Education Ministry shifts to Keshar Mahal; National Education Day celebrations cancelled

Following the devastating fire at its Singha Durbar office during the Gen-Z protests on September 9, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology will temporarily operate from the Keshar Mahal building in Lainchaur.

Secretary Chudamani Paudel confirmed that the move is a temporary arrangement while repairs and cleanup of the damaged Singha Durbar premises are underway. A team led by Chief Secretary Eknarayan Aryal inspected the site last Friday, noting that although physical infrastructure was heavily damaged, all-important documents were intact. However, vehicles parked at the ministry were destroyed in the blaze.

Keshar Mahal, recently renovated, had previously housed the Keiser Library and the Public Procurement Monitoring Office. These offices are now being adjusted to accommodate the Ministry’s functions. The cleanup of the fire-damaged areas is estimated to cost around Rs. 700,000, according to Joint Secretary Baikuntha Aryal.

In light of the ongoing challenges, the Ministry announced that National Education Day, normally observed on Ashwin 2 with award ceremonies and official programmes, will not be celebrated this year. Secretary Paudel stated, “We will extend formal greetings on the occasion, but no programmes will be organised.”

Meanwhile, Tribhuvan University has postponed all educational activities, including ongoing postgraduate and graduate exams, until the Chhath festival on October 28.

The Ministry emphasized that this temporary relocation will allow its services to continue while reconstruction and restoration efforts at the Singha Durbar office proceed.