Prime Minister Balen Shah confronts Gen‑Z protests and health reforms in Nepal

Prime Minister Balen Shah is facing a wave of Gen‑Z‑led protests after the government evicted squatters and land‑less families across Kathmandu Valley, dismantling structures of more than 2,600 families and affecting around 15,000 people. Demonstrations on July 12 drew hundreds of youths demanding his resignation; three self‑immolations have been reported, with two fatalities, intensifying calls for accountability.

Amid the unrest, Shah has also pushed a health‑sector agenda, directing officials to establish fully equipped burn‑treatment centres in all seven provinces and to upgrade burn wards in major government hospitals. In a meeting with vice‑chancellors of health science institutions, he emphasized coordination among federal, provincial and local governments, and urged private hospitals to allocate at least 10 % of outpatient services to subsidised rates for vulnerable patients. The dual pressures of street protests and ambitious reform plans are testing Shah’s leadership early in his tenure.