Gorkhapatra Sansthan
Gorkhapatra Sansthan is Nepal’s oldest and most prominent state-run publishing house, wholly owned and operated by the Government of Nepal. It publishes several newspapers and periodicals, the most notable of which are the Nepali-language daily Gorkhapatra—one of South Asia’s longest-running publications—and its English-language counterpart, The Rising Nepal. Established in the early 20th century, the Sansthan continues to serve as a central arm of the government’s public communication apparatus.
Media assets
Publishing: Gorkhapatra, The Rising Nepal, Madupark, Muna, Yuvamanch
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
The Sansthan operates under the direct authority of the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology. It remains a fully state-owned enterprise. In September 2021, veteran journalist Bishnu Prasad Subedi was appointed as Chairman of the organization—a position he continued to hold as of mid-2025. His appointment signaled continuity in a governance model that has long been intertwined with state oversight.
Shiv Kumar Bhattarai was the Acting Editor-in-Chief of Gorkhapatra until May 2025, but he retired in late May 2025 due to reaching the age limit. His successor, Junar Babu Basnet, was appointed as Acting Editor-in-Chief effective from May 21, 2025. Bhimsen Thapaliya continues as the Editor-in-Chief (also referred to as Acting Editor-in-Chief) of The Rising Nepal as of May 2025.
Source of funding and budget
The organization’s financial backbone is comprised largely of government subsidies, which remain its primary source of income. A significant portion of its budget is also drawn from the state-controlled advertising fund, designed to sustain a variety of media outlets across Nepal. This dual support structure reinforces Gorkhapatra Sansthan’s dependency on state allocations for its operational viability.
Editorial independence
Despite its long-standing history and national reach, Gorkhapatra Sansthan is widely regarded as pro-government in its editorial stance. Expert assessments conducted for this report during March–April 2023 and again in March 2025 described its publications as closely aligned with the interests and narratives of the incumbent administration. The perception of bias has led to ongoing concerns about the credibility and independence of its journalism.
To date, no domestic legislation, third-party audit, or independent oversight body has been identified that could credibly vouch for the editorial autonomy of Gorkhapatra Sansthan’s publications. This absence of institutional safeguards continues to cast a long shadow over its journalistic integrity.
July 2025