Nepal’s sweeping political overhaul following the September 2025 collapse of K.P. Sharma Oli’s administration amid massive anti-corruption protests has installed a radically reshaped government in Kathmandu. Prime Minister Balendra “Balen” Shah’s newly formed cabinet officially took office this week. Thirty-eight-year-old Nisha Mehta was sworn in as the nation’s new Health Minister on March 27.
Mehta is an alumna of the College of Nursing at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi. The Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) secured a near-supermajority in the March 5 national elections. They won 182 out of 275 seats in the House of Representatives. Mehta’s appointment moves a frontline healthcare worker directly into a top policy-making role.
The new 15-member cabinet features five women ministers. This hits a 33 percent female representation threshold. Mehta represents the Madhesi cluster. She brings extensive frontline experience to the position.
She pursued her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at AIIMS Delhi from 2006 to 2010. She later earned a master’s degree in Gwalior, India. Before her political rise, Mehta worked as a clinical nurse and an associate professor at Birat Teaching Hospital in Nepal.
Nisha Mehta, a Nepalese politician and nurse, has taken over as Minister of Health and Population & Water Supply under the new Nepali Prime Minister, Balendra Shah
She trained at AIIMS New Delhi for UG and Jiwaji University Gwalior for her PG nursing training.#nisha_metha pic.twitter.com/gJJfcBVmGS— 𝑇𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑_𝑆𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖 (@TARACHA03735159) March 29, 2026
AIIMS Delhi released an official statement on Sunday praising the appointment. The institution noted her active participation in academic activities and exceptional leadership qualities during her time on campus.
“This remarkable achievement is a moment of great pride for the institution and the nursing community at large,” the statement read, according to a detailed report released on Sunday. “Mehta’s journey from bedside nursing to a key policy-making role reflects the expanding scope and leadership potential of the nursing profession.”
The RSP-led government is the first democratically elected administration in Nepal since last year’s youth-led Gen Z protests. Those demonstrations escalated into violence over nepotism and a controversial social media ban. The resulting political fallout ousted the previous coalition. The sweeping changes are fundamentally altering geopolitical norms in this part of the world.
The College of Nursing at AIIMS extended its best wishes for her tenure. The institution stated her accomplishment reinforces the vital role nurses play in shaping national and global healthcare policies.