Arjun Narasingha KC () (born 27 September 1947), also known as ANKC, is a Nepali politician and former professor, currently serving as a member of the Pratinidhi Sabha representing the Nepali Congress.Nepali Congress Party KC has served as minister in various coalition governments holding Education, Health, Housing & Physical Planning and Urban Development portfolios.
Following the 14th General Convention of the Nepali Congress, KC was elected senior leader in the party's Central Executive Committee, advocating for anti-corruption laws, transparency and accountability in the parliament and within the party. He was subsequently re-elected following his support for the 2nd special convention of Nepali Congress held on 10 January 2025. He previously also served as Joint General Secretary and spokesperson of the party.
Early life and education
Arjun Narasingha KC was born on 27 September 1947 to Bhagwan Singh KC and Yasoda Devi KC in Rautbesi, Nuwakot.
KC holds a LLB, as well as, a master's degree in political science both from Tribhuwan University, Kathmandu, Nepal. Prior to entering politics, he was a Professor and Head of the Political Science department at the Tribhuvan University and also a practicing advocate.
In addition, he completed a fellowship at Tufts University, Fletcher School of Diplomacy, Boston, USA in International Relations and Foreign Policy decision making in 1982.
Political career
Early activism and student leadership KC first entered the political arena being elected as the General Secretary of Shanti Vidya Griha High School from 1961 to 1963. At the age of 15, while still a student, he was imprisoned for the first time due to his involvement in democratic activism. Over the course of his life, he served a total of six years and nine months in prison for his steadfast commitment to democratic principles.
He then served subsequently as the Vice Chairperson and Chairperson of National (currently known as Shanker Dev Campus) from 1964 to 1967.In 1973, he was elected as the Central Member of the Democratic Socialist Youth League convened by the NC in Varanasi.
KC led the Student Rally Coordination Committee, a student assembly organizing committee formed by BP Koirala before the establishment of the Nepal Student Union (NSU), where Ram Chandra Poudel and Sher Bahadur Deuba, were appointed as members. He is a founding member and coordinator of the NSU. At the instructions of the senior Congress leadership, KC ran and won a seat in the 1981 Rastriya Panchayat Election, contesting as an independent.Shaha, Rishikesh. Politics in Nepal 1980–1990. New Delhi: Manohar Publications, 1990. p. 111. KC first served as the State Minister for Health under Surya Bahadur Thapa from 1982 to 1983 and then as the Minister for Health, Education and Physical Planning from 1995 to 1999.Reports healthnet.org.np Archived copy KC was elected as a member of parliament twice in the 1991 and 1994 parliamentary elections.
Bangladesh Liberation War (1971) During the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, KC, as a student leader, played a significant role in supporting the Bangladeshi independence movement. Under the leadership of BP Koirala, the Nepali Congress purchased and stored arms in Varanasi, India, which KC helped supply to the Mukti Bahini. This effort was part of a broader strategy by the Nepali Congress to align with Bangladesh's fight for independence, viewing it as a means to advance their own movement for parliamentary democracy in Nepal. Between 2011 and 2013, Bangladesh conferred the Bangladesh Freedom Honour on 335 individuals to recognize their significant contributions. A national committee, comprising ministers, civil servants, and civil society representatives, was established to identify these distinguished "Friends of Bangladesh". KC was awarded the Honour for his role in the independence movement.
Minister of Health and Population (1995–1997) In 1996, KC played a critical role in the overhaul of the Nepali healthcare system aimed at getting the surplus of doctors in urban areas to move out into the understaffed hill and terai regions. Contemporary reporting in ''The Lancet'' noted strong incentives, more rapid promotion, and increased allowances and training opportunities for those working in underserved regions of Nepal. In addition, stricter enforcement of promotion criteria, and limitation of "kaaj"-the oft-used loophole by which a doctor posted to the hills could arrange a return to the city on a temporary but indefinite transfer. The new legislation restricted this practice to one month per year. In addition, the parliament passed several key pieces of health legislation during this period. These included the Nepal Nursing Council Act, 2052 (1996), which established a regulation body for nurses in Nepal; the B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital Act, 2053 (1996), creating the country's national cancer referral center; the Nepal Health Professional Council Act, 2053 (1997), which covered allied health professions; the Nepal Health Service Act, 2053 (1997), which governed the recruitment, deployment and promotion within the national healthcare system. The Nepal Health Service Rules (1999) later codified the provisions on postings and transfers of healthcare professionals.
Moreover, KC focused on public health programs for prevention and as such National Immunization Days against polio were conducted annually from 1996, covering ~3.3 million children under-five each year. Nepal's polio programme reported >80% coverage in 1996–1998.
KC had expressed cautious support for private-sector involvement in healthcare while prioritising public service programs. In discussions with development partners, KC argued that foreign donor funding should focus on district and rural health services rather than private care. KC emphasised investment in training health personnel and stated that donor-supported projects would be welcomed if they resulted in more qualified staff.
