New Delhi: Balendra ‘Balen’ Shah took oath as Nepal’s Prime Minister Friday, reflecting a generational shift rarely seen in South Asian politics. The 35-year-old Shah is currently the world’s youngest PM, and also heads the youngest cabinet in the world.
Shah’s appointment marks another political milestone: he is the first leader from Nepal’s Madhesi community to become PM. But, it is the composition of his young cabinet—most ministers in their 20s and 30s, and only one each in their 40s and 50s—that has drawn the most attention.
The oath-taking ceremony was held at the Nepal President’s Office in Sheetal Niwas, administered by President Ramchandra Paudel.
“The young and new faces in a cabinet led by a 35-year-old prime minister do reflect the shift that Gen Z protests had demanded, arguing that Nepal’s ageing political elites had not only outlived their utility but had also helped perpetuate corruption and patronage,” political analyst Sanjeev Satgainya told ThePrint.
He added, “This relatively young Cabinet, with most members holding university degrees, is certainly a breath of fresh air in Nepali politics, but the main concern is their lack of statecraft, as many are inexperienced in governance and public administration.”
Among the youngest is 29-year-old Sasmit Pokharel, who will oversee education, science, technology, youth and sports. Sobita Gautam, 30, has been appointed the law & justice minister. Sita Badi, also 30, will lead the ministry for women, children, and senior citizens.
Other key choices include Infrastructure & Urban Development minister Sunil Lamsal (35) and Labour & Employment Minister Dipak Sah (34).
Pratibha Rawal, in her early 30s, will handle federal affairs and land management. Gita Chaudhary, 33, will oversee agriculture, livestock and environment.
Even relatively senior members of the cabinet are younger than typical political leaders in the region. Sudan Gurung, 38, a figure associated with Nepal’s Gen Z political movement, has been appointed home minister.
Apart from Balen, who studied in VIT, Bangalore, one more member in his cabinet has an Indian connection. Pratibha Rawal was a journalism student at the Asian College of Journalism in Chennai during 2014-15.
“Nevertheless, with expert advice and a consultative decision-making process, the cabinet appears promising in terms of delivery. The inclusion of women and marginalised groups also signals that the ruling party is attempting to advance inclusivity not only in rhetoric but in practice. It is still early days: while challenges remain, so do opportunities,” Sanjeev Satgainya noted.
The eldest in the cabinet is 51-year-old Swarnim Wagle, an experienced economist and now the finance minister, who is expected to steer the relatively young team.
Shah’s rise reflects another shift as well.
For decades, Nepalese politics has been dominated by a trio of familiar forces: the Nepali Congress, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), and the Maoists. But six months after the Gen Z uprising, voters have delivered a historic verdict: a sweeping mandate for the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), a relatively new party with former Kathmandu mayor Balendra Shah as its face.
Since the September 2025 protests, the mood on the ground has increasingly veered towards change—social, economic and political—and the results have reflected that.
Balen Shah defeated former PM K.P. Sharma Oli in his home turf of Jhapa-5 with at least 65,000 votes. The landslide changed decades of political continuity, showcasing the structural decline of the Maoists, once the revolutionary force that led Nepal’s transition from a monarchy to a Republic.
Before this, Finland’s government, led by Sanna Marin, was widely regarded as the world’s youngest cabinet. Marin became the world’s youngest Prime Minister at 34, leading a five-party coalition where four other party leaders were also women, with three under the age of 35. She governed till 2023.
(Edited by Madhurita Goswami)
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