Nepals Gen Z Uprising Against Corruption | Generated by AI
Nepal
In September 2025, Nepal erupted into widespread Gen Z-led protests, driven by deep-seated frustrations over youth unemployment (20.8% for ages 15-24 in 2024), rampant corruption, nepotism favoring political elites, and economic inequality that forces many young people abroad for work. The immediate trigger was the government’s abrupt ban on 26 social media platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp—on September 4, 2025, which protesters viewed as an authoritarian attempt to silence criticism of “Nepo Kids” (politicians’ privileged children living lavishly abroad). Thousands of students and young demonstrators, often in school uniforms, mobilized via online networks and took to the streets starting September 8 in Kathmandu and other cities, demanding an end to corruption, nepotism, and systemic political reforms.
The protests began peacefully near the federal parliament but quickly escalated into violence after police used tear gas, water cannons, rubber bullets, and live ammunition. Demonstrators breached barricades, set fire to the parliament building, Supreme Court, Singha Durbar government complex, and residences of politicians like Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, resulting in 74 deaths, over 2,100 injuries, and widespread looting. On September 9, Oli resigned amid the chaos, the social media ban was lifted, and a nationwide curfew was imposed by the army on September 10 to restore order. By September 12, former Chief Justice Sushila Karki was sworn in as Nepal’s first female interim prime minister, backed by protesters and the military, marking a historic generational shift. Her government launched a judicial inquiry into the violence, established a Reconstruction Fund for damaged infrastructure, and began appointing reformist ministers to address transparency and youth inclusion.
As of October 2025, the unrest has subsided into a tense calm under Karki’s leadership, with protests evolving into a leaderless youth movement influencing national discourse on power and democracy. Young Nepalis continue to push for lasting reforms through social media and rallies, viewing the uprising as a breakthrough against decades of elite betrayal, though challenges like political instability and economic recovery persist. The events have drawn parallels to youth revolutions in Bangladesh (2024) and Sri Lanka (2022), signaling a broader South Asian Gen Z awakening.
References
- A parliament in flames, a leader toppled. Nepal Gen-Z protesters ask: What comes next?
- 2025 Nepalese Gen Z Protests
- Nepal’s leaderless Gen-Z revolution has changed the rules of power
- Gen Z protests shake Nepal’s political order, force interim government
- Himalayan Uprising