National Governance Symposium 2025: Doing Development Differently

The National Governance Symposium (NGS), organized annually by Governance Lab, brings together government representatives, private sector leaders, civil society actors, and academia to foster dialogue on governance innovations and inclusive development in Nepal. Building on past successes, NGS 2025 is convened at a critical juncture. It seeks to move beyond traditional discourse by asking:

"How can we Do Development Differently? "

This year's symposium focuses on the strategic mobilization of four core resources: People, Money, Data, Technology - as foundational pillars for strengthening institutions and fostering a self-reliant, inclusive, and enterprising Nepal.

In collaboration with the Nepal Administrative Staff College (NASC), Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM), Daayitwa and Nepal Leadership academy, NGS 25 will provide a neutral, apolitical platform. It will center on authentic, grounded voices who are actively engaged in Nepal's current governance and development landscape, ensuring discussions are both relevant and actionable.

Objectives:

Introduce and explore the theme Doing Development Differently through lenses of people, money, data and technology
Create a platform for inclusive, evidence-based, and outcome-oriented conversations among diverse stakeholders, with an emphasis on genuine youth and alumni engagement
Identify concrete, innovative approaches to resource mobilization, institutional strengthening, and inclusive economic governance

PROGRAM AGENDA

8:00 AM - 9:00 AM

Registration/ Tea Coffee

9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Prithvi Hall

OPENING KEYNOTE PLENARY

Welcome Remarks

Dr. Nisha Onta, Founder and Executive Director, Governance Lab

Opening Remarks

Ms. Laxmi Devi Pandey, Chairperson of Hupsekot Rural Municipality and Chairperson, NARMIN

Special Remarks

Prof. Dr. Biswo Nath Poudel, Governor, Nepal Rastra Bank

Keynote Remarks

Chief Guest, Hon. Rameshore Prasad Khanal, Minister of Finance and Minister of Federal Affairs and General Administration

Session Chair Remarks

Mr. Ram Sharan Pudasaini, Executive Director, Nepal Administrative
Staff College

10:00 AM - 10:15 AM

Group Photo and Disperse to Respective Halls

Policy Studio 1:

Room A

10:15 AM - 12:00 PM

Policy Studio 2:

Room B

Policy Studio 1: PEOPLE

Reimagining Public Service Delivery: Leadership Requirements for a Resilient and Adaptive New Normal

Chair: Ms. Chandrakala Poudel, Secretary, Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration

Moderator: Mr. Anil Kumar Gupta, Deputy Director of Studies, NASC

Presenter: Dr. Guna Nidhi Sharma, Section Chief, Policy and Planning Division, Ministry of Health and Population

Speakers:

Mr. Kewal Prasad Bhandari, Former Secretary, Government of Nepal
Mr. Dila Ram Panthi, Joint Secretary, MoFAGA
Mr. Tulasi Sharan Sigdel, Senior Director of Studies, NASC
Dr. Sucheta Pyakuryal, Adjunct Professor, Tribhuvan University and Advisor, Governance Lab
Mr. Sanjay Pokharel, Senior Program Manager, Daayitwa

Knowledge Partner: Nepal Administrative Staff College (NASC)

Policy Studio 2: MONEY

Rethinking Financial Mobilization for a Self-Reliant Nepal

Chair: Dr. Ghanshyam Upadhyaya, Secretary, Ministry of Finance

Moderator: Mr. Sushant Vaidik, Daayitwa Fellowship Alumni/Former Economic Advisor to the Chief Minister of Lumbini Province

Presenter: Ms. Sabrina Singh, Daayitwa Fellow 2014 and Organizer, Mission Aasha

Speakers:

Mr. Baikuntha Aryal, Former Chief Secretary, Government of Nepal
Mr. Mahesh Bhattarai, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance
Ms. Preeti Adhikary, Founder, The Great Nepali Diaspora & General Partner, Momo Venture Capital
Mr. Hari Bhakta Sharma, Executive Director, Deurali-Janta Pharmaceuticals

Knowledge Partner: Daayitwa

12:00 PM - 1:00 PM

LUNCH

Policy Studio 3:

Room A

1:00 PM - 2:45 PM

Policy Studio 4:

Room B

Policy Studio 3: DATA

Using Integrated Statistics for Effective Policymaking

Chair: Mr. Rabilal Pantha, Secretary, National Planning Commission
Moderator: Ms. Supun Dahal, Daayitwa Fellow 2025 (OPMCM)

Presenters: Ms. Jenna Allard and Mr. Apurva Subedi, Inclusion Economics Nepal

Speakers:

Dr. Bhishma Kumar Bhusal, Joint Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers
Mr. Khomraj Koirala, Joint Secretary, National Planning Commission
Mr. Dhundi Raj Lamichhane, Deputy Chief Statistician, National Statistics Office
Ms. Arpita Nepal, Co-founder and Advisor of Research & Development, Samriddhi Foundation
Dr. Santosh Adhikari, Head of Economics Department, Kathmandu University School of Arts

Knowledge Partner: Inclusion Economics Nepal (IEN)

Policy Studio 4: TECHNOLOGY

Strengthening Governance through Pragmatic Digital Reform

Chair: Dr. Krishna Hari Pushkar, Secretary, Ministry of Labor, Employment & Social Security

Moderator: Ms. Anoushka Pant, Daayitwa Fellow 2025 (MoICS)

Presenter: Mr. Bibhusan Bista, Executive President, Young Innovations

Speakers:

Mr. Aadesh Khadka, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Communication & Information Technology
Mr. Prince Shah Chaudhary, CEO, SpeakUp Nepal
Mr. Gaurav Raj Pandey, President, Nepal Association for Software and IT Services Companies
Mr. Dipesh Tripathi, Founder, The Nepali Comment

Knowledge Partner: Young Innovations

2:45 PM - 3:00 PM

Tea Break/Gather at the hall

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Prithvi Hall

CLOSING KEYNOTE PLENARY

Doing Development Differently: Governance Reform for Inclusive Prosperity

Moderator: Dr. Pukar Malla, Founder and Chairperson, Daayitwa Abhiyaan

Presenter: Prof. Michael Callen, Associate Professor of Economics, London School of Economics and Political Science (video)

Plenary Speakers:

Mr. Gobinda Bahadur Karkee, Secretary, Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers
Dr. Ajay Bhadra Khanal, Chief Advisor to the Prime Minister
Mr. Hem Raj Dhakal, Co-Founder and Managing Director, IME Group
Ms. Swastika Shrestha, Co-Founder and CEO, Teach for Nepal
Ms. Monisha Chaudhary, Member, Gen-Z Movement Alliance

Knowledge Partner: Inclusion Economics Nepal (IEN)

Keynote Remarks: Special Guest and Session Chair, Mr. Suman Raj Aryal, Chief Secretary, Government of Nepal

Closing Remarks: Mr. Krishna Gyawali, Former Secretary, Government of Nepal & Senior Governance Advisor, Daayitwa

Vote of Thanks: Mr. Basanta Raj Sigdel, Deputy Executive Director, NASC

5:00 PM onwards

Hi-Tea and Networking

Event Photos

Event Videos