Pradip Paudel

Pradip Paudel is a Nepali politician and former Nepalese Minister of Health and Population. He has been serving as general secretary of Nepali Congress party since 2026 having been elected from special convention of party. He was elected to House of Representatives from Kathmandu 5 in 2022. Paudel began his political career with the Nepal Student Union, the student wing of the NC.

Political career Paudel started his political career as a Nepal Student Union (NSU) leader at the Amrit Campus in Kathmandu. He was first elected as a Free Student Union president in 1996. From 2000-2002, he served as a central committee member of the NSU. He was subsequently elected as the vice president of Nepal Student Union for three consecutive terms from 2002-2007, after which he served as president of the Nepal Student Union from 2007 to 2012.

In September 17, 2014, then Prime Minister Sushil Koirala appointed Paudel as a member of the NC Central Committee, bringing him to the forefront of national politics within the Congress Party.

In the 14th general convention of the NC held from December 13–15, 2021, Paudel ran for the office of General Secretary of the NC under the panel led by Sher Bahadur Deuba, however he lost the election to two youth politicians Gagan Thapa and Bishwa Prakash Sharma. He was once again appointed Central Committee Member of the NC party President Sher Bahadur Deuba.

In the 2022 Nepalese general election, he was elected as the member of the 2nd Federal Parliament of Nepal. He eventually supported the candidacy of Gagan Thapa for parliamentary party leader in the NC against Sher Bahadur Deuba voicing the need for youth and change in national politics.

Minister of Health (2024–2025) Paudel was appointed Minister of Health and Population on 15 July 2024 in the cabinet of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli. During his tenure, he announced plans to operationalise approximately 700 basic hospitals nationwide from 17 July 2025, supported by an annual recruitment of 2,500 health personnel and dedicated budget allocations. He has prioritised the modernisation of federal hospitals through extended outpatient services, online appointment systems, and digital health integration linking health records with national identity systems.

Paudel has also prioritised improving coordination between the federal, provincial, and local levels for healthcare delivery. His ministry has advanced plans to strengthen supply chain systems for essential medicines and medical equipment, and to expand telemedicine services in rural and mountainous regions.