Taylor Swift, Singha Durbar 2.0, and Finding My Own “Era”

Taylor Swift, Singha Durbar 2.0, and Finding My Own “Era”

The “Eras Tour” was more than just a concert when it was announced by Taylor Swift. It was an embrace of every chapter, every reinvention, and every version of yourself. Each era had their own set of lessons, challenges and learnings. With the era's tour, also came Taylor's Version. It wasn't just a re-recording project, it was a reminder for us that sometimes growth isn’t about starting over. It's about revisiting experiences from the past with fresh perspectives, reclaiming your story, and being a better person without losing sight of where you started.

Oddly enough, this year, I found myself living through my own Eras Tour- except my stage was not a stadium. It was Singha Durbar. 

I had the opportunity to be the Chief Personal Secretary cum Legal Advisor of a Minister in the interim government of Nepal earlier this year. It was a rare privilege that few young professionals ever get and an experience that truly shaped my perspective on governance that can't be obtained from any book, a policy paper, or a university lecture in the world. 

When I first went inside Singha Durbar, I knew what policymaking was like many other citizens- from the outside. Government decisions appear through headlines in the news, political debates in the TV screens, or public outcry whenever things go wrong. However, when I walked through the gates of Singha Durbar post the Gen-Z revolution every morning, it revealed a completely different reality for me. 

Government was not just politics that I could see on the TV, now I recognized it was a reality about people. There are a lot of meetings behind every cabinet decision. There are hours behind every policy document of consultation, revisions, disagreements, and negotiations. They have dedicated civil servants and senior officials working behind the scenes to make ideas turn into implementable decisions before every announcement.

During my tenure, I had the unique opportunity to closely involve and observe the functioning of both the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives, and Poverty Alleviation (MoLCPA) and the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD). This experience significantly deepened my understanding of complex legal frameworks surrounding land governance, Guthi administration, large-scale infrastructure development, urban development, arbitration, public procurement, contract disputes, regulatory compliance, and the execution of major construction and engineering projects. 

While working within the advisory team, I often found myself in the intersection of politics, administration and law. Life at my chamber was seldom routine. On some mornings, before sunrise, briefing notes were prepared for meetings with senior officials. Other work involved coordinating between ministries, reviewing legislation, responding to urgent developments and making policies one after another. 

It was intense, challenging and exhilarating.

Most importantly, it helped me to learn something I had never fully appreciated before: policies are not always about the perfect solution, it's about making the best possible decisions under real-world limitations. The government’s resources are limited. The time is limited. Often, information is incomplete. But actions must be taken. Every day felt like stepping into a new "era." The work demanded important decisions under immense time pressure. Sometimes it demanded patience, diplomacy, and more listening than speaking. 

Then, just as I had settled into that rhythm, the chapter came to an end. Interim governments are temporary. The government’s mandate concluded after elections were held, and so did my role. 

Leaving Singha Durbar was bittersweet. I had grown accustomed to its pace, its purpose, and even its unpredictability. But if Taylor Swift has taught millions anything, it is that endings are rarely endings. They're transitions.

The Daayitwa Fellowship marked the start of my next era. The Daayitwa fellowship came to me as Singh Durbar 2.0. Singha Durbar 2.0 does not imply replacing my experience with the government, it suggests reimagining it. Version 2.0 isn't about abandoning the original. It's about learning from experience, innovation, and getting better prepared for the future. This notion seemed to strike a “chord” with me. Having worked inside Singha Durbar, I had seen the firsthand ups and lows of the government where imperfect information, limited resources, and large public expectations, all interacting on a daily basis.

But today as a Daayitwa Fellow, I’m operating from a different vantage point. Rather than addressing current policy needs, I spend more time thinking about longer-term questions.

How can research enhance policy?

What can evidence do to support decision-making?

What are ways for young people to gain trust as actors in Nepal's governance system?

The differences between my two careers have been very stark. My job, as an Chief Secretary and Advisor in the Secretariat, before, was to assist the government in working effectively in real time. My role as a Daayitwa Fellow is to consider the possible ways that the government could be even more effective in the future. One role taught me the urgency of decision-making. The other instructs me on evidence. One introduced me to the process of making policies. The other introduced how such policies can be made fool-proof. One showed me how policies are made. The other showed me what we can do to improve them.

Neither is more important than the other. They are complementary. Given my experience and contributions in the interim government, I got luring opportunities to work with the incoming government. It was a difficult decision, but I chose the Daayitwa Fellowship instead. I wanted to develop a different set of skills like policy analysis, research and evidence based policy making, which will help in the long run because I wanted to learn new skills and the training fellowship had to offer. If it hadn't been for the fellowship, I would not have had the opportunity to discover the potential of research to reinforce good governance. They've changed my thinking about public service.

In retrospect it feels almost poetic to me. 

I never thought my career would look like a Taylor Swift album launch: different eras, with a single story that plays out throughout. However, each chapter has developed on the previous one. The insights I have gained from Singha Durbar continue to drive my questions as a fellow, and the research I am conducting today helps me realize how important it is to have evidence-based policy making within the government. Maybe this is what Singha durbar 2.0 is really all about.

It is not just a matter of packing policy rooms with young professionals. It's about building a new era of governance, where curiosity is encouraged, research is used to drive action, institutions are continually striving to improve, and collaboration is used to move from idea to action. 

My Daayitwa Fellowship experience is sort of like my own Taylor's Version if my first experience at Singha Durbar was my introduction to public service. Not because it takes the place of that chapter. However, it is re-interpreted. The public service spirit has stayed unchanged but now is accompanied by increased reflection, evidence, and knowledge of the mechanisms for a meaningful change.

I’m looking forward to seeing what my next “era” will be like as I go on this journey. A few chapters will be conducted within the government. Others can be unfolded via research, legal reform or advocacy. However, if one thing I've learned from Taylor Swift and public service it's that growth is the sweet spot between chapters. Each “era” is educating you for the next. All ends are beginnings and all beginnings are ends. Each new iteration of ourselves and of our institutions are born of the willingness to learn from the previous one.

Pravesh’s Era. My era of Singha Durbar 2.0. My Taylor's Version.