Kulman Ghising (, ) is a former managing director of
Nepal Electricity Authority
Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), founded on 16 August 1985, is the parent generator, transmittor and retail distributor of electric power under the supervision of the government of Nepal.
NEA has its own power plants. In addition it also buys ...
He resolved the country's long-standing load-shedding (power outage) crisis, which had resulted in power cuts of up to 18 hours per day for decades after assuming office in his first term.
Early life and education
Mr. Ghising was born in Bethan village of
Ramechhap District
Ramechhap District (), a part of Bagmati Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, also known as Wallo Kirat Ramechhap, has its district headquarters in Manthali and covers an area of . In 2011, the district had a ...
in eastern Nepal,
[ and went to Dahoo Secondary School as a child.][ He moved to ]Kathmandu
Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...
and went to Balsewa Secondary School in Jhochhe, starting in the seventh grade.[ He graduated high school from Amar Adarsh Secondary School and went to Amrit Science College for the Intermediate degree.][ He received free scholarship from Regional Institute of Technology in Jamshedpur, India, to become an electrical engineer.][ He completed his post-graduate studies from Pulchowk Engineering College.][
]
Career
Ghising was appointed the managing director of NEA on 14 September 2016 by a cabinet decision. He had been associated with NEA for over two decades prior to the appointment. At the time of the appointment, he was serving as the project chief of Rahughat Hydroelectricity Project, having been managing director of the Chilime Hydropower Company before that. Experienced in power trade and distribution, he said eliminating load shedding would be one of his main focus, in an interview following his appointment.[ By ending the policy of providing 24 hours uninterrupted power supply to a few large industries at the expense of the general public, he immediately eliminated power cuts in the major cities, and reduced power cuts to other parts of the country to around two hours every other day. He overhauled the hydropower generation system storing water during low demand hours, and bringing online power plants that had been inoperative due to poor maintenance. He launched a public awareness campaign to discourage the use of high-power domestic equipment during peak hours.][ Load-shedding was eliminated across the country, for both residential and industrial sectors by May 2018.][
On August 11, 2021, Kulman Ghising was reappointed for his second term. However, he was removed from his position on March 24, 2025, despite his tenure being scheduled to end on August 9, 2025. The government decision to remove him caused widespread criticism and protests.
Kul Man Ghising's dismissal as managing director of the ]Nepal Electricity Authority
Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), founded on 16 August 1985, is the parent generator, transmittor and retail distributor of electric power under the supervision of the government of Nepal.
NEA has its own power plants. In addition it also buys ...
on March 24, 2025, sparked protests across Nepal. Supporters criticized the government's decision, viewing it as unjust given his success in eliminating load-shedding. The protests revealed divisions within the ruling coalition, with even Nepali Congress
The Nepali Congress ( ; Abbreviation, abbr. NC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a Social democracy, social democratic List of political parties in Nepal, political party in Nepal and the largest party in the country ...
leaders opposing the move, raising concerns about potential unrest.
References