Nepal’s new government has established a committee to investigate the assets of politicians and government officials. An official announced on Thursday that the five-member body, led by a former Supreme Court justice, will review the wealth declarations of top figures who have held public office since 2006. The decision was approved in a cabinet meeting, according to Prime Minister’s press and investigation adviser Deepa Dahal, who said the government is finalizing the committee’s timeline and other details.

The formation of this committee was part of a 100-point reform program introduced by Prime Minister Balendra Shah’s administration after taking office. Earlier this month, Nepal issued arrest warrants against former Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and his wife on money laundering charges, which Deuba, currently abroad, has denied. Nepal ranks 109th out of 180 countries in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index.

The committee’s findings are expected to play a key role in the government’s broader anti-corruption and governance reform agenda.

The government of Nepal has decided to introduce a two-day weekend for all public offices and educational institutions. The decision was made during a cabinet meeting held on Sunday. According to administrative experts, the initiative could bring positive outcomes if implemented properly, but poor management might lead to public inconvenience.

Former chairman of the Administrative Court and coordinator of the Administrative Reform Advisory Committee, Kashi Raj Dahal, said the move would be beneficial if proper management is ensured. He noted that it could help save energy, allow employees living near workplaces to engage in farming, and give them more time with their families. However, he cautioned that essential services must remain open and that offices with heavy public demand might not be able to adopt the two-day closure.

Dahal also emphasized the need for strict adherence to working hours once the new rule takes effect. He warned that if employees misuse the schedule by leaving early or arriving late, the reform could create complications instead of benefits.

Nepal’s new Prime Minister and Rastriya Swatantra Party leader Balendra (Balen) Shah has announced major changes to the country’s education system during his first cabinet meeting. The government has introduced a 100-point reform program, with a large portion focused on education. As part of this initiative, all politically affiliated student organizations in schools and universities have been banned, and campuses have been instructed to remove them within a set timeframe. In their place, non-political student councils will be formed within 90 days to represent students’ genuine interests.

According to official documents, the government also aims to depoliticize the administration by prohibiting civil servants and teachers from joining political parties and dissolving party-based trade unions. To reduce exam pressure, all traditional internal exams up to grade five have been abolished, replaced by alternative and psychological assessment methods. Schools with foreign names have been ordered to adopt Nepali names by the end of the year to promote national identity.

The reforms also include removing the citizenship certificate requirement for undergraduate admissions and decentralizing teachers’ pension and record management to provincial education ministries from the next fiscal year.

Nepalese police arrested former Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak on Saturday, accused of involvement in the crackdown on Gen-Z protesters last September. The arrests came a day after newly elected Prime Minister Balendra Shah and his cabinet took office. Kathmandu Valley Police spokesperson Om Adhikari confirmed the arrests and said further legal steps would follow.

The Gen-Z protests erupted after a temporary social media ban, fueled by long-standing economic hardship. The demonstrations turned violent on September 8 and 9, leaving at least 76 people dead, including 20 young protesters on the first day. The unrest led to Oli’s resignation at age 74 and the fall of his government. In the subsequent March 5 election, Shah’s Rastriya Swatantra Party won an absolute majority.

An interim commission investigating the violence recommended legal action against Oli and other officials, citing negligence in controlling the shootings that killed several children.

Former Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was arrested early Saturday from his residence in Kathmandu on charges related to the deadly suppression of last year’s protests. Police said the 74-year-old leader was taken into custody and later admitted to a Kathmandu clinic for routine health checks due to his age and history of kidney transplants. Former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak was also detained under the same investigation.

The arrests follow a panel’s recommendation to prosecute Oli and Lekhak for criminal negligence in handling the protests that erupted in September last year. The demonstrations began over a social media ban but escalated amid public anger over corruption and economic hardship. At least 70 people, mostly civilians, were killed when police opened fire during the unrest.

The dramatic arrests come just a day after 35-year-old rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah was sworn in as Nepal’s new prime minister, marking a tense political transition in the country.

Former Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was arrested early Saturday, March 28, according to police reports cited by the BBC. Authorities are investigating whether he bears responsibility for the deaths that occurred during the Gen-Z-led protests in September 2025.

