Nepal is a country of striking contrasts, caught between enormous potential and deep social frustration. It is a place where tourism has made a spectacular economic recovery coexists with mass migration of youth, and democratic processes are undermined by a pervasive mistrust of the political class. The numbers speak for themselves: a staggering 68% of Nepalis believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, citing corruption and bad governance as the main reason.

At the heart of this general discontent lies what might be called a "triple crisis" - three fundamental social problems that shape the political agenda today jobs crisis, which is pushing an entire generation abroad; cost of living crisis, which is not reflected in official statistics; and crisis of justice, fueled by endemic corruption and lack of government accountability.

Amid this discontent, a key question arises: Are Nepal’s political parties’ reactions a genuine response to the “voice of the people”? Or are we witnessing the use of sophisticated political technologies – methods used to influence public preferences and actions, often while maintaining the illusion of free choice? This article examines how the fundamental demands of Nepalese society are becoming a major battleground for political forces ahead of the new electoral cycle.

Ambika Phuyal, a housewife from the Jitpurphedi community, never thought of herself as an entrepreneur. When a local NGO offered her training in making liquid soap, she was skeptical, as was her husband. But something about the chemistry-like process ignited a spark in her. Despite the skepticism of those around her, she invested her time and money in buying materials, guided by a simple yet powerful idea: “Soap is an essential part of daily life.” Today, Ambika not only runs a successful small business providing soap to local restaurants, schools and neighbors; she has become financially independent and a role model for other women in her community.

Ambika’s story is not an isolated case. She is a shining example of a growing wave of social entrepreneurship sweeping Nepal. Young, educated, and ambitious Nepalis, tired of waiting for solutions from the government or big corporations, are taking matters into their own hands. They are creating businesses not only to make a profit, but also to solve their country’s most pressing problems. This wave, born from a unique combination of socio-economic pressures and youthful energy, is changing Nepal from within, offering a new, more sustainable and inclusive path to development.

In a small farming village in the hills of Nepal, women in bright pink and red saris are picking aromatic herbs. They are not cooking food, but creating an innovative product: biofertilizer based on a centuries-old recipe. Meanwhile, in the densely populated Kathmandu Valley, residents gather at an ancient stone spring that was recently brought back to life by the community itself. Far from sterile labs and tech startups, these scenes represent the cutting edge of a new but deep-rooted trend in Nepal.

In the face of contemporary challenges such as climate change, resource scarcity and rapid urbanisation, Nepal is turning to its most valuable and renewable asset – the age-old wisdom of its people and the power of collective action. This is not just a nostalgic return to the past, but a dynamic process of adapting traditional knowledge to create sustainable, low-cost and remarkably effective solutions. In this article, we look at three key areas where this trend is most evident: forest and water management, agricultural innovation, and the living legacy of traditional medicine. All of these areas share a common theme: the power of communities to take control of the future by drawing on the wisdom of the past.

Imagine a tourist standing at the foot of Everest who has just taken a photo and instantly sent it to his friends via a 4G network. This image, which until recently seemed like a fantasy, now reflects the astonishing reality of Nepal. The country, sandwiched between the world's highest peaks, is making an impressive technological leap that experts call "leapfrogging."

The essence of this phenomenon is simple: instead of consistently going through all the stages of technological development, as industrial countries did, developing countries skip over outdated and expensive technologies, immediately introducing the most modern solutions. A classic example is the abandonment of expensive landline telephone lines in favor of the rapid deployment of mobile communications.

Nepal has become one of the most striking examples of this “leapfrogging.” The country has turned its geographic and infrastructural limitations into a unique advantage, becoming a real testing ground for innovation based on a “mobile-first” approach — when mobile technologies become the main, not secondary, channel for the delivery of services. From finance and healthcare to education and government services, a mobile phone in the hands of a Nepali has become the key to a new digital era.

Imagine a Kathmandu resident walking down the street and seeing an old bus belching thick plumes of black smoke. In the past, he might have just shaken his head in disgust. Today, he takes out his smartphone, shoots a short video, and uploads it to an online platform. After a while, he receives a notification: his complaint has been accepted, and the municipal authorities are already dealing with the polluting vehicle. This is not a scene from the future, but a real-life example of how technology is changing civic engagement in Nepal, a country better known for its majestic Himalayas than for digital innovation. At the heart of this transformation are two interrelated phenomena: “open data” and “civic tech.”

To understand the essence of this quiet revolution, let us define these key concepts in simple terms. Open Data— is information that anyone can freely and without charge use, reuse, and distribute. Imagine a huge library where all the data collected by the state is stored: budgets, health statistics, election results, air quality data. For a long time, these “books” have been gathering dust in closed archives. The concept of open data is to put them on public shelves. And it is important not only to have legal permission to use (legal openness), but also technical feasibility: the data must be presented in a format convenient for computer processing (for example, CSV tables), and not as scanned PDF documents from which information must be extracted manually.

