Kathmandu: The newly elected General Manager of the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS), Sandip Rai, has assumed office at the RSS Central Office in Bhadrakali today. Executive Chairman Dharmendra Jha, along with Deputy General Managers and Department Chiefs, welcomed Rai at the office. Also present to receive the new General Manager were office employees and representatives from various associations, unions, and the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) RSS chapter.
According to National News Agency Nepal, Rai was appointed as the General Manager of RSS following a Cabinet meeting decision on August 11. His appointment came after a recommendation from the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, which conducted an open competition and interviews before forwarding the recommendation to the Cabinet.
During the welcoming event, Chairman Jha expressed his satisfaction with the appointment of a young and dynamic individual to lead RSS. He emphasized the importance of coordination and collaboration in advancing RSS’s activities for broader welfare. Jha noted that with capable and honest leadership like that of GM Rai, RSS has the potential to elevate its status to that of international news agencies.
On the occasion, GM Rai pledged transparency and fairness during his tenure. He outlined his plans to transform RSS into a dynamic and credible news agency by leveraging available resources and accelerating digitization. Rai stated, “I will try my best to digitalize the manual bulletins of RSS, which was established in 2018BS. Despite having a modern building, RSS needs to be equipped with a better website and apps in line with the Nepal government’s concept of the Digital Nepal Framework.”
Rai also highlighted the potential to increase the number of people accessing RSS news by linking it to the Nagarik Apps. He expressed his ambition to enhance RSS’s visibility in South Asia, Europe, and America, regions with significant Nepali-speaking populations. Furthermore, he committed to introducing the amended RSS Regulation, which has been stalled at the Ministry for a long time, and addressing issues related to temporary and contract-based employees through discussions.
Administrative Chief Shital Mahato emphasized that RSS would be made more effective through coordination and cooperation from all parties involved.
Rai’s Brief Profile
General Manager Rai was born in Phalelung rural municipality-3 of Panchthar district on Asar 24, 2042BS. He holds an MA in Mass Communications and Journalism from Purvanchal University and has been actively involved in journalism and human rights for a long time. Rai, also a central member of the Press Chautari Nepal affiliated with the CPN UML, has two decades of experience in journalism across various media, including print, radio, and online platforms.
He previously served as a press coordinator to then Minister for Physical Infrastructures and Transport and Communications and Information Technology, Basanta Kumar Nembang. Rai also holds a BEd from Tribhuvan University and has a keen interest in study, research, and literature, having presented papers at international universities. His articles have been published in national broadsheets, including the Gorkhapatra daily and the Nagarik daily.