KATHMANDU, JULY 5
Pushpa Raj Shahi, Secretary of Karnali Province and a senior civil servant, has achieved the unique distinction of topping the doctorate program of Peking University.
Shahi was first in China and 12th globally for the year 2025, according a statement here.
Shahi pursued his doctoral studies at the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development, Peking University, after joining the institution as a doctoral scholar in 2022. His PhD dissertation, titled "How State Derails from Reform: Political Instability, Inefficient Development Budget Implementation, and Economic Growth in Nepal", explores the critical structural and political challenges hindering Nepal's development trajectory.
A veteran bureaucrat, Shahi has served in several key government positions, including Director General of the Department of Immigration and Department of Money Laundering Investigation (DoMLI), operating out of Tribhuvan International Airport. He has also served as Chief District Officer (CDO) and District Development Officer (DDO) in various districts across the country.
At the federal level, Shahi held the position of Joint Secretary at the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies. In addition to his administrative career, he also worked as an economics lecturer for over a decade.
