Family Information

Mr. Govinda Raj Joshi, son of Padam Raj Joshi and Radha Kumari Joshi, was born in Khalte, Rupakot VDC, Tanahun. He and his wife, Mrs. Him Kumari Joshi, have two sons, Deepak Raj Joshi and Dinesh Raj Joshi, and one daughter, Rama Bhattarai.

Their elder son, Deepak Raj Joshi, was in the USA and is now back in Nepal permanently. Their younger son, Dinesh Raj Joshi, is in Australia. Both sons have completed their studies and are working in private companies in their respective countries. Dinesh is married to Rachhya, and they have two daughters, Deeva and Diti.

Rama Bhattarai has three daughters: Shruti, Sumita, and Suniva.

Padam Raj Joshi and Radha Kumari Joshi had three sons—Madhav Raj Joshi, Govinda Raj Joshi, and Bishwa Kamal Joshi and five daughters: Kiran Kumari Panday, Rameswori Tiwari, Subhadra Tripathi, Sita Joshi, and Dev Kumari Tiwari.

Father Padam Raj Joshi, mother Radha Kumari Joshi, elder sister Kiran Kumari Panday, younger sister Dev Kumari Tiwari, and younger brother Bishwa Kamal Joshi have all passed away.

Madhav Raj Joshi has two sons, Ramesh Raj Joshi and Bijaya Raj Joshi, and four daughters: Rita, Anita, Pramita, and Sangita.

Personal Information

Govinda Raj Joshi was born in 1949 in Khalte, Rupakot VDC, Tanahun district, Nepal. He holds an MA in Political Science, a BL (Bachelor of Law), and a BEd.

His political journey began in 1964 during his student life. A follower of the late BP Koirala, he served as the President of the Free Student Union (College of Education) and the Gandaki Student Council in 1967. In 1969, he became a member of Tarun Dal, the youth wing of the Nepali Congress Party, in Tanahun district.

He later formed the Nepali Congress Tanahun District Committee and served as its secretary in 2033 B.S. He was also the secretary of the multiparty campaign committee of the Nepali Congress Party in 1979 and later became the Vice President of the party in Tanahun district. In 1997, he became a central committee member of the Nepali Congress and was re-elected in 2000. He has also served as Joint General Secretary of the party.

Mr. Joshi played an active role as a coordinator during the construction of the Nepali Congress Party building in Sanepa, Lalitpur. He began his professional career as a teacher and was the founder of Tribhuvan High School in Tanahun. He served as its founding headmaster and taught there voluntarily for six years, investing his own resources to establish the school.

He later served as the headmaster of Shiva Secondary School and was also the founder of Adikavi Bhanubhakta Multiple College in Tanahun, where he taught voluntarily for two years.

As a law graduate, Mr. Joshi practiced law for 12 years. He served as President of the Nepal Bar Association (Tanahun) and Vice President of the Western Regional Court Bar in Pokhara. He has also been associated with the Nepal Bar Association and Amnesty International.

Mr. Joshi was imprisoned during the establishment of the Nepal Student Union in 2027 B.S. and was first jailed in 2023 B.S. During the democratic movement led by the Nepali Congress, he was imprisoned multiple times, totaling approximately three and a half years.

He was elected as a Member of Parliament in the general elections of 1991, 1994, and 1999. He also served as Chief Whip of the Nepali Congress Parliamentary Party in 1991.

Throughout his political career, he held several key ministerial positions, including:

  • Minister for Education, Culture, and Social Welfare (1991–1994)

  • Minister for Education (1995–1996)

  • Minister for Home Affairs (1998)

  • Minister for Home and General Administration (2055 B.S.)

  • Minister for Water Resources (1999)

  • Minister for Home Affairs (2057 B.S.)

  • Minister for Local Development

  • Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation (2001)

Mr. Joshi has also served as Chairman of the Nepal Olympic Committee and chaired the Nepal National Commission and the Education Improvement Commission for UNESCO.

His publications include:

  • Mera Anubhutiharu (Parts I, II, III)

  • Sabdachitrama Nepal

  • Nepali Congress (Bigat, Bartaman ra Bhabisya)

  • Nepalma Sanghiya Shasan Pranali

He has traveled extensively to countries including India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, UAE, Singapore, Australia, China, North Korea, South Korea, France, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, and Canada. He has led Nepali delegations in various national and international seminars and conferences.

Following the royal takeover in 2002, Mr. Joshi actively participated in the people’s movement. As a senior leader imprisoned at the time, he played a key role as Joint General Secretary of the Nepali Congress in announcing protest programs. He was also instrumental in conceptualizing the five-party alliance and initiated formal talks with Maoists in Delhi.

His contributions during the split of the Nepali Congress and in constructing the party office building are widely recognized. He has represented Tanahun district in all parliamentary elections since the restoration of democracy and is regarded as a significant leader of the party.