At 35, he is the youngest Prime Minister of Nepal and also the first Madhesi leader to hold the post. Along with his rise, his cabinet has also caught attention, especially for its strong academic connection with India.

Several ministers educated in India

Out of the 15-member cabinet led by Balen Shah, around one-third (four ministers) have studied in India. This includes the Prime Minister himself, along with key ministers handling important portfolios.

Apart from Shah, those with Indian education backgrounds include:

• Sunil Lamsal (Transport and Urban Development)
• Nisha Mehta (Health)
• Pratibha Rawal (General Administration)

Balen Shah: Engineer turned leader

Before entering politics, Balen Shah built his career as a structural engineer. He completed his Master of Technology in Structural Engineering in 2018 from Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology, where he studied between 2016 and 2018.

Now, after his electoral victory, he leads one of the youngest cabinets in the country.

Sunil Lamsal: Infrastructure expert

Sunil Lamsal, also 35, is an infrastructure expert and holds key responsibilities related to urban development and construction in the government. Like the Prime Minister, he is also an alumnus of Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology and holds a master's degree in engineering.

Nisha Mehta: From nursing to health minister

Health Minister Nisha Mehta pursued her studies in India between 2006 and 2010 at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), College of Nursing in New Delhi.

She is also an alumna of Gwalior University and has worked at Birat Teaching Hospital before taking charge as Nepal's Health Minister.

Pratibha Rawal: Journalism background

Pratibha Rawal, who has been given charge of federal affairs, general administration, cooperatives and poverty alleviation, studied at the Asian College of Journalism during the 2014-15 batch.

She is among the five women ministers in Balen Shah's cabinet, along with Nisha Mehta.

India remains a key education hub for Nepal

It has long been common for Nepali students to pursue higher education in India. Many prominent leaders across politics and other fields have studied there.

For instance, former Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai studied at Chandigarh College of Architecture and Jawaharlal Nehru University in the 1970s.

Past leaders with Indian education

Following political unrest last year, K. P. Sharma Oli's government fell and Sushila Karki was appointed interim Prime Minister.

Karki, who was also Nepal's first female Chief Justice, studied at Banaras Hindu University and earned a degree in political science in 1975.