The Minister of defence (Rakshā Mantri) is the head of the Ministry of Defence and a high ranking minister of the government of Nepal. The defence minister is one of the most senior offices in the Council of Ministers as well as being a high-level minister in the union cabinet.
List of ministers of defence Giri Prasad Burathoki, the defence minister during much of King Mahendra's reign, had himself been a highly decorated (retired) officer of the British Indian Army.
This is a list of all ministers of Defense since the Nepalese Constituent Assembly election in 2013:
+ Name Party Assumed office Left office 1 Interim Prime Minister Khil Raj Regmi Independent 11 February 2014 25 February 2014 2 Prime Minister Sushil Koirala Nepali Congress 25 February 2014 12 October 2015 3 Bhim Bahadur Rawal Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) 5 November 2015 1 August 2016 4 Bal Krishna Khand Nepali Congress 26 August 2016 31 May 2017 5 Bhimsen Das Pradhan Nepali Congress 26 July 2017 15 February 2018 6 Ishwor Pokharel Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) 26 February 2018 4 June 2021 7 Minendra Rijal Nepali Congress 8 October 2021 16 December 20218Hari Prasad UpretiCommunist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist)17 January 2023 27 February 2023 9Purna Bahadur KhadkaNepali Congress30 March 202314 July 202410Manbir RaiCommunist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist)15 July 20249 September 2025 Office Vacant (9 September 2025 - 27 March 2026)11 Balendra ShahRastriya Swatantra Party27 March 2026Incumbent
References
External links Official Website of Ministry of Defence