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Biswas Baral

Biswas Baral

The Diplomat

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Has Nepal’s Second Biggest Party Just Committed Political Harakiri?

Has Nepal’s Second Biggest Party Just Committed Political Harakiri?

By electing the highly unpopular and recently ousted PM Oli as party chief, the CPN-UML has thumbed its nose at the Gen Z demand for fresh and young...

yesterday 6

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Accountability for Nepal’s China-built Pokhara Airport Has Begun

Accountability for Nepal’s China-built Pokhara Airport Has Begun

Nepal's anti-corruption watchdog has filed a corruption case against 55 individuals and a Chinese company in relation to the construction of the $216...

12.12.2025 2

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Nepal’s Steady But Fragile March to the March Polls

The Nepali Congress is on board and voter enthusiasm is running high. But powerful actors could undermine the vote.

26.11.2025 10

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

After the Gen Z Quake, Nepali Congress Fights for its Future

Even though Nepal’s Grand Old Party has strong second-generation leaders ready to take leadership and most of the party wants the same, the old...

15.11.2025 5

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Nepal Counts the Economic Cost of the Gen Z Uprising

The new government has tried to woo businesses, but it will take more than tax cuts and easy loans to convince them to make long-term bets.

31.10.2025 2

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Nepal Mulls a Directly Elected Executive Head After Gen Z Revolt

India, which prefers a parliamentary system, and China, which favors a strong executive in Nepal, will be watching closely.

11.10.2025 8

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Nepal’s Fragile Dawn 

After the Gen Z uprising, the country is facing an uncertain future. 

01.10.2025 40

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Gen Z’s Gambit: Can Nepal’s New Prime Minister Deliver?

If elections cannot be organized in six months, Nepal could descend into a grave political and constitutional crisis.

17.09.2025 10

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Lipulekh and GSI Controversies Cloud Nepali Prime Minister’s China Visit

Oli’s visit will be seen abroad as an instance of yet another Nepali communist prime minister trying to please China.

03.09.2025 10

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Finally, India Extends Nepali PM Oli an Invitation to Visit

After being in India’s bad books for so long, there is a chance for Oli to regain New Delhi’s confidence. It won’t be easy, though.

23.08.2025 3

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Nepal’s LDC Graduation Masks Deep Economic Fragility

The Himalayan country will move up to developing country status from its current status as a Least Developed Country in November 2026.

09.08.2025 7

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Rabi Lamichhane, Nepal’s Anti-system Star, Meets the System

Rabi Lamichhane may be in jail, but the political vacuum that enabled his rise remains intact.

26.07.2025 5

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Why the MCC’s Continuation is in the Interest of Nepal — and the US

After putting MCC projects on hold in January this year, the Trump administration recently said that its projects in Nepal would go ahead.

09.07.2025 5

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Why Are BRI Projects in Nepal Stalled?

Geopolitics is at play. New Delhi does not want Nepal to be too close to Beijing and views BRI projects with suspicion.

25.06.2025 10

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Nepal’s Landmark Corruption Case Against Ex-Prime Minister Madhav Nepal

Previously, only bureaucrats and low-level politicians had been implicated in corruption cases. That has now changed.

11.06.2025 8

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Nepal Continues to Fail Victims of the Maoist Insurgency

Transitional justice, the last leg of the peace process, will remain incomplete unless the victims have adequate say in the process.

27.05.2025 5

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Nepal’s Secular Character Weakens as Agenda for Hindu State Gains Traction

Sensing Hinduism’s appeal among voters, Nepal’s mainstream political actors are reconsidering their previous support for secularism.

13.05.2025 10

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

The Unfolding Sorry Saga of Nepal’s China-built Airport at Pokhara

A parliamentary panel probing the project has discovered irregularities worth over $100 million.

24.04.2025 3

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Nepali PM Oli Meets India’s Modi, But Has Little to Show For It

Despite the Bangkok meeting, Oli has not gotten an invitation to visit New Delhi, something which he is desperately trying to secure.

07.04.2025 7

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral

Making Sense of Nepal’s Pro-monarchy Protests

While the recent rallies have drawn international attention, support for a return to the monarchy is neither new nor a majority position. 

13.03.2025 4

The Diplomat

Biswas Baral