Kathmandu, March 28 -- Deepak Kumar Sah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party has taken charge of the Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security at a time when war and instability in key labour destinations are threatening foreign employment.

Sah, 34, elected from Mahottari-2, defeated Sharat Singh Bhandari, who had served as labour minister 19 times and held the post until the Gen Z movement in September last year. His appointment places him at the centre of a sector under pressure, with more than 2,000 youths leaving the country daily due to limited domestic opportunities.

His immediate challenge is to translate broad policy ideas into action. The ministry faces the task of reforming labour laws, improving service delivery, strength...