Nepal’s first open competition for ambassadorial appointments has drawn overwhelming interest, with around 3,000 people applying for 13 ambassadorial and permanent representative posts by the Friday deadline.

The government invited applications from eligible Nepali citizens for the posts on May 28, publishing a seven-page terms of reference outlining the selection process. Officials said applications were received from a wide range of candidates.

“We have had an overwhelming response,” said a senior foreign ministry official. Officials said the figure includes some duplicate applications, as individuals could both apply directly as well as be recommended by others for the same position. In some cases, 10 applications have been lodged for a single candidate.

Due to server issues and technical glitches, some people have applied multiple times online while also sending their resumes through postal service, according to officials.

It is not immediately known who have applied for the positions, but officials said that several sitting bureaucrats, retired security officials, retired bureaucrats, university and college teachers, journalists, people serving in different international organisations and other professionals who meet the criteria, have submitted applications.

After the ministry got a large number of applications, it issued a public notice on Wednesday stating that some applicants have recently seen error messages on the online application platform due to heavy traffic.

Some aspirants who had talked to the Post after the applications were called said they were applying as the government had committed to transparency, meritocracy competitiveness and was promoting qualified people in different political appointments.

The government made the open calls, amid an ongoing debate over whether ambassadorial appointments should be made through open competition or be reserved for experts and experienced individuals. Traditionally, ambassadorial appointments have been split evenly between political nominees and career diplomats from the Foreign Service.

Officials at the ministry say the screening process will begin when Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal returns from New Delhi after his three-day visit starting Friday. The shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews and asked to make presentations before final selections are made.

The proposed names will be sent to the Cabinet for recommendation process. Even though there has been a large number of applications, it is not necessary that all 13 candidates will be picked from among them.

The ministry said the open call was made in line with the Good Governance (Management and Operation) Act and Ambassador Appointment Guidelines.

At present, 17 diplomatic missions are vacant, and by the end of August, another seven will become headless, bringing the total number of ambassadorial appointments required to 24.

The open competition is for postings in India, China, the US, the UK, Australia, Israel, South Korea, Austria, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Oman and Saudi Arabia, among others, as well as in several international organisations.

While the government is preparing to start the screening process, the Supreme Court, acting on a writ petition, has ordered the government to submit a written clarification on whether previously established criteria and standards have been followed in the whole process.

The petition by advocate Deepak Bikram Mishra argues that the government failed to follow its own previous guidelines and instead established qualifications through a public notice, and therefore the decision should be suspended.

The petitioner has claimed that under existing guidelines at least 50 percent of ambassadorial appointments should come from Nepal’s Foreign Service, with only the remaining positions filled through open competition. Therefore, opening all positions to open competition is allegedly inconsistent with the guidelines.

A single bench of Justice Abdulajij Musalman ordered the government to clarify whether the criteria was breached, as claimed by the petitioner.

Although the petitioner requested that the entire appointment process be suspended immediately, the Court declined to issue an interim order, stating that a decision on that matter would be made after hearing arguments from both sides.

The petition also alleges that many ambassadorial positions abroad have remained vacant for extended periods because the Ministry of Foreign Affairs “deliberately failed to recommend candidates in a timely manner.”

According to the petition, the directive requires the ministry to make preliminary selections from a pool of qualified candidates and then recommend either senior officers of Nepal’s Foreign Service or distinguished individuals who have made significant contributions to Nepal’s foreign policy, international relations, and diplomacy. The petition claims that the government’s current process violates these provisions.