Key Takeaways:

• Recruitment pause linked to organisational restructuring after ministries cut from 22 to 18
• Ministries barred from seeking PSC approval without OPMCM consent until restructuring ends
• Vacant posts will be filled once staff adjustment is complete

KATHMANDU, JULY 21 The government has clarified that the temporary suspension of requests for permanent recruitment through the Public Service Commission (PSC) is an administrative measure linked to the restructuring of ministries and staff management, and not a halt to future recruitment. In a notice issued on Sunday, the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM) said the government is in the final phase of organisational and management surveys following the reduction of ministries from 22 to 18. The exercise aims to realign organisational structures and adjust civil service positions in newly formed and merged ministries and agencies. The notice stated that some positions could become surplus once the restructuring process is completed. In view of the ongoing staff adjustment, a secretaries' meeting held on July 20 decided that ministries and agencies should not seek approval for permanent recruitment through the PSC without prior consent from the OPMCM. However, the government clarified that recruitment for vacant posts would proceed regularly through the PSC after the completion of staff adjustment and organisational restructuring. Dipa Dahal, Press and Research Adviser to Prime Minister Balendra Shah, said the decision was taken to streamline internal staff realignment and employee management following the reduction in the number of ministries. 'This administrative decision has been made to systematically manage internal staff adjustment and employee deployment after the number of ministries was reduced from 22 to 18. Once this process is completed, recruitment for vacant positions will move forward regularly through the Public Service Commission,' Dahal said. According to the OPMCM, ministries may seek recruitment for positions that remain vacant after staff adjustment or for newly approved posts created through the organisational survey process. The requests, however, will be considered only after the restructuring exercise is finalised.