Youth Representation Soars in Parliament Following Recent General Elections

Kathmandu. The participation of youth in the House of Representatives elections held on Falgun 21 has been remarkable. A total of over 100 young individuals have been elected through both the First-Past-the-Post (FPTP) and Proportional Representation (PR) systems.

This time, a significant number of young lawmakers are visible in the federal parliament, which has historically been dominated by older, gray-haired leaders. The 'National Youth Policy, 2082' defines the population aged 16 to 40 as 'youth'. However, the minimum age requirement to become a Member of Parliament is 25 years.

One hundred and two young individuals (aged 25 to 40) falling within this policy's criteria have been elected to the House of Representatives this time. Among them, 61 were elected through the FPTP system and 41 through the PR system.

'National Youth Policy, 2082', under Chapter 2, Clause 2.6.22, outlines a strategy to ensure inclusive and meaningful participation of youth in the stages from policy formulation to implementation. The large presence of youth under 40 in the House of Representatives, the supreme body for law and policy making, is expected to bring some novelty. Furthermore, the country's Prime Minister is on the path to becoming 36-year-old Balen Shah.

According to the National Census 2072, the 16 to 40 age group constitutes nearly 42 percent of the country's total population.

List of Young Lawmakers

1. Young Lawmakers Elected via FPTP (60 individuals)

Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) – 52 individuals

1. Prashant Upreti (25 years) – Makwanpur–2

2. KP Khanal (26 years) – Kailali–2

3. Manish Khanal (26 years) – Nawalparasi East–2

4. Bablu Gupta (28 years) – Siraha–1

5. Sulabh Kharel (28 years) – Rupandehi–2

6. Nisha Dangi (29 years) – Jhapa–1

7. Sasmita Pokharel (29 years) – Kathmandu–5

8. Ramji Yadav (30 years) – Saptari–2

9. Shiva Shankar Yadav (30 years) – Siraha–2

10. Ranjun Neupane (30 years) – Kathmandu–1

11. Sobita Gautam (30 years) – Chitwan–3

12. Rubina Acharya (31 years) – Morang–6

13. Sushant Baidik (31 years) – Pyuthan–1

14. Tapeshwor Yadav (33 years) – Siraha–4

15. Ujjwal Kumar Jha (33 years) – Mahottari–3

16. Badan Kumar Bhandari (33 years) – Kavrepalanchok–2

17. Jhabilal Dumre (33 years) – Syangja–2

18. Santosh Rajbanshi (34 years) – Morang–4

19. Dipak Kumar Sah (34 years) – Mahottari–2

20. Som Sharma (34 years) – Baglung–2

21. Sagar Dhakal (34 years) – Gulmi–1

22. Sunil Lamsal (35 years) – Rupandehi–1

23. Khagendra Sunar (35 years) – Banke–3

24. Balendra (Balen) Shah (36 years) – Jhapa–5

25. Pushpa Kumari Chaudhary (36 years) – Saptari–1

26. Sushil Kumar Kanu (36 years) – Parsa–2

27. Jagdish Kharel (36 years) – Dolakha–1

28. Toshima Karki (36 years) – Lalitpur–3

29. Kanhaiya Baniya (36 years) – Rupandehi–4

30. Prakash Pathak (37 years) – Jhapa–3

31. Asika Tamang (37 years) – Dhading–1

32. Prakash Gautam (37 years) – Makwanpur–1

33. Hari Prasad Bhusal (37 years) – Arghakhanchi–1

34. Rabin Mahato (38 years) – Sarlahi–2

35. Dhanendra Karki (38 years) – Sindhuli–1

36. Pukar Bom (38 years) – Kathmandu–4

37. Sudhan Gurung (38 years) – Gorkha–1

38. Taufik Ahmed Khan (38 years) – Rupandehi–5

39. Kamal Subedi (38 years) – Dang–3

40. Dipak Raj Bohara (38 years) – Kanchanpur–2

41. Lal Bikram Thapa (39 years) – Sunsari–2

42. Rahbar Ansari (39 years) – Bara–4

43. Rajeev Khatri (39 years) – Bhaktapur–2

44. Rajan Gautam (39 years) – Nawalparasi East–1

45. Sushil Khadka (39 years) – Baglung–1

46. Bipin Kumar Acharya (39 years) – Dang–2

47. Jagat Prasad Joshi (39 years) – Kailali–3

48. Krishna Kumar Karki (40 years) – Morang–2

49. Ganesh Karki (40 years) – Morang–3

50. Parash Mani Gelal (40 years) – Udayapur–1

51. Pramod Kumar Mahato (40 years) – Mahottari–1

52. Gyanendra Singh Mahata (40 years) – Kanchanpur–3

Nepali Congress – 5 individuals

53. Yogesh Gauchan Thakali (32 years) – Mustang–1

54. Nishkal Rai (35 years) – Ilam–1

55. Sandeep Rana (38 years) – Palpa–1

56. Mo. Firdos Alam (39 years) – Rautahat–2

57. Khadak Bahadur Buda (40 years) – Jajarkot–1

CPN (UML) – 2 individuals

58. Suhang Nembang (36 years) – Ilam–2

59. Khitij Thebe (38 years) – Taplejung–1

Rastriya Prajatantra Party – 1 individual

60. Gyan Bahadur Shahi (34 years) – Jumla–1

Shram Sanskriti Party – 1 individual

61. Aren Rai (29 years) – Khotang–1

2. Young Lawmakers Elected via Proportional Representation (38 individuals)

Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) – 31 individuals

1. Smriti Century (25 years)

2. Khima B.K. (25 years)

3. Shraddha Kunwar Chhetri (27 years)

4. Purushottam Shubhapratav Yadav (27 years)

5. Akriti Awasthi (27 years)

6. Srishti Bhattarai (27 years)

7. Karishma Kathariya (28 years)

8. Nisha Mehta (28 years)

9. Anushka Shrestha (29 years)

10. Krantishikha Dhital (29 years)

11. Eliza Gurung (30 years)

12. Sita Badi (30 years)

13. Ankita Thakur (30 years)

14. Afsana Banu (31 years)

15. Gajala Shamim Mikrani (31 years)

16. Ramesh Prasai (32 years)

17. Pratibha Rawal (32 years)

18. Sarita Mahato (32 years)

19. Gita Chaudhary (33 years)

20. Ganga Chhantyal (35 years)

21. Sunita Kumari Chaudhary (35 years)

22. Ram Lama (36 years)

23. Midma Gyabu Sherpa (36 years)

24. Kripa Maharjan (36 years)

25. Tara Bishwakarma (36 years)

26. Bhumika Shrestha (37 years)

27. Rima Bishwakarma (37 years)

28. Shobha Khanal (38 years)

29. Sujata Tamang (39 years)

30. Prabha Dhakal (39 years)

31. Samina Mia (39 years)

Nepali Congress – 4 individuals

32. Gita Gurung (30 years)

33. Harina Devi Kami (37 years)

34. Renuka Kaucha (39 years)

35. Shahjan Khatun (40 years)

CPN (UML) – 4 individuals

36. Ashuda Kumari Baral (34 years)

37. Nita Ghataani (37 years)

38. Rigala Yadav (40 years)

39. Yashoda Kumari (40 years)

Shram Sanskriti Party – 1 individual

40. Rubi Kumari (25 years)

Rastriya Prajatantra Party – 1 individual

41. Khushbu Oli (35 years)