“US, China playing dangerous Gen Z game in Nepal”, First Post, June 08, 2026
“The United States and China are competing to attract Nepali youth with skill programmes following deadly Gen Z protests in Nepal. Both nations have almost simultaneously opened applications for youth leadership and skill development programmes in Nepal. This is classic long-game geopolitics and a smart move for influence with the future leaders in the Himalayan nation.
The last year’s Gen Z protests in Nepal, set off by a short-lived ban on social media and discontent at corruption and economic inequality, led to the resignation of the KP Sharma Oli-led government and the dissolution of parliament. The two-day Gen Z protests on September 8 and 9 resulted in 76 deaths and many injuries. Nepal’s youth protests have changed the conversation and have changed the rules of power. That protest was not just youthful rebellion but a call for democratic renewal and reinvention.
The programmes were rolled out just a couple of months after Nepal’s rapper-turned-politician Balendra Shah, popularly known as Balen, was sworn in as prime minister after his party scored a landslide victory in the election……”
Read full article at firstpost.com
