Team

Tanka Aryal, the President of Digital Rights Nepal, is a seasoned lawyer practicing at the Supreme Court of Nepal. He has been continuously engaged to promote digital rights, right to information, freedom of expression, civic space, accountability, and internet freedom nationally for the last 15 years. Mr. Aryal holds two LLM degrees in International Human Rights Laws from Kathmandu School of Law and Central European University Hungary. Additionally, Mr. Aryal completed different degrees from Oxford University UK and Tokiwa University Japan. 

Mr. Aryal has worked as a consultant and staff with different national international organizations including FHI 360, International Center for Not-for-profit Law (ICNL), UNESCO,  World Bank, ARTICLE 19, UNDP, ISOC, UNDESA/DPADM. Mr. Aryal led a right information campaign throughout the country for more than 4 years as the Executive Director of Citizens’ Campaign for Right to Information. Mr. Aryal is associated with different national and international organizations working to promote different issues of human rights including digital rights and internet freedom. Mr. Aryal has served as the Secretary of the Internet Society Nepal Chapter. 

 Mr. Aryal is accessible via aryaltanka@gmail.com, +977-9851075026 @aryaltanka

Rukamanee Maharjan is an assistant professor at Nepal Law Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal where she teaches International Human Rights, International Humanitarian Law and International Refugee Law. 

Rukamanee holds a LLM in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law from the University of Essex, UK. She previously worked as a program associate for the International Center for Transitional Justice, Nepal Office. She has work experiences on transitional justice, reproductive rights, case documentation on sexual violence and torture. She is serving as Vice- President at Digital Rights Nepal. 

She can be contacted at rukumaharjan@gmail.com

Mr. Dhungana is  associated with LegisTech Law Pvt. Ltd., a law firm, as an Advocate/Managing Partner. He is in the legal profession for more than 18 years focusing on commercial law with a proven track record of work experiences in the capacity of litigating lawyer, legal advisor and company secretary in different institutions including at both public sector and private sector commercial banking. 

He is also engaged in teaching learning activities as visiting faculty in Kathmandu University School of Law,  Kathmandu University School of Management, National Law College affiliated with Tribhuvan University and as trainer at National Banking Institute, a banking academy of Nepal. He is a general member of the Supreme Court Bar Association and committee member of the Banking Law Sub-Committee. 

He has obtained LLM degree from Tribhuvan University with specialization in commercial law and holds professional license of Advocate conferred by Nepal Bar Council and Notary Public (as an authorized translator) conferred by Nepal Notary Public Council. He is a Board member of National College, Kathmandu which exclusively runs undergraduate programs with affiliation to Kathmandu University. In the past, he was also associated with Freedom Forum, Antenna Foundation Nepal, Citizens’ Campaign for Right to Information and Shakti Samuha.

He can be contacted at bholadhungana@gmail.com

Dev Neupane is an evolving theatre-maker from Nepal, active in the field of art and theatre since the last one and half decade. He is a theatre artist, producer, sound technician and has also been involved in theatre management. He possesses high skills in theatre audiography, audio drama and radio programs. Dev has actively participated in various workshops, seminars, talk programs, learning and skill development programs including on Parliamentary Reporting, Conflict Management, Transitional Justice, Rights of Women and Children, Right to Information, Inclusive Democracy, Drama and Theatrical Movements. He is currently associated with Actors’ Studio, Kathmandu as a Theatrical Producer.

He can be reached at gotodev@gmail.com

Sabita Godar Thapa has been a practicing lawyer for the past 19 years. She has obtained LLM in Human Rights and Gender Justice, MA in Nepalese History, Culture, and Architecture and LLM in criminal and commercial law. She had worked as a program officer in the Citizen Campaign for Right of Information. She has been teaching different subjects primarily Human Rights, Criminal law , Gender and Corporate law at National Law College and Vishwo Niketan College. She has published a number of research papers and articles on the issues of gender justice, digital rights, freedom of expression and human rights. She has worked with a number of banks and financial institutions as a legal expert.
She can be contacted at thapasabilaw@gmail.com

JB Bisworkarma holds Master’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu. He has experience of more than 15 years in different capacities in national and international organizations. He is a well-known researcher and writer on the issues related to the Dalit and marginalized communities.

He worked as a project coordinator on the Right to Information (RTI) at the UNESCO Kathmandu Office and has been constantly writing articles for newspapers and magazines on contemporary socio-political issues.

He has authored a book and several policy papers, book chapters, and journal articles, and contributed as an editor in book and journal. He has been facilitating different sessions on socio-political issues, social inclusion, and Dalit rights, right to information, and investigative journalism for more than 10 years. He has also served at Kathmandu University as a visiting faculty in the media studies program. He has been serving as a Civil Society Faculty in Nepal for the International Honors Program (IHP) of School for International Training (SIT), USA since 2016. He is continuously working in the area of digital rights in Nepal.

