Gen Z Movement Shapes Parties’ Election Manifestos

The Gen Z movement that erupted in September in the wake of government’s social media ban and growing frustration over the lack of economic opportunities for youths as well as widespread corruption has left a visible imprint on the election manifestos of major political parties.

The movement led to the fall of the then KP Sharma Oli-led government and the formation of a new government under Sushila Karki, paving the way for fresh elections. With the House of Representatives polls scheduled for March 5, political parties have incorporated youth-focused agendas prominently in their manifestos.

Almost all major parties have pledged to create jobs and promote entrepreneurship among youths. Their commitments range from generating employment through information technology (IT) to facilitating loans and seed funding for startups.

Nepali Congress pledges ‘Mission Employment’

The Nepali Congress has pledged to better utilize the capacity of skilled youths. The party has committed to ensuring meaningful youth participation in political and administrative decision-making bodies, including introducing a legal provision for lateral entry into government service for qualified youths under a special provision.

To reassure young voters, the party has announced a ‘Mission Employment’ campaign aimed at transforming hope into opportunity.

The Congress has also outlined plans to promote micro, small and medium enterprises in agriculture, tourism and industry sectors. It has promised to create an enabling environment where the state facilitates investment and commercialization of innovative ideas and skills possessed by young people.

The party plans to expand access to formal capital through project-backed loans and a startup seed fund. It has also committed to providing a 100-day business incubation program for women and youths seeking to start new enterprises, including training, mentorship, company registration and access to initial capital.

If elected to power, the Congress has pledged to provide seed capital ranging from Rs 500,000 to Rs 5 million against project collateral for youths with innovative ideas. It has proposed a financing model comprising 25 percent grant, 50 percent concessional loan and 25 percent self-investment for young entrepreneurs.

In addition to financial support, the party has promised technical advisory services and mentorship programs for startups. It has also committed to prioritizing goods and services produced by youth-led startups in government procurement and to incentivize private investors to invest in youth-run enterprises within Nepal.

UML offers free internet, dollar card scheme

The CPN-UML, which has previously led the government multiple times, has also unveiled youth-centric programs to attract the Gen Z electorate.

The party has announced a plan to provide 10 GB of free internet data per month for one year to youths aged between 18 and 28 if it forms the government.

The UML has also proposed issuing a dollar card worth up to $10,000 per person to youths and entrepreneurs. The scheme aims to promote research, production, development and export of IT and tech products and to facilitate international online transactions for startups.

According to the party, the facility would help youths access services related to artificial intelligence, content creation, digital marketing, app development and other IT-based training, with the goal of steering up to one million youths toward self-employment.

The UML has further pledged to simplify provisions allowing Nepali entrepreneurs to establish companies abroad or purchase shares in foreign companies. It has promised to deposit an additional Rs 5,000 annually into the bank accounts of migrant workers sending remittances and ensure their continued enrollment in the contribution-based social security system.

The party has also proposed providing interest-free loans of up to Rs 2 million for students pursuing higher education in technical fields and introducing paid internship programs in government offices, private businesses and academic institutions.

Additionally, the UML has pledged to promote startups through innovation hubs and incubation centers, offer tax concessions and initial investment support, and create a safe, flexible and technology-friendly work environment with performance-based incentives.

Rastriya Swatantra Party prioritizes IT sector

The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which emerged as the fourth-largest party in the previous House of Representatives, has also emphasized IT-driven job creation in its manifesto.

The party has described the IT sector as a potential second pillar of the economy after remittance and pledged to declare it a ‘national strategic industry.’ It has set a target of increasing IT exports from the current $1.5 billion to $30 billion within the next decade and proposed forming an autonomous IT Promotion Board to achieve this goal.

The RSP has pledged special income tax concessions for the IT sector, simplified policies for foreign investment and profit repatriation, and concessional loans against intellectual property as collateral. It has announced plans to generate 500,000 jobs through the IT sector alone.

The party has also committed to building advanced digital parks in all seven provinces to position Nepal as a global tech hub and to remove legal and technical barriers to international payment gateways to connect domestic startups with global markets. It envisions transforming Nepal into a digital-first nation.

CPN proposes returnee entrepreneurship drive

The Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) has proposed launching a returnee entrepreneurship program to create a conducive environment for utilizing the knowledge, skills, experience and capital of Nepalis working abroad. The party aims to develop at least 100,000 returnee entrepreneurs through the program.

It has also pledged to operate programs supporting capital and enterprise development for the underprivileged and to add 150,000 additional jobs annually, targeting a total of 500,000 jobs per year by leveraging Nepal’s demographic dividend.

Experts question feasibility

Economist Chandramani Adhikari said that while the manifestos appear attractive at first glance, some of the proposed programs may be difficult to implement immediately given the country’s limited resources.

“Although parties have announced plans related to job creation and information technology, they have not presented clear implementation roadmaps,” he said. “The programs sound promising, but implementation remains a challenge.”

Economist Keshav Acharya also expressed skepticism, noting that parties had made similar promises in the past without full delivery.

“There is a risk of repeating the old pattern of making commitments without fulfilling them,” he said. However, he acknowledged that the IT sector holds significant potential for job creation if pursued sincerely and strategically.