February 13: The Supreme Court has declined to issue an interim order to halt the appointment process of the chairman of the Nepal Telecommunications Authority (NTA), thereby allowing the government to proceed with the selection process.

SC justices Sushmalata Mathema and Nahakul Subedi rejected the petition demanding a stay order, thereby enabling the government to continue the appointment process for the NTA chairman.

According to the Nepal Telecommunications Act of 2053, candidates for the post of chairman of the NTA must have held a first-class or higher position in the governmental or institutional hierarchy and possess expertise and experience in technical, administrative, market management, financial, or legal sectors related to telecommunications services.

This eligibility criterion faced objections from advocates Anant Raj Luitel, Pratibha Upreti, and Bishal Thapa, who filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court, arguing that it discriminates against individuals from the private sector.

Despite these objections, the Supreme Court's decision on Monday has cleared the way for the government to proceed with the NTA chairman appointment process.