Minister Kharel urges Press Council to function as empowered, autonomous body

Kathmandu: Minister for Communication and Information Technology Jagadish Kharel has urged the Press Council Nepal to work in a way that makes the public see it as an empowered and autonomous institution.

At a reception organized in his honor today, Minister Kharel emphasized result-oriented work, especially as the general election approaches and political activities increase. He highlighted the need to monitor and regulate social media platforms operated by individuals and stressed the state’s responsibility for media outlets registered with the Press Council.

Minister Kharel called for the Council to function as a “court of the mass media,” noting that rapid technological developments have outpaced legal provisions, creating challenges like the spread of false, hateful, and misleading information on social media. He suggested broadcasting awareness content and forming a task force to assess the manpower and equipment needed for effective regulation.

He also stressed strict monitoring to ensure compliance with the media code of conduct ahead of elections, clarifying that while the Press Council is autonomous, the ministry is ready to provide policy support.

On the occasion, Ministry Secretary Radhika Aryal assured full support, while Council member Bal Krishna Adhikari noted that the Council continues to operate despite limited technical staff and budget. Chief Administrative Officer Jhabindra Bhusal briefed the minister on the Council’s functioning.