Rabina Shrestha is a peacebuilding and access to justice expert and has extensive experience working on human rights, gender equality, inclusive justice and peacebuilding in Nepal.

She has extensive project cycle management experience of multi-year peacebuilding projects, including working closely with the judiciary, the government, civil society organisations, the Federation of Nepali Journalists, community-based organisations and international development partners. She is an experienced researcher and has authored and co-authored numerous publications on access to justice, gender justice and human rights.

She holds an LLM in Democratic Governance and Rule of Law from the Ohio Northern University, USA. She has been honored with two CALI Excellence for the Future Awards.

She can be contacted at rabinanu.shrestha@gmail.com

Irshad Ahamad Ansari is a seasoned development professional with over 15 years of expertise in capacity development, policy advocacy, program management, and conflict sensitivity. He has held pivotal roles at organizations like UNDP, Plan International Nepal, and The Carter Center, focusing on civil society enhancement, civic engagement, human rights, and electoral reforms. Irshad has also contributed to local governance capacity building and youth empowerment, alongside teaching at business schools in Nepalgunj. He holds an MBA from Pokhara University, an MA in Political Science, and an LLB from Tribhuvan University. Currently, he serves on the board of Digital Rights Nepal.

Ramesh Kumar Pudasaini is a seasoned IT expert with over two decades of experience and a Master of Science in Information Technology (MScIT). Currently serving as the Business Strategy Director at Pinakin Technology and Project Manager at Gold Stone Consultancy, Ramesh excels in driving strategies and managing projects. He is also a member of the board at Digital Rights Nepal, where he advocates for digital rights and contributes to policy discussions. Additionally, he plays a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of IT professionals as the Academic Program Coordinator for the BCA program at Padmashree International College. Committed to continuous learning, Ramesh stays abreast of emerging technologies and trends to remain competitive in the fast-paced IT industry.

Santosh Sigdel is a rights activist engaged in promotion and protection of human rights since the last 15 years. He holds master’s degree in international human rights from the Central European University, Hungary and master’s degree in international commercial law from the Tribhuvan university. Santosh has extensive work experiences on freedom of expression, transitional justice, right to information and has worked with national and international organizations such as UNDP, International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) Article19, CARE Nepal. While serving for more than 8 years in the board of Internet Society Nepal, including as a chair, he led many policy discourse, research and activities on a number of digital rights related issues. As the Executive Director of Digital Rights Nepal, Santosh continues to champion the cause of digital rights, leveraging his wealth of experience to guide the organization in its mission to create a safe and secure digital space for all.

He can be contacted at santoshsigdel@gmail.com

Saurav Bhattarai, a seasoned Human Rights scholar, is the Program Manager at Digital Rights Nepal. With an MA in Political Science and a BA.LLB, Saurav brings seven years of expertise as an educator and researcher. He previously led research and project management at the “National Campaign for Education” and actively contributed to the “SUSASAN” project focused on technology for public sector accountability. Saurav’s background includes serving as a legislative researcher in the Water and Resource committee in Parliament. With over seven years of teaching Human Rights at the National College, he now leads the secretariat at Digital Rights Nepal, championing the organization’s mission to safeguard digital rights and foster a secure digital space.

He can be reached via sauravbhattarai320@gmail.com, +9779841257668, Linkedin

Dil Karki has experience working in admin and finance position in different organizations such as Peace Brigade International (PBI) and International Center for transitional Justice (ICTJ) for over 14 year. He holds Master’s degree in Rural Development and Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. He currently leads Admin and Finance department in Digital Rights Nepal. 

Ms. Sanjina Kshetri is a licensed lawyer based in Nepal, committed to the principles of justice, freedom of expression, and safeguarding individuals’ privacy rights. With a passion for advocacy, Ms. Kshetri has been actively engaged in promotion of these values since her early days in law school. She opt for translating the legal principles into tangible actions to make a positive impact on the community, and is currently serving as Program Officer at Digital Rights Nepal.

Reach out to her at LinkedIn or kshetrisanjina@gmail.com 

Ms. Sadichchha Silwal, a licensed advocate and human rights activist, is currently pursuing an LLM at Nepal Law Campus, specializing in Criminal Law and Corporate Law. Her swift rise at Digital Rights Nepal, from Research Assistant (intern) to Program Officer, reflects her commitment to promotion and protection of digital rights here in Nepal. With a focus on digital rights, Sadichchha has authored impactful research papers and actively engages in various legal pursuits. Proficient in research, report writing, and technological tools, she stands as a dedicated professional with a strong commitment to legal excellence and digital rights advocacy. 

Ms. Silwal can be reached at sadii.silwal@gmail.com Sadichchha Silwal | LinkedIn