After weeks of street fighting that saw 28‑year‑old Bablu Gupta pull bodies from Nepal’s parliament, the same protester celebrated Holi with villagers and later won a parliamentary seat. His surge mirrored a broader wave that toppled a septuagenarian prime minister in September and propelled the youth‑driven Rastriya Swatantra Party to a landslide in March’s election and reshaped the political order.

The new parliament now includes nearly 10 % lawmakers under 30, up from less than 2 % previously, reflecting Gen Z’s anger at corruption, caste‑based patronage and a social‑media ban that silenced dissent. Former Kathmandu mayor and rapper Balendra Shah, 35, was sworn in as prime minister, symbolising the movement’s shift from protest to governance and a new economic agenda now ahead.

Investors watch Nepal’s shift closely; the R.S.P.’s promise of anti‑corruption reforms could unlock foreign aid and infrastructure contracts, while the country’s strategic position between China and India makes political stability a premium. Yet protests revived after former prime minister Oli’s arrest, signaling that elite resistance remains. The coming months will test whether youthful optimism translates into sustainable policy for Nepal.