One month after the historic March 5 elections, Nepal has transitioned from the traditional “musical chairs” of its older political guard to a new era led by the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) and Prime Minister Balendra “Balen” Shah. Driven by the “Gen Z” movement and a public demand for accountability following the September protests, a young, technocratic leadership has come to power with a commanding mandate to address job creation and systemic corruption.The new administration has launched an ambitious 100-day programme covering governance, economic growth, and justice for victims of the recent unrest — though not without controversy, with the government moving to investigate all corruption since 1991, resulting in the high-profile arrests of former PM KP Sharma Oli and former Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak.Former Ambassador Ranjit Rae analysed these developments in the context of Nepal’s politics and its implications on India’s relationship with Nepal. He spoke to Anagha Jayakumar.What are your initial impressions one month after this new party has assumed power?I believe the new government has truly hit the ground running; they have announced an extensive 100-day programme focused on three pillars: justice, constitutional reform, and good governance. They have already taken several strong and serious steps regarding the Gen Z protests, seeking to bring those responsible for the September 8 killings to justice and investigating the arson that followed on September 9.On the constitutional front, they have already established a committee to discuss reforms to the Constitution for better efficiency, though the leadership of this framework remains a sensitive issue in Nepal.The government is also tackling systemic corruption by committing to investigate all cases since 1991 — a massive undertaking likened to “cleaning out the Augean stables”. This has already led to high-profile arrests of political leaders and “fixers,” which has struck a chord with a supportive public. To improve delivery, they plan to digitise the citizen-government interface, allowing documents such as passports to be delivered directly to homes to eliminate bribes and queues.Story continues below this adExpert Explains | ‘RSP a party of progressive, smart people… would be keen to partner with India’While some observers in Nepal worry the government might be moving too fast and risk blowback from entrenched elements and vested interest groups, the leadership has shown a serious commitment to its manifesto in its first few weeks.How do you interpret blowback, such as the Chief Justice’s show-cause notice regarding the arrests of former PM Oli and Ramesh Lekhak? Is there a political motive behind these moves, or is this simply due process?I would not read the show-cause notice as something exceptional; whenever the government takes such action, the Supreme Court naturally asks for the reasons behind it. I do not believe the courts are against this, as the remand of both the former Prime Minister and Mr Lekhak has been extended. Public discourse in Nepal suggests that due process needs to be followed to the letter and the spirit, including judicial warrants and the formal framing of charges. One must also remember that the substantive Karki Commission report had already called out some of these names.Interestingly, while the political figures remain in jail, a senior bureaucrat indicted by the commission was arrested and then released — a signal that the new leadership recognises it must work with the permanent bureaucracy to deliver governance. The distinction in how the bureaucracy is being treated, compared to the previous political leadership, shows a certain caution in the minds of the current leaders.Story continues below this adI don’t see a political motivation here; there are substantive grounds for the arrests, which include not just politicians but middlemen and fixers as well. Balen Shah ran on the plank of anti-corruption, and everyone in Nepal is aware of how a few leaders had cornered political and economic power to promote their own interests and feather their own nests.Is pragmatism and anti-corruption enough to sustain the new government? And what does this shift say about communism’s decline in Nepal?In Nepal, I believe communism fell quite some time ago. Although political parties continued to call themselves Maoists or Marxist-Leninists, they were essentially reformed communists who believed in economic development, the capitalist way, and free enterprise. They integrated into the multi-party democratic system but over the years developed a monopoly on power, allowing corruption to seep in and eventually overtake it. This is precisely why we are seeing a reaction in the form of completely new forces emerging in Nepal.Also Read | Meet Nepal PM’s Cabinet: Inexperienced, yet committed to delivering on promisesI believe the new government’s ideology is one of pragmatism: supporting Nepal’s development and doing everything possible to improve people’s lives. This is the modern ideology; I don’t think the traditional ‘isms’ matter as much anymore. This is the modern way of thinking for young people, and their aspirations are valid. I am certain that India will be fully