Through their manifestos for the upcoming House of Representatives elections, most political parties have sought to appeal to and specifically address the youth and Gen-G generation. Several ambitious agendas have been put forward in the information technology and digital sectors, keeping the youth at the center.

The parties claim to provide 10 GB of free data per month, develop 40 percent of the youth as a 'rocket engine', set up a startup fund of 10 billion, provide interest-free loans of up to 1 million rupees to 1 million youth for entrepreneurship, and prioritize the development of digital currency, nano, blockchain, AI, bio and space technology. 

In the 2079 general election, the parties had placed the issues of Digital Nepal, advanced information technology, electronic service delivery, and youth-oriented startups at the center of their manifestos. This time, with the sudden election due to the Gen-G rebellion, youth-centric promises have been added. Words like youth, digital, technology, IT, startup, new youth, Gen-G have been used repeatedly in the manifestos.

Although the UML has made many digital commitments for the youth, it has not mentioned the word Gen-G in the manifesto. This party has expressed a commitment to make 1 million youth self-employed in the next 5 years by providing training in subjects such as AI, content creation and digital marketing, and app development.

‘We will enhance technical, professional, digital and innovation skills to connect youth with national development,’ the UML manifesto, which includes the word youth a total of 33 times, states, ‘We will provide a $10,000 card to youth and entrepreneurs.’ UML has mentioned that AI technology will be implemented in the service sector. 

In its ‘pledge’, the Congress has committed to ending government inaction and corruption through Digital Nepal. It aims to make youth competitive in the global market by linking technology and innovation with education. Information technology has been included as a key sector for modern development, along with agriculture, tourism and energy. 

Using the word ‘youth’ the most, 126 times in the vision document, the Congress has stated that it will ensure investment by making clear legal provisions for alternative financial instruments such as crowdfunding and venture capital for young entrepreneurs, promoting the digital creativity of youth, and ensuring legal protection for cyber security. ‘We will officially recognize e-sports and recognize gamers as professional players,’ it further states on the practical side, ‘We will facilitate payment and other arrangements focused on content creators and run skill-based programs.’

The NCP’s 23-point manifesto states that it will ‘remain committed to addressing the issues and aspirations of the Gen G generation.’ Emphasizing innovation, this party has promised to advance the overall development work of the country by giving high priority to research and development. It has pledged to take special initiatives to make the state’s service delivery faster, smoother and more efficient. 

The NCP has declared the information technology sector a ‘national strategic industry’ and set a target of achieving exports of $1.5 billion in 10 years. The NCP plans to provide international payment gateways and tax exemptions for startups, and increase investment in AI and cloud infrastructure. 

There is a commitment to giving legal recognition to digital nomad visas and remote work. The pledge states that we will ensure 500,000 direct jobs by building state-of-the-art digital parks in all seven provinces to make Nepal a global tech hub. The pledge states that we will prioritize investment in communication infrastructure, public digital infrastructure, data centers, cloud services, cyber security, privacy and security methods of personal information, and high-speed connectivity to build a comprehensive digital ecosystem. The RPP, which has placed special emphasis on technology, has used the word 'digital' 30 times, the word 'technology' 21 times, and the word 'employment' 11 times in the pledge. 

The RPP has expressed its resolve to make citizen life easy and convenient by placing information, technology, and good governance at number four among the six main pillars of prosperity. It has made public the goal of making all government services paperless within five years.

‘Services like citizenship, passport, tax, land, license and social security will be provided easily, transparently and without brokers and hassles through a single digital portal or app,’ the resolution states, ‘Skills like coding, data, AI and cyber security will be included in the curriculum right from the school level. Priority will be given to AI training and content moderation.’ 

Similarly, the NCP (United) has promised to develop the information technology sector as an industry and provide tax exemptions and subsidies to local IT products and startups. The party is determined to ensure high-speed internet and mobile networks in all municipalities of the country, to stop youth migration by connecting more than 100,000 youth to information technology enterprises in the next 4/5 years, to implement remote work visas, fellowships and tax-friendly policies to attract Nepali talent abroad, and to provide special structures and investments for the use and research of drones and robots. 

The Ujjaya Nepal Party has put forward a plan to fully operate smart cities in 13 cities. For this, it has been stated that traffic and data monitoring will be done based on IoT and AI. This party has committed to establishing a startup fund of 10 billion and building IT parks in all provinces, training 600,000 youth in coding, AI and cyber security in 5 years, providing direct subsidies to farmers through digital IDs and running digital classes in schools. 

JSP Nepal has expressed its determination to establish a modern technology-based study and research center based on AI in each province. This party has focused on building a modern digital state and addressing the aspirations of the Gen-G generation. ‘By promoting vertical farming, 5 million jobs will be created within the next 5 years,’ JSP promises, ‘a financial system oriented towards transparency and zero corruption will be built through a 100 percent cashless economy.’