The protests, which began as a reaction to a temporary social media ban, evolved into a large-scale anti-corruption youth movement fueled by long-standing economic grievances. At least 77 people were killed during the unrest on September 8 and 9, including 19 young protesters on the first day of the crackdown. The demonstrations were directed against Oli’s government, which had been accused of corruption.

Following the violent suppression of the protests, Oli resigned after failing to control the mass demonstrations. His home minister, Chiren Ramesh Lekhak, had stepped down earlier. An interim government led by former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was later formed, which established a commission headed by former special judge Gauri Bahadur Karki to investigate the uprising and related incidents.

Balendra Shah, leader of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), was sworn in as Nepal’s youngest prime minister during a special ceremony at the presidential residence, Sheetal Niwas, on Friday. President Ram Chandra Paudel administered the oath of office and secrecy to Shah, who becomes the country’s 47th prime minister.

Shah, a 35-year-old structural engineer and former rapper, won a decisive victory in the March 5 general election from the Jhapa-5 constituency, defeating former prime minister and CPN-UML chairman KP Sharma Oli. The seat had long been considered Oli’s stronghold. The election followed last year’s anti-corruption ‘Gen Z’ protests, in which 76 people were killed. Shah’s RSP secured 182 of the 275 parliamentary seats, paving his way to the premiership.

As the former mayor of Kathmandu, Shah is also the first Madhesi—an inhabitant of Nepal’s southern plains bordering India—to hold the country’s top political office, marking a generational and social milestone in Nepal’s leadership.

A government-backed commission in Nepal has recommended bringing former Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and senior officials to trial over the 2025 Gen-Z-led uprising that left at least 77 people dead. The protests began in September 2025 after a ban on social media and quickly expanded into demonstrations against economic hardship and corruption. Security forces killed 19 young protesters on the first day, prompting Oli’s resignation. The commission’s report, leaked to local media, was released as newly elected lawmakers took their oaths.

The report stated that then–Prime Minister Oli and Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak failed to take effective measures to prevent the deaths, despite their responsibility for security and law enforcement. It found that 48 of 63 autopsies confirmed victims were shot, mostly in the chest or head, and that no effort was made to stop or control the firing. Former Chief Justice Sushila Karki, who became interim prime minister after Oli’s ouster, had formed the commission, which interviewed over 200 people and submitted a 900-page report with extensive evidence.

The full official details of the report have not yet been released, though Karki’s office indicated plans to publish it soon.

Nepal held its first general election on March 5 following the Gen-Z-led uprising, marking a major generational shift in the country’s political leadership. According to results from 159 constituencies released by Sunday evening, 59 candidates under the age of 40 were elected to the federal legislature, representing 38 percent of the total. This marks a sharp rise from the 2022 parliament, where only 11 percent of members were under 40.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) played a key role in this transformation, with 51 of the 59 young lawmakers coming from the party. The remaining young representatives include four from the Nepali Congress, two from CPN-UML, and one from the Rastriya Prajatantra Party. Notable new entrants include Balendra Shah, 35, from Jhapa-5; Sobita Gautam, 30, from Chitwan-3; Sulav Kharel, 28, from Rupandehi-2; and Rubina Acharya, 31, from Morang-6.

Analysts suggest the rise of young leadership signals potential policy shifts in education, governance, climate, and employment, though challenges may arise in aligning with Nepal’s entrenched bureaucratic structures.

Nepal is set to announce the official results of its national election tomorrow, paving the way for a new government. However, the 265 newly elected members of parliament face a pressing question: where will they convene? The country currently has no usable parliament building after protesters set fire to it during nationwide demonstrations last year, causing extensive damage.

Following the destruction, Nepal’s interim government initiated the construction of a new parliamentary complex. According to local media reports citing the Urban Development Ministry, the new building is expected to be ready by mid-March. The project had originally been scheduled for completion last October but remains unfinished.

Until the new facility is completed, the incoming parliament may face logistical challenges in holding its sessions and conducting legislative business.

Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (Raksu) General Secretary Salahuddin Ammar stated that the leaders who led Nepal’s recent mass uprising have now formed the government. He attributed this to the absence of what he called the Dhaka University or 'brotherhood' culture. Ammar made the remarks on Friday in a verified Facebook post.