supportive of these objectives; these goals mirror our own.Story continues below this adWhat has the 100-point plan promised, and what progress has been made?It is still early, but the government has made important commitments. The most significant commitment, in my view, is moving the citizen-government interface to a digital platform. People would no longer wait in queues or pay bribes for essentials like passports or driving licences, with these documents delivered directly to their homes. The government is also addressing economic growth, job development, and skill upgradation.They are moving remarkably quickly, giving themselves just 90 days. However, long-term success depends on sustainability. While changing personnel is relatively simple, the harder task is strengthening institutions so they can support delivery regardless of who manages them.How should we view the appointment of Gen Z leader Sudan Gurung to the Home Ministry, an institution he previously criticised?Sudan Gurung’s past criticism was rooted in the disproportionate force used by security forces against students, a fact later confirmed by the judicial inquiry commission. Now that he leads the ministry, he faces the challenge of reforming the system from within while working with the same personnel, many of whom are old enough to be his father. It is hoped he will approach this role with maturity, caution and build mutual trust with a security establishment that is wary of him.Story continues below this adAlso Read | Scratch, spin, revolt, rule: Sudhan Gurung, the DJ who remixed Nepal’s politicsWhat were the main takeaways from the Karki Commission report, and what has been acted on?The report had two elements: the killings of unarmed students on 8 September 2025 and the arson of the following day. Action has been taken regarding the first day, resulting in the arrests of Oli and Lekhak. No action has been taken against the security leadership yet. Regarding the second day’s events, which involved huge destruction, the commission has not given as detailed a response. The new government is committed to a fresh inquiry to punish those responsible for the looting and arson. They must sift through evidence, including video and social media posts, to identify the criminal elements involved.This question may be premature, but is it possible that Balen Shah’s personality might eclipse his party’s win?It is difficult to predict the future, but Balen Shah possesses huge personal charisma. Crucially, he has bridged the divide between the hills and the plains (the Terai); because he is originally from the Terai but served as the Mayor of Kathmandu, he is uniquely popular across both regions.His success is also tied to the RSP, founded four years ago by another charismatic figure, Rabi Lamichhane. Balen is evolving the party’s platform by championing federalism, and has argued that services should be delivered by provincial governments so people in the Terai do not have to travel to Kathmandu for basic needs. The party’s strength comes from combining his personal appeal with an established national organisation, but since Balen’s group joined only recently, these two sets of actors must fuse and work together to deliver on the tremendous mandate the people have given them.Story continues below this adAre there specific signals for India to read into these recent developments, particularly with the arrest of former PM Oli?I believe there are significant signals, though not necessarily tied directly to the arrest itself. The main signal is a profound generational change in Nepali politics. We are now dealing with a group of educated, dynamic, and very young leaders; the oldest member of the cabinet is the Finance Minister at 51—an economist of international repute—while the Prime Minister is only 36 years old.Crucially, many of these leaders, including the Prime Minister, have studied in India, while others have been educated in Western countries. This is a leadership that is not ideological in the traditional sense; they are technocratic, focused on rapid development, and eager to work with India to achieve that goal. The new Foreign Minister, for example, previously ran ‘Teach for Nepal’ and has explicitly stated that their concept of diplomacy is “development diplomacy”.For India, our ‘neighbourhood first’ policy needs to focus heavily on youth connectivity. While we talk a lot about physical connectivity — roadways, railways, transmission lines, and digital links — we must add a youth dimension, especially since 50% of Nepal’s population is below the age of 26. Beyond infrastructure and hydropower projects, we should bring youth leaders and parliamentarians together and foster educational exchanges. One idea is to link our universities so a student could do a degree at Nalanda University and spend a semester at Kathmandu University, or vice versa — there is already a pilot connecting the startup ecosystems of IIT Madras and Kathmandu University. We need to find new ways of bringing the young people of our two countries closer together.Story continues below this adRanjit Rae is former Indian Ambassador to Nepal. He has recently edited ‘Shared Bonds, Strategic Interests: India-Nepal Relations in a Turbulent World’ (Simon & Schuster, 2025)