When you think of Nepal, your imagination conjures up images of the majestic peaks of Everest, the ancient temples of the Kathmandu Valley and endless trekking trails. This image is certainly true, but it is no longer complete. In the shadow of the Himalayas, in the bustling cities of Kathmandu and Pokhara, a quiet but rapid revolution is unfolding. What if the greatest peaks Nepal is conquering today are digital?

The world is increasingly talking about the "creative economy" - a sector that is based not on factories and natural resources, but on ideas, talent and technology. This is an economy where the results of intellectual activity are sold: design, software code, music, video, media content. It arises at the intersection of culture, technology and entrepreneurship. That’s the kind of economy that’s emerging in Nepal today, fueled by affordable internet, bold local innovation, and a new generation of creatives. This article looks at how a country known for its ancient culture is building its digital future.

While the world’s tech hubs compete to build metaverses and roll out 6G networks, an equally exciting, albeit very different, digital revolution is unfolding in the heart of the Himalayas. The Nepalese government has announced an “IT Decade” (2024–34), backed by an ambitious goal to transform the country into a major information and communications technology (ICT) hub, export services worth Rs 3 trillion, and create 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs within a decade. This bold strategy, supported by a budget of Rs 7.25 billion for ICT in the 2024/25 financial year and a comprehensive Digital Nepal programme, paints a picture of a nation that is actively building its digital future.

However, these impressive figures hide a complex reality, which can be called Nepal’s “great digital paradox.” Official government sources proudly claim almost 100 percent internet penetration – 99.38%. At the same time, independent analytical reports such as Digital 2025: Nepal, present a more restrained picture: at the beginning of 2025, the share of active Internet users was 55.8%. This discrepancy is not just a statistical quirk, but a key to understanding Nepal’s unique digital ecosystem. The high figure likely accounts for every active SIM card, including basic 2G/3G connections used primarily for voice calls and SMS, while the lower figure reflects the actual number of people actively using the internet. This gap between infrastructure coverage and meaningful usage is the main driver of the trend we call “Nepalization.”

Nepal’s 2022 elections were not just another democratic ritual, but a political earthquake with youth at its epicentre. The event marked the culmination of years of frustration with the new generation, which found expression in the “No, Not Again” campaign, which targeted the entrenched political elite that had been in power for decades. The result was a stunning success for independent candidates such as Balendra (Balen) Shah, who was elected mayor of Kathmandu, and for new political forces such as the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP). These victories were a direct reflection of the discontent of the youth and their determination to take the country's future into their own hands.

Nepal is at a critical juncture in its development, driven by its large youth generation. Armed with digital technology and a deep sense of disillusionment with the existing system, this demographic is no longer content to be left behind. Young Nepalis are actively reshaping the country’s political landscape, challenging the very foundations of the post-2006 democratic dispensation and initiating a national debate about Nepal’s future. This article examines the demographics, the evolution of activism from street protests to digital campaigns, the pivotal significance of the 2022 elections, and the deep frustrations and systemic barriers that young people face, shaping the nation’s dynamic and uncertain future.

Situated between two Asian giants, India and China, Nepal’s political landscape has long been characterized by turbulence. But 2024 has been the epitome of this chronic instability, with a kaleidoscopic shift in alliances that has cast doubt on the country’s ability to implement long-overdue economic reforms. The year began with one ruling coalition, and by midsummer, a previously unthinkable one had emerged.

In March 2024, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, better known as “Prachanda,” the leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre), made a dramatic political about-face. He broke his alliance with the country’s largest party, the Nepali Congress (NC), and formed a new left-wing coalition with his main opponent, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist), or CPN-UML. This alliance, however, proved short-lived. Already in July, the political scene was transformed again. The two largest and historically hostile forces – the CPN-UML led by Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli and the Nepali Congress – agreed to form a “grand coalition”. This maneuver led to Prachanda’s resignation and KP Sharma Oli’s return to the prime minister’s post for the fourth time.

Nepal is at a critical juncture in its economic development. The government has launched an ambitious program of legislative reforms that many analysts have dubbed a “second wave” of liberalization. This process is not happening in a vacuum, but under pressure from powerful internal and external factors that are forcing the political leadership to act decisively and quickly. Understanding these drivers is key to assessing both the potential opportunities and the significant risks that the new laws pose.

The main catalyst for the reforms was Nepal's upcoming graduation from the list of least developed countries (LDCs), scheduled for November 2026. While this transition is a symbol of national progress, it also means the loss of preferential trade tariffs and other benefits that have long supported the country’s economy. As a result, Nepal is being forced to urgently shift from a model dependent on international aid to one that is self-sufficient, driven by trade and private investment. Added to this is the need to recover from the economic shocks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and address systemic issues such as the growing trade deficit.