On December 8, 2025, Nepal’s government took a decisive step in the aftermath of one of the most turbulent episodes in the nation’s recent history: the Gen-Z Uprising. In a cabinet meeting, officials approved the Gen Z Injured Relief Assistance Procedure 2082, a policy designed to provide education, health, and employment support to those injured or disabled during the youth-led protests that swept across the country in September. The move, announced by Minister for Communications and Information Technology Jagadish Kharel, marks an official acknowledgment of the immense toll the demonstrations—and the crackdown that followed—have had on a generation of young Nepalis.
The September protests, which ignited in Kathmandu and quickly spread nationwide, were notable not only for their scale and the demographic at their core—Nepal’s Gen Z—but also for the tragic violence that ensued. According to a recent briefing by Amnesty International, the policing of the two-day protests and the six days of subsequent unrest led to the deaths of 76 people and left more than 2,000 injured. On just the first day, September 8, at least 19 people lost their lives, and over 300 were wounded.
Amnesty International’s report, published on December 8, 2025, paints a grim picture of the events. The organization documented how Nepal’s law enforcement agencies responded to largely peaceful protests with mounting—and ultimately lethal—force. Eyewitness accounts, corroborated by photographic and video evidence, describe security forces deploying water cannons at close range, launching tear gas grenades from elevated positions (including into hospital premises), and firing rubber bullets directly into dense crowds. Even more alarming, live ammunition was used unlawfully, with police firing at head level both inside and outside the parliament compound, striking protesters, bystanders, and journalists in vital areas such as the head, neck, and chest.
The escalation began after protesters dismantled a police barricade less than 500 meters from the federal parliament building. What started as a peaceful assembly quickly descended into chaos. As videos verified by Amnesty International show, the use of force by security personnel increased rapidly—first with water jets and tear gas, then with kinetic impact projectiles, and finally with live ammunition.
Medical personnel at hospitals treating the injured reported an unusually high percentage of severe cases. "In mass-casualty disasters, the usual pattern is that there are relatively fewer severe cases and more milder to moderate cases, with only some deaths. We plan for that. Typically, we might expect 10–20% to be severe. But this time it was reversed—there were far more severely injured patients, perhaps 50–60%," one doctor told Amnesty International. Another recalled the harrowing scene: "Some had gunshot wounds to the head and chest, others had life-threatening injuries to the abdomen or major blood vessels… Around 2pm, the emergency ward was in its worst state—blood everywhere, patients collapsing, doctors and nurses working nonstop. It felt like a butcher’s house."
The government’s response to the tragedy has been twofold: on the one hand, it has begun to address the needs of those injured, and on the other, it has sought to honor those who paid the ultimate price. Among them is journalist Suresh Rajak, who lost his life during the demonstrations at Tinkune, Kathmandu, on March 28, 2025. The cabinet has declared him a martyr, a gesture that recognizes both his sacrifice and the broader risks faced by journalists covering civil unrest.
Yet, as Amnesty International’s Nepal director Nirajan Thapaliya emphasized, the relief measures and symbolic gestures do not address the underlying issues of accountability. "The violent and unlawful government response to young people exercising their right to peaceful assembly reflects a shocking and callous disregard for human life. All those responsible for ordering, enabling, or carrying out these abuses, regardless of rank or position, must be brought to justice through a fair and transparent process," Thapaliya stated. He also warned, "The young people killed and injured during the Gen-Z uprising deserve truth and justice. By failing to ensure accountability for past protest-related human rights violations, successive governments have allowed impunity to take root and undermine the rule of law. Authorities must not repeat the past mistakes and abandon the victims."
Amnesty International has called on Nepal’s government to review its approach to public assemblies and to amend domestic laws—including those governing the use of force by police—so that they align with international human rights standards. The organization’s findings point to systemic failures: a lack of planning and preparation for policing protests, the failure to exhaust non-violent means before resorting to force, and the dangerous misuse of less-lethal weapons. The use of live ammunition in circumstances that did not involve an imminent threat of death or serious injury, Amnesty argues, resulted in arbitrary deprivations of life and cannot be justified under any circumstance.
The Gen-Z Uprising itself was not born in a vacuum. As highlighted in a December 8 article by MT Newswires, titled "From TikTok to the Streets: Conspicuous Wealth & Nepal’s Gen-Z Uprising," the protests were fueled in part by social media trends, particularly on platforms like TikTok. These online spaces provided young Nepalis with a sense of shared identity and a powerful tool for mobilization, amplifying their voices and grievances around economic inequality, social justice, and government accountability.
In addition to addressing the aftermath of the protests, the cabinet meeting on December 8 also tackled issues affecting rural communities and the agricultural sector. For the fiscal year 2025/26, the government set the minimum purchase price for sugarcane at Rs 620 per quintal and continued a subsidy of Rs 70 per quintal for farmers. The list of poor households from ten districts—including Tehrathum, Nawalparasi (Bardaghat–Susta East and West), Parbat, Morang, and Sunsari—was endorsed, approving support for 27 families. The Financial Procedures and Fiscal Responsibility (Second Amendment) Regulation 2082 was also approved, and Joint Secretary Rajendra Kumar Paudel was promoted to Secretary in the special category under the Nepal Administrative Service.
While these policy decisions signal the government’s intent to address both immediate and long-term needs, the shadow of September’s violence lingers. The Gen-Z Uprising has left an indelible mark on Nepal’s political and social landscape, serving as a stark reminder of the dangers of unchecked state power and the enduring strength of youth-led movements. As calls for accountability grow louder, the real test for Nepal’s leaders will be whether they can deliver not just relief, but justice—and whether future generations will be able to raise their voices without fear.