Minister of Education (1998–1999) KC was once again appointed as the Minister of Education, in the Second GP Koirala Cabinet. KC significantly advanced the recognition of Nepali educational qualifications by facilitating agreements with foreign countries to ensure the equivalence of Nepali degrees for international higher education. His efforts enabled Nepali students to pursue further studies abroad more effectively, overcoming previous challenges where Nepali degrees were often deemed outdated or unrecognized for foreign academic purposes.
In 1998, the old neoclassical garden in Keshar Mahal was to be demolished for the construction of a commercial center. However, KC on the advice of Karna Shakya stopped the demolition work at once and declared it open to the public with a new name, Garden of Dreams.
In 1999, KC was nominated as the Chief of the International Relation Department of the Nepali Congress party. On 25 September 2000, KC was appointed as the spokesperson of the NC by then party president Girija Prasad Koirala.
Role during the 2006 Pro-Democracy movement
KC was the Coordinator of Kathmandu Valley on behalf of NC in Seven Party Alliance (SPA) for People's Movement against the direct rule of Former King Gyanendra.
On 16 February 2005, Nepali Police arrested KC at the party office in Sanepa for the first time since the king clamped a state of emergency and banned protests, detained key party leaders and suspended fundamental rights. KC spent three months in prison before being released and he was arrested again a week after while attending a party meeting in Banke, Nepal.
KC was appointed as the Joint-General Secretary by GP Koirala after the 11th General Convention of the Nepali Congress, which was held in Kathmandu in August 2005.
After the King announced the restoration of the dissolved House of Representatives on 24 April 2006, KC called the decision "the victory of the people's movement," echoing the SPA's public stance as protests wound down. The political backdrop to these events was the SPA–Maoist 12-point memorandum of understanding of November 2005, which set the roadmap for ending autocratic monarchy and restoring multiparty democracy.
Federal republic era KC was a candidate from Nuwakot 1 (constituency) in the 2008 Nepali Constituent Assembly election but lost to CPN (Maoist) candidate Bimala Subedi. On 21 September 2010, KC was elected for the third time as the Central Committee member in the 12th General Convention of the Nepali Congress, securing the second highest votes - 2,034 out of 3,087 votes cast.
The first constituent assembly was dissolved due to its failure to promulgate the constitution in time. The second constituent assembly elections were held on 19 November 2013. Once again, KC placed his candidacy from Nuwakot 1 and was elected with a margin of over 8,000 votes against UCPN (Maoist) candidate Bimala Subedi.
During the constitutional discussions, KC reaffirmed his support for federalism. In 2014, he openly declared his party's commitment to a seven‑state federal model, emphasizing the importance of decentralized governance in meeting the aspirations of diverse communities.
Minister of Urban Development (2016–2017) During his stint at the Ministry of Urban Development, KC played a strong role in promoting sustainable development goals while formulating the fiscal program for the upcoming year. On 23 April 2017, KC instituted the People's Housing Program with the goal of providing 25,000 homes to the disadvantaged communities outside the valley.In addition, on 26 April 2017, KC gave the final nod to begin the construction of the outer ring road in Kathmandu to make urbanization more systematic. The proposed 71.93 km road was shelved for over 13 years due to political infighting and corruption. The first phase of the construction of the outer ring road will commence along 6.6 km Chobhar-Gamcha-Satungal stretch from the forthcoming fiscal and cover approximately 8,000 ropanis of land area belonging to over 14,000 landowners. Of the total length of the ring road, Kathmandu, Lalitpur and Bhaktapur will have a coverage of 35.08 km, 15.80 km and 21.05 km respectively.
Moreover, KC also authored the foreword to Nepal's National Report to the UN's Habitat III Conference in Quito on 18 October 2016, outlining priorities for sustainable and systematic urbanization. In his address, he reaffirmed Nepal's commitment to fostering inclusive and sustainable cities. KC emphasized the importance of building disaster-resilient infrastructure in response to the 2015 Nepal earthquakes, advocating for the "build-back-better" principle as a core principle of Nepal's reconstruction strategy.
Political activities (2017–2022)
He lost in the 2017 elections to CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) common candidate Narayan Khatiwada.
In November 2020, when the government moved to remove the phrase "Federal Democratic Republic" from Nepal's official name, KC criticized the effort. He described it as "an unfortunate and bad omen," noting that it was in violation of Article 4 of the 2015 Constitution.
In the 14th General Convention, KC played a leading role forming the Koirala-KC-Thapa camp in preparation for the party elections. KC was once again elected to the Central Working Committee with 2,650 votes, during the 14th General Convention. On 28 January 2022, KC was nominated to the Central Executive Committee, consisting of the top leadership of the Congress Party, by party president Sher Bahadur Deuba.
On 17 February 2022, KC released a book Brief History of the Nepali Congress''' at the official residence of the Prime Minister in Baluwatar. PM Deuba launched the book and expressed the view that all the citizens should read the book written by KC, saying the book would be a guideline to anyone who wanted to know about the party's history.
House of Representatives (2022–2025)