead with appointing a new chair. The order was issued by a single bench of Justice Sharanga Subedi. The Court has scheduled a hearing for October 12 to decide whether the order will continue.

The Ministry of Finance had sought clarification with the NIA regarding the reinstatement of Ojha.