On Sept. 4, Nepal enacted a social media ban, which included Facebook, Instagram, X, and YouTube. This ban triggered a nationwide protest, primarily composed of young people. Some demonstrations have turned violent, with reports over the last two weeks claiming around 72 people have died.
Termed the “Gen Z Protest” due to the majority of the rioters being younger demographics, the anger that fueled this revolution was more than a simple social media ban. It was a glimpse into Nepal’s long history of corruption and nepotism within its government. Many people viewed the social media ban as a means to censor the youth who spoke out against the government, with the youth of Nepal perceiving it as the final straw in the government’s efforts to limit their rights.
Transparency International assigned Nepal a Corruption Perceptions Index score of 34 out of 100. A score below 50 is considered extremely corrupt. Additionally, approximately 12% of public service users reported paying a bribe in the previous 12 months. When the people are unable to trust the government, it is the fall of a democratic republic, and it is a sign of the necessity of something new.
Just five days after the social media ban was enacted, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned as a result of the people’s disturbed reaction to the killing of 19 protestors by police.
Following the protests, Nepal’s Military Chief, General Ashok Raj Sigdel, recorded a video asking protesters to stop burning buildings and help maintain peace. In parallel, the Nepal Army began patrolling the streets and started discussing the issue with protest leaders to find a solution.
As someone who is currently studying political science on the international policy track, the army’s response came as a red flag to me. I understand why the army was called in to settle unrest, but too often in history, this leads to a military authoritarian regime. Often, after a “revolution” or country-wide protests, we see the people thinking all they want is order, so they accept the military controlling the country for a small amount of time — but what happens when the military doesn’t want to give up their power? Historically, it appears that when this happens, another revolution is often necessary due to widespread unrest among the people under an authoritarian regime. Hopefully, this will not be Nepal’s fate, as things seem to finally be turning around for the better.
In choosing the next prime minister, Discord became Gen Z’s answer. On a channel hosted by Hami Nepal, one of the Gen Z groups behind the protests, a debate was held on the country’s future. This is where the next elected prime minister, former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki, comes into play.
Karki was sworn in as the new prime minister as of Sept. 12. Gen Z protestors view her as a revolutionary in their campaign against corruption. During her time as a justice, she jailed a government minister for corruption. She was Nepal’s first female chief justice and is now its first female prime minister. As a result of the protests, she has asked officials to rebuild the infrastructure that has been destroyed, as well as give money to the families of the protesters who have died.
In addition to electing Karki, Discord decided that there would be a new free election held on March 5, 2026, to decide the next prime minister. Although she doesn’t plan on being in power for longer than six months, Prime Minister Karki is seen as the leader who will crack down on government officials and create a new, prosperous Nepal.
With a new qualified leader, the biggest challenges she will face are to ensure the new free elections and to gain the military’s trust. As mentioned before, the army has the iron fist to either help Karki or to help the loyalists who might come against her. As of now, it appears that many countries are supporting this new era, so one can only hope that Nepali citizens will do the same.