Balen Shah Becomes Nepal’s Youngest Prime Minister | 30 Mar 2026

Why in News? 

Balen Shah took oath as the Prime Minister of Nepal at the age of 35, becoming the youngest Prime Minister in the country’s history. 

Key Points 

• Political Party: He leads the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which achieved a landslide victory in the 2026 Nepalese general election.  
  • RSP secured 182 seats in the 275-member Parliament. 
  • In the Jhapa-5 parliamentary constituency, he defeated former Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli by a large margin in the 2026 elections. 
• Oath Ceremony: The oath of office was administered by Ram Chandra Paudel, the President of Nepal, at Sheetal Niwas in Kathmandu. 
• First Madhesi Leader: He is also the first leader from the Madhesi community of Nepal’s southern plains to become Prime Minister in decades. 
• Balen Shah:  
  • He was known as a civil/structural engineer and a Nepali hip-hop artist, using music to highlight issues such as corruption, governance, and social inequality. 
  • He first gained national prominence after winning the Kathmandu mayoral election in 2022 as an independent candidate.