New Delhi: Nepal Prime Minister Balendra “Balen” Shah accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to visit India while he launched a sweeping and radical 100-point governance agenda targeting VIP culture at home, political influence in campuses and bureaucracy, public service delays, free health care access for the poor, safe public transport for women and stress-free schooling for young children. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said, “The government of Nepal has accepted the invitation and the foreign ministries of both countries are now preparing for the visit.” He indicated that the visit to New Delhi would be Shah’s first major diplomatic outreach since assuming office. The last official visit of a Nepalese PM to India was by Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” in June 2023. Meanwhile, introducing a number of changes, the new government in Kathmandu has proposed to cut the number of federal ministries, ban political affiliations for sections of the state machinery and replace party-affiliated student bodies with non-partisan platforms. The reform plan directly aims at political influence in education and the civil service. Under the new mandate, party-affiliated student organizations in schools and universities are to be dismantled within 90 days and replaced with non-partisan student councils or “student voice” platforms. Announcing the move, Shah said, “Schools and colleges will no longer serve as grounds for political activity, but will function solely as centers of learning.“