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Bidya Devi Bhandari Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 28, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth19 June 1961

Age61 Years (as of 2022)

BirthplaceMane Bhanjyang, Bhojpur, Kingdom of Nepal (present-day Province No. 1, Nepal)

ProfessionPolitician

NationalityNepalese

Marital statusWidow

SpouseMadan Bhandari (died 1993)

FamilyTwo daughters; parents Ram Bahadur Pandey and Mithila Pandey, brothers include Degendra Pandey

Bidya Devi Bhandari Biography

Bidya Devi Bhandari is a Nepali politician who made history as Nepal’s first female head of state when she was elected president in 2015. Her long career,

Early life and background

Bidya Devi Bhandari was born Bidya Pandey on 19 June 1961 in Mane Bhanjyang, Bhojpur, in what was then the Kingdom of Nepal. She grew up in a family that valued education; her grandfather, Tilak Bahadur Pandey, was active in local social work and encouraged her schooling. Bhandari completed primary education at Behereshwar Primary School and earned her School Leaving Certificate in 1979 from Bidhyodaya Vocational High School. She went on to study at Tribhuvan University, where she completed a Bachelor of Arts in 1980.

Her early exposure to politics came from family members and local activists. As a teenager she became involved with local political groups and youth organizations, distributing materials and participating in grassroots efforts. By 1978 she had formally joined political activism through the Youth League of the CPN (ML) and, between 1979 and 1987, held responsibility for the Eastern Zone Committee of the All Nepal National Free Students Union (ANNFSU).

Career

Bhandari’s formal political career advanced through party work and elected office. She received party membership in the CPN (ML) in 1980 and served as a student union leader while at Mahendra Morang Adarsha Multiple Campus. She later held leadership roles in labour and women’s organizations, including chairing the women’s wing of GEFONT and being elected to the central committee of the CPN (UML).

Her entry into national legislature came in January 1994, when she won a by-election in Kathmandu–1 following the death of her husband. Later that year she won election from Kathmandu–2 and was appointed Minister for Environment and Population in 1997. She retained a parliamentary presence through the late 1990s, winning re-election in 1999.

In the late 2000s and early 2010s Bhandari continued to hold senior roles. She served as Minister of Defence from 2009 to 2011 in the cabinet of Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal. She was a member of the Constituent Assembly and Legislature Parliament from 28 May 2008 to 28 October 2015, and held seats in the House of Representatives earlier in her career.

Bhandari rose to one of Nepal’s highest offices on 28 October 2015, when an indirect parliamentary vote made her the country’s second president and the first woman to hold the presidency. She won re-election in 2018. Throughout her party career she was prominent within the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist), serving at times as vice-chairperson and considered influential within party ranks.

Public profile

As president, Bhandari combined ceremonial functions with advocacy on environmental and women’s issues, drawing on earlier ministerial portfolios and her long engagement with women’s organizations. She has been recognized internationally; in 2016 she appeared on Forbes’ list of the world’s 100 most powerful women.

Her tenure has also been marked by controversy and debate over presidential decisions. Opposition figures and media sources have criticized her for what they describe as partisan actions, including disputes over ordinances related to citizenship and the timing and approval of government actions in 2021. The Supreme Court of Nepal issued a verdict in July 2021 that found aspects of her decision to dissolve the House of Representatives to be unlawful; subsequent developments included the appointment of Sher Bahadur Deuba as prime minister in July 2021.

Personal life

Bidya Devi married Madan Bhandari, a fellow politician, in 1982. They had two daughters; one is a medical practitioner and the other works as a party worker for the CPN (UML). Madan Bhandari died in a car accident on 16 May 1993. Bidya Devi has described her husband’s political qualities and the role his leadership played in shaping her own public life.

Latest updates

Bhandari remained a central figure in Nepalese politics through the 2010s and into the early 2020s, noted for both historic firsts and contentious constitutional episodes. She has continued to engage on conservation and gender-equality topics, including meetings with international conservation bodies to discuss nature and sustainable development.

Physical profile

Bhandari’s reported height is approximately 163 cm (about 5 feet 4 inches). Her listed eye and hair color are black.
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Recent Work

President of Nepal (first elected 2015, re-elected 2018)

Elected by an indirect vote of parliament as Nepal’s second president and the first woman to hold the office; re-elected in 2018.

2015
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Career Highlights

  1. First woman to serve as President of Nepal (elected 2015; re-elected 2018)
  2. Minister of Defence (2009–2011)
  3. Minister for Environment and Population (1997)
  4. Long-serving parliamentarian and senior leader in CPN (UML)
  5. Ranked among Forbes’ 100 Most Powerful Women in 2016
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Bidya Devi Bhandari born?

19 June 1961

What is Bidya Devi Bhandari known for?

Politician

What is Bidya Devi Bhandari’s marital status?

Widow

Who is Bidya Devi Bhandari married to?

Madan Bhandari (died 1993)