NEW DELHI: Nepal Prime Minister Balendra “Balen” Shah has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to visit India, marking his first major diplomatic outreach since assuming office.
Nepal’s foreign minister Shishir Khanal confirmed the development, stating that both countries have begun preparations for the visit. “The Nepal government has accepted the invitation, and the foreign ministries of both countries are now making arrangements,” he said. The upcoming trip to New Delhi will be Shah’s first official foreign visit as prime minister. The last visit by a Nepali PM to India was by Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” in June 2023.
At home, Shah has simultaneously unveiled an ambitious 100-point governance reform agenda aimed at overhauling administrative and political systems. The plan targets entrenched issues such as VIP culture, bureaucratic delays, political influence in educational institutions, and gaps in public service delivery.
Key proposals include reducing the number of federal ministries, restricting political affiliations within sections of the state machinery, and ensuring faster and more efficient public services. The reforms also emphasise expanding free healthcare access for economically weaker sections, improving safety in public transport for women, and easing academic pressure on young students.
A major highlight of the agenda is a crackdown on political activity in educational institutions. The government has proposed dismantling party-affiliated student organisations in schools and universities within 90 days, replacing them with non-partisan student councils or “Voice of Students” platforms.
“Schools and colleges will no longer serve as arenas for political activity but will function solely as centres of learning,” Shah said while announcing the reforms.
The twin developments — diplomatic outreach to India and sweeping domestic reforms — signal a decisive start to Shah’s tenure, with a focus on governance restructuring and regional engagement.
