At the beginning of September 2025, within 48 hours, Nepal’s government had been toppled, and more than 70 people had been killed, with many more injured. The trigger for all of this had been a government ban on 26 social media platforms, but the primary reasons ran much deeper. Nepal became a republic in 2008, following a decade long civil war, but since then, the promised stability and prosperity have failed to materialise. The country has been subjected to short term coalition governments, resembling a game of musical chairs between certain political parties.
And it was Nepal’s Gen Z, who decided to make their frustrations over the lack of opportunities, the social inequality and the existing political system known, with their digitally driven anti-corruption protests. In the aftermath, the protestors gave their approval to a new interim prime minister and demanded new elections, set for March next year.
Asia is increasingly witnessing a mood for change amongst its young people, from Indonesia to Sri Lanka and last year’s student-led revolution in Bangladesh. But very few protests of this nature have translated into fundamental social change. And it remains to be seen if the decision by Nepal’s Gen Z, to place their trust in 73-year-old Sushila Karki as the new Interim Prime Minister, reflects their own political maturity.
So, on this week’s Inquiry we’re asking, ‘Can Gen Z shape a new Nepal?’
Contributors:
Prof Jeevan Sharma, Chair of South Asia and International Development, University of Edinburgh, UK
Pranaya Rana, Journalist and Writer, Kalam Weekly, Kathmandu, Nepal
Prof Sreeradha Datta, International Affairs, O.P. Jindal Global University, Haryana, India
Dr Rumela Sen, Lecturer and Faculty Director, Master’s in International Affairs programme, Columbia University, USA
Presenter: Charmaine Cozier
Producer: Jill Collins
Researcher: Maeve Schaffer
Production Co-ordinator: Tim Fernley
Technical Producer: James Bradshaw
Editor: Tom Bigwood
(Photo: Anti government protest in Kathmandu. Credit: Sunil Pradhan/Anadolu via Getty Images)
