{"id":"mahabir-pun","type":"person","url":"https://diginpl.com/people/mahabir-pun","language":"en","name":"Mahabir Pun","name_en":"Mahabir Pun","name_ne":"महावीर पुन","description":"Nepalese teacher","headline":"Nepalese teacher","also_known_as":[],"summary":"Mahabir Pun is a Nepalese politician, researcher, social entrepreneur, and an activist. He has served as the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation since 9 June 2026. A member of the House of Representatives representing Myagdi-1 constituency, he is the only independent candidate to win a seat in the 2026 general election. He previously served as the Minister of Education, Science and Technology in the interim government formed after 2025 Gen Z protests.","summary_more":[],"facts":[{"key":"born","label":"Born","values":[{"text":"22 January 1955","date":"1955-01-22"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6732717#P569"}},{"key":"birthplace","label":"Place of birth","values":[{"text":"Myagdi District","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q28624","page":"https://diginpl.com/places/myagdi-district"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6732717#P19"}},{"key":"citizenship","label":"Citizenship","values":[{"text":"Nepal","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q837"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6732717#P27"}},{"key":"occupation","label":"Occupation","values":[{"text":"teacher","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q37226"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6732717#P106"}},{"key":"education","label":"Education","values":[{"text":"University of Nebraska–Lincoln","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1353679"},{"text":"University of Nebraska system","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1202716"},{"text":"Amrit Science College","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4748662"},{"text":"University of Nebraska at Kearney","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7895890"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6732717#P69"}},{"key":"awards","label":"Awards","values":[{"text":"Ramon Magsaysay Award","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q777181","date":"2007"},{"text":"Internet Hall of Fame","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6055547","date":"2014"},{"text":"Jonathan B. Postel Service Award","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3181552","date":"2014"}],"source":{"label":"Wikidata","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6732717#P166"}}],"office":{"profile":"https://diginpl.com/next/explore/person/mahabir-pun","holdings":[{"position":"Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation","page":"https://diginpl.com/next/explore/office/minister-science-technology-and-innovation","start":"2026-06-09","end":null,"current":true,"acting":false,"source":{"label":"Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Balen_Shah_cabinet&oldid=1377602298"}}]},"sections":[],"cited":[{"id":"early_life","title":"Early life and education","items":[{"text":"The Project has now expanded to include over 175 remote villages in 15 districts of Nepal.","sources":[{"url":"http://www.ashoka.org/fellow/2754","title":"Mahabir Pun","publisher":"Ashoka Foundation","date":null},{"url":"http://www.himanchal.org/mahabir-pun/","title":"Mahabir Pun/Publisher-Sushant Gurung School-Global Class-7-B","publisher":null,"date":"2022-07-14"}]},{"text":"He has since built a new cultural centre, and has developed communication links for yak farmers, as well as new ventures to hc international trekking and tour groups.","sources":[{"url":"http://www.ashoka.org/fellow/2754","title":"Mahabir Pun","publisher":"Ashoka Foundation","date":null},{"url":"http://www.himanchal.org/mahabir-pun/","title":"Mahabir Pun/Publisher-Sushant Gurung School-Global Class-7-B","publisher":null,"date":"2022-07-14"},{"url":"http://www.gurkhas.com/showarticle.aspx?id=486","title":"Welcome to Dr Mahabir Pun in UK on Thursday 6 Nov 2008","publisher":"Ghurkas.com","date":"2008-11-06"}]}]},{"id":"career","title":"Career","items":[{"text":"Dharmaraj K.C. served him as a chief advisor and secretariat for the ministry.","sources":[{"url":"https://ekantipur.com/politics/2026/01/19/en/dharmaraj-kc-is-the-candidate-from-rsvp-lamjung-13-17.html","title":"Dharmaraj KC is the candidate from RSVP Lamjung.","publisher":"Ekantipur","date":null}]},{"text":"He received 22,850 votes and won with a margin of 14,931 votes, officially making him the current member of parliament (MP) representing Myagdi 1.","sources":[{"url":"https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/76704","title":"Independent candidate Mahabir Pun wins in Myagdi by wide margin","publisher":"The Rising Nepal","date":null}]},{"text":"On 9 June 2026, Pun was appointed the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation in the government led by Prime Minister Balen Shah.","sources":[{"url":"https://english.onlinekhabar.com/sudan-gurung-returns-home-minister.html","title":"Sudan Gurung returns as Home Minister; Mahabir Pun appointed as Minister of technology - OnlineKhabar English News","publisher":null,"date":"2026-06-09"}]}]},{"id":"decisions","title":"Key decisions and achievements","items":[{"text":"The Foundation noted Pun's contribution to overcoming the geographical isolation of many of the communities