BBC World Service on Monday has appointed Rabindra Mishra as the new Head of BBC Nepali Service. 39-year-old Rabindra will be is responsible for the editorial output of BBC Nepali broadcasts, staff in London and Kathmandu and contributions from freelance journalists located throughout Nepal.

Rabindra first joined BBC World service in 1995 as a producer with BBC Nepali. Later he worked on English language flagship programmes, including World Today and Newshour, and in the BBC World Service Newsroom before returning to BBC Nepali to be its Desk Editor.

“I have an excellent team to work with, both in the UK and Nepal, and I am sure we will continue to meet the expectations of our valued audience. News from Nepal is presently dominating the world headlines and accurate reporting by the BBC is, now more than ever, absolutely vital,” said Rabindra.

Before joining the BBC, Rabindra worked with Pakistan’s leading English language daily, The New International, and with Nepal Television. He has also worked as a newspaper columnist with various Nepali newspapers.

Rabindra takes over from Khagendra Nepali, BBC Nepali’s first full member of staff when he joined in 1979. He became its Head in 1996. Under Khagendra, BBC Nepali reported on many national events ranging from the killings of the Royal Family to the ongoing Maoist rebellion.

In 1999, Khagendra coordinated a fortnight of live broadcasts from Nepal for BBC Nepali’s 30th anniversary when for the first time the service met and talked to its listeners face-to-face, reporting from the length and breadth of the country. He also secured nine new FM radio partnerships in Nepal.

BBC Nepali has been serving audiences for 35 years. It is considered a valuable and respected source of news for more than three million listeners in Nepal and expatriates in India, South Asia, the Far East and the Gulf countries.

BBC Nepali programmes cover a wide spectrum of news stories and regular analyses and features on Nepalese issues. It currently broadcasts 30 minutes daily on shortwave, which is rebroadcast by nine FM stations in Nepal. There is also a growing audience of Nepalis living outside the country who go to bbcnepali.com for programmes, in text and audio. nepalnews.com by Apr 25 06