In his post, Ammar reflected on his involvement in campus movements during the period when the 'pet quota' protest was active. He alleged that many national-level leaders were so preoccupied with internal matters that they failed to raise a strong voice from Dhaka University demanding the abolition of the quota. He also mentioned that while large cultural programs were held at Dhaka University, his efforts to organize similar events at Rajshahi University were ignored.

Wishing success to Nepal’s 'Gen-Z government', Ammar said any party formed by the uprising leaders would be his 'beloved organization'. He criticized the culture of favoritism and fan-based evaluation in politics, saying it had driven many activists away from their organizations.

Vote counting continues in Nepal following Thursday’s general election, with former rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah emerging as the early frontrunner. Shah, who served as Kathmandu’s mayor until January, is leading by a wide margin, positioning him as a potential next prime minister. His centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) is ahead in more than two-thirds of the 165 directly elected seats, according to BBC Nepali. The Nepali Congress trails in second place, while the Communist Party of Nepal (UML) stands third. Final results may take several days due to Nepal’s slow counting process and the logistical challenges of collecting ballots from remote areas.

Shah, 35, trained as a civil engineer and was active in Nepal’s hip-hop scene before entering politics. His popularity surged during last year’s protests over social media restrictions, corruption, and unemployment, which led to the resignation of then-leader KP Sharma Oli. Shah’s tough stance as mayor drew both support and criticism, particularly from human rights groups. He is contesting from Jhapa-5, Oli’s traditional stronghold, and is currently leading there as well.

Analysts view this election as a generational shift, with many young voters seeking new leadership after decades of unstable coalition governments.

Nepal began voting on Thursday in a parliamentary election that has drawn attention for its potential to reshape the country’s political alignment between India and China. The contest features key figures including former Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli of the Communist Party (UML), former Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah of the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), Nepali Congress leader Gagan Thapa, and Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal. The Election Commission pledged to announce results within 24 hours of collecting ballots from 165 constituencies.

Observers doubt any party will secure a majority, citing Nepal’s long history of unstable governments since the monarchy’s fall in 1990. The 2025 Gen Z movement that forced Oli’s resignation continues to influence the political landscape, with Shah emerging as a prominent anti-establishment and India-critical figure. Analysts note that Oli’s UML remains China-leaning, while India has refrained from commenting directly on the election but continues to monitor developments closely.

Experts suggest that regardless of the outcome, Nepal’s next government will need to maintain cooperative ties with India to ensure economic stability and development.

Nepal began voting on Thursday, March 5, 2026, to elect a new parliament, marking the first national election since the government fell six months ago following a deadly anti-corruption uprising. The vote, running until 5 p.m. local time, is being described as one of the most competitive since the end of the civil war in 2006. Around 19 million registered voters are choosing representatives to replace the interim government that has ruled since the September 2025 protests.

The 2025 Gen Z–led movement began as opposition to a temporary social media ban but grew into a nationwide campaign against corruption and economic mismanagement, resulting in at least 77 deaths and the fall of former Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli’s administration. Interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki urged citizens to vote without fear, while thousands of security personnel were deployed to maintain order.

Over 3,400 candidates are contesting 165 directly elected seats in the 275-member lower house, with the remaining 110 to be allocated by party lists. Analysts expect no single party to win an outright majority, and preliminary results are expected within 24 hours.

Rapper-turned-politician Balen Shah, the 35-year-old mayor of Kathmandu, has become a leading contender for Nepal’s next prime minister ahead of the general election scheduled for March 5. Shah, popularly known as Balen, rose to prominence after a youth-led uprising in September last year toppled the government of then–Prime Minister K. P. Oli, an event in which 77 people were killed. Through a social media post, Shah urged young voters to prepare to lead the country, declaring that the time of their oppressors was over.

Constitutional law expert Bipin Adhikari noted Shah’s immense popularity, saying that buses entering Kathmandu often display stickers reading “Heading to Balen’s city.” Shah’s National Independent Party (RSP), a new centrist force, has pledged to maintain balanced foreign relations with Nepal’s two large neighbors. Reuters reported that Shah, who first entered politics as mayor in 2022, is now seen as the most likely candidate for prime minister.

As mayor, Shah earned praise for improving infrastructure, waste management, and health services in Kathmandu, though groups such as Human Rights Watch criticized him for using police to evict street vendors and the homeless. He resigned as mayor in January to contest the election.