Nepal's Newly Elected Government Sees Younger Generation of Ministers Take Office

The newly elected Federal Democratic Republic Government of Nepal has seen a younger generation of ministers, headed by the 35-year-old rapper-turned politician Balendra Shah, sworn in as the Prime Minister. Pratibha Rawal, who graduated from the Asian College of Journalism in India, 2014-2015 batch, became the Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration. She is also the minister of land management, cooperatives, and poverty alleviation as well. She is an MP from the Rashtriya Swatantra Party. Elected via the 2026 general election, Rawal serves in the Pratinidhi Sabha for the Rastriya Swatantra Party, having secured her seat through the Khas Arya female cluster on the party list. She was preceded by Rameshwor Prasad Khanal and assumed office on March 27. The other figures in the list of ministers under Shah included Sudan Gurung, a prominent figure from the Gen Z movement, elected from Gorkha-2. He will lead the Ministry of Home Affairs, a portfolio previously sought by several RSP leaders. RSP Vice-Chair Swarnim Wagle, an economic expert twice elected from Tanahun-1, became the Finance Minister. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be headed by Shishir Khanal, who currently leads the RSP’s foreign affairs department. Kaski-1 representative and author Khadka Raj (Ganesh) Paudel has been appointed Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation, while Dipak Sah of Mahottari will serve as Minister for Labour and Employment. Rounding out the cabinet, Kathmandu-5 representative Sasmit Pokharel will oversee the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, along with Youth and Sports. Finally, Bikram Timilsina has been selected to lead the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.