President Ramchandra Paudel revisited the order of precedence of the ministers on Tuesday, reducing the ranking of the Home Minister, Sudan Gurung, from third to fifth.

As per the new order of precedence of the Balendra Shah cabinet, Gurung is now placed after Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal and Energy Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha. Their protocol was revised in accordance with Article 76(9) of the Constitution of Nepal, which allows the President to set the order on the government’s recommendation.

While the rankings of some ministers have been elevated, others have been reduced. The protocol of Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens Sita Badi was upgraded from 15th to eighth position, and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Sobita Gautam has also been elevated from 12th to seventh position.

Similarly, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation Khadak Raj Paudel has also been reduced from the seventh position to the 12th position. Minister for Education, Science and Technology, Sasmit Pokharel, and Bikram Timilsina, Minister for Communications and Information Technology, are among those who have seen a significant reduction in their order of precedence.

The Shah's government has 14 ministers in its Cabinet.