Two LSE alumni appointed to Nepal’s new government
Two LSE alumni, Dr Swarnim Waglé (BSc Economics 1996) and Mr Dipak Kumar Sah (MSc Health Policy, Planning and Financing 2025), have been appointed as government ministers in Nepal’s new cabinet.
The country's 5 March general election took place after violent youth-led protests toppled the government last September. The Rastriya Swatantra Party won a clear majority in the election, marking the first time in decades that a single party has garnered a majority in Nepal.
Dr Swarnim Waglé - Finance Minister
Dr Waglé brings over 25 years of international economic expertise to the role. Before entering politics, he held senior positions at the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme, where he served as Chief Economic Advisor for Asia-Pacific across 36 countries. He also served on Nepal's National Planning Commission, playing a key policy role in post-earthquake needs assessment and reconstruction planning.
Upon taking office on Friday 27 March 2026, Dr Waglé signalled an agenda focused on economic reform and efficiency in government. Plans include the repeal of 15 outdated laws, including provisions related to the Department of Revenue Investigation, with an emphasis on improving the investment climate and supporting private sector growth.
Professor Ronny Razin, Head of the Department of Economics at LSE, said: "Dr Waglé's appointment as Finance Minister of Nepal reflects the kind of impact that LSE economics graduates go on to have in public life around the world. His career, spanning international development, economic policy and now government, is a strong example of economics applied to real and pressing challenges. We wish him well in the role."
Dipak Kumar Sah – Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security
Mr Sah was elected as a Member of Parliament for the first time in March's general election and was then appointed Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security on Friday 27 March 2026. He brings a background in public health and policy, with experience across the World Health Organization and the UK Health Security Agency.
In his first days in the role, Mr Sah outlined an immediate reform agenda for Nepal’s labour sector, focused on improving protections for migrant workers, streamlining labour permit processes and extending social security coverage.