Deepak Kumar Sah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party has taken charge of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security at a time when war and instability in key labour destinations are threatening foreign employment.

Sah, 34, elected from Mahottari-2, defeated Sharat Singh Bhandari, who had served as labour minister 19 times and held the post until the Gen Z movement in September last year. His appointment places him at the centre of a sector under pressure, with more than 2,000 youths leaving the country daily due to limited domestic opportunities.

His immediate challenge is to translate broad policy ideas into action. The ministry faces the task of reforming labour laws, improving service delivery, strengthening grievance mechanisms, and expanding bilateral labour agreements, while ensuring rescue and relief systems remain responsive.

The return of migrant workers and the need to utilise their skills and capital domestically also remain key priorities. Addressing fraud in foreign employment, ensuring transparency in recruitment costs, and strengthening labour diplomacy are seen as critical but difficult areas.

The government’s push for self-employment and jobs creation includes vocational education, agricultural modernisation, cooperative farming, entrepreneurship training, subsidised loans, and market access. However, weak coordination between education, finance, agriculture, and local governments has historically undermined such initiatives.

Policy reform is another major area. Separating labour and employment policies, developing a labour market information system, balancing demand and supply, and producing skilled workers are on the agenda. Yet lack of reliable data, weak private sector collaboration, and slow implementation have hindered progress in the past.

Integrating fragmented skill development programmes, aligning training with job demand, and promoting public-private partnerships are also key priorities. However, the gap between training and actual employment remains a persistent issue.

Improving industrial relations, revising labour laws, strengthening tripartite mechanisms, enhancing inspections, setting a stable minimum wage system, and expanding social security coverage are also required. But institutional weaknesses and a lack of trust between workers, employers, and the government could limit progress.

Labour administration expert Purna Chandra Bhattarai said the real test for the new minister lies in delivering results rather than making new announcements. “We have enough policies and plans, but implementation is the real test,’ Bhattarai said. ‘The challenge for the new labour minister is not just making new announcements, but delivering results.”