in which he works, with a new idea which could be replicated in other geographically isolated areas with few educational or economic opportunities.","sources":[{"url":"http://www.ashoka.org/fellow/2754","title":"Mahabir Pun","publisher":"Ashoka Foundation","date":null}]},{"text":"In 2007, Pun was awarded the Magsaysay Award in recognition of \"his innovative application of wireless computer technology in Nepal, bringing progress to remote mountain areas by connecting his village to the global village\".","sources":[{"url":"http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/Citation/CitationPunMah.htm","title":"The 2007 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership","publisher":"Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation","date":"2007-08-31"}]},{"text":"Pun is one of five Nepalis to receive the Magsaysay Award, and the only one to receive the Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership.","sources":[{"url":"http://www.rmaf.org.ph/Awardees/year.htm","title":"The Raymond Magsaysay Awardees by Year","publisher":null,"date":null}]}]},{"id":"statements","title":"Notable statements","items":[{"text":"They said, \"Using an inspired mix of solar power, tree-based relay systems, and wireless technology, the project is helping yak farmers stay in touch, families communicate and, with an expansion into distance learning, children to gain the education.","sources":[{"url":"http://www.globalideasbank.org/site/news/index.php?articleId=116","title":"Social Innovations Award-Winners 2004","publisher":"Global Ideas Bank","date":"2004-09-20"}]}]}],"cited_from":"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mahabir_Pun&oldid=1378352032","videos":[],"last_reviewed":null,"organizations":[],"same_as":["https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabir_Pun","https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B0_%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A8","https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6732717"],"faq":[{"q":"When was Mahabir Pun born?","a":"Mahabir Pun was born on 22 January 1955 in Myagdi District."},{"q":"Where did Mahabir Pun study?","a":"Mahabir Pun was educated at University of Nebraska–Lincoln, University of Nebraska system, Amrit Science College, University of Nebraska at Kearney."}],"related":[],"places_in":[],"nearby":[],"image":{"url":"https://diginpl.com/kb-img/mahabir-pun-9580533636.jpg","width":500,"height":664,"license":"CC BY-SA 3.0","credit":"सरोज कुमार ढकाल","page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mahabir_Pun_at_Mahabir%27s_Center_for_Nepal_Connection_(cropped).jpg"},"sources":[{"label":"Wikipedia (English): Mahabir Pun","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahabir_Pun","license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"},{"label":"Wikipedia (Nepali): महावीर पुन","url":"https://ne.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B5%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%B0_%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%A8","license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"},{"label":"Wikidata item Q6732717","url":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6732717","license":"https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/"},{"label":"Image: Mahabir Pun at Mahabir's Center for Nepal Connection (cropped).jpg by सरोज कुमार ढकाल (CC BY-SA 3.0)","url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mahabir_Pun_at_Mahabir%27s_Center_for_Nepal_Connection_(cropped).jpg","license":null},{"label":"Office record: Wikipedia","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Balen_Shah_cabinet&oldid=1377602298","license":null},{"label":"Wikipedia (English), revision used for cited facts: Mahabir Pun","url":"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mahabir_Pun&oldid=1378352032","license":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/"},{"label":"Ashoka Foundation: Mahabir Pun","url":"http://www.ashoka.org/fellow/2754","license":null},{"label":"himanchal.org: Mahabir Pun/Publisher-Sushant Gurung School-Global Class-7-B (2022-07-14)","url":"http://www.himanchal.org/mahabir-pun/","license":null},{"label":"Ghurkas.com: Welcome to Dr Mahabir Pun in UK on Thursday 6 Nov 2008 (2008-11-06)","url":"http://www.gurkhas.com/showarticle.aspx?id=486","license":null},{"label":"Ekantipur: Dharmaraj KC is the candidate from RSVP Lamjung.","url":"https://ekantipur.com/politics/2026/01/19/en/dharmaraj-kc-is-the-candidate-from-rsvp-lamjung-13-17.html","license":null},{"label":"The Rising Nepal: Independent candidate Mahabir Pun wins in Myagdi by wide margin","url":"https://risingnepaldaily.com/news/76704","license":null},{"label":"english.onlinekhabar.com: Sudan Gurung returns as Home Minister; 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This page's text is shared under the same licence. Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Image: Mahabir Pun at Mahabir's Center for Nepal Connection (cropped).jpg — सरोज कुमार ढकाल, CC BY-SA 3.0.","cite":"\"Mahabir Pun\". DigiNepal. Last updated 7 October 2026. https://diginpl.com/people/mahabir-pun. Retrieved 21 October 2026.","date_modified":"2026-10-07T11:48:10Z","facts_checked":"2026-10-21","alternates":{"html":"https://diginpl.com/people/mahabir-pun","en":"https://diginpl.com/people/mahabir-pun","ne":"https://diginpl.com/people/mahabir-pun?lang=ne"}}