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Reforms in the Administrative System of Nepal

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Civil Service Management and Administrative Systems in South Asia
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Abstract

The constitution of Nepal, which was adopted in 2015, mentions three levels of governance: federal, provincial, and local. General elections for all the three levels were held in 2017. The unitary administrative system of the country, which has existed since Nepal’s unification in 1768, is on the path to being transformed into three federally based levels of governance. This chapter outlines the unitary administrative system and the constitutionally mandated federal model. It then discusses the New Public Management (NPM) and post-NPM reforms that have been initiated in recent years to streamline the administrative apparatus and ensure better quality services. It is asserted that regardless of whether the country ends up keeping a unitary system or implements federalism, the task of making the administrative system performance-oriented and achieving effectiveness in service delivery will still remain the major issues of reform in Nepal.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia Herzegovina, Brazil, Canada, Comoros, Ethiopia, Germany, India, Iraq, Palau (Belau), Malaysia, Mexico, Micronesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Sudan, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, United States of America, and Venezuela.

  2. 2.

    31 ministries: Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Supply, Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Law Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture Development, Ministry of Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Home, Ministry of Population and Environment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Livestock, Ministry of Land Reform and Management, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Women Children and Social Affairs, Ministry of Youth and Transport, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Forest and Soil Conservation, Ministry of Commerce, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Peace and Reconstruction, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Ministry of Culture Tourism and Civil Aviation, Ministry of Federal Affairs and Local Development, Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation, Ministry of Urban Development, Ministry of General Administration, Ministry of Irrigation, Ministry of Information and Communication, and Ministry of Health.

  3. 3.

    Attorney General, Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, Auditor General, Public Service Commission, Election Commission, and National Human Right Commission.

  4. 4.

    National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission, National Women Commission, National Dalit Commission, National Inclusion Commission, Indigenous Nationalities Commission, Madheshi Commission, Tharu Commission, and Muslim Commission.

  5. 5.

    24 Governments: 1990 Krishna Prasad Bhattari, 1991Girija Prasad Koirala, 1994 Man Mohan Adhikari, 1995 Sher Bhadur Deuba, 1996 Lokendra Bahadur Chand, 1997 Surya Bhadur Thapa, 1998 Girija Prasad Koirala, 1999 Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, 2000 Girija Prasad Koirala, 2001 Sher Bhadur Deuba, 2002 Lokendra Bhadur Chanda, 2003 Surya Bahadur Thapa, 2004 Sher Bhaduar Deuba, 2005 King Gynendra, 2006 Girija Prasad Koirala, 2008 Puspa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda), 2009 Madav Kumar Nepal, 2010 Jhalnath Khanal, 2011 Dr. Baburam Bhattarai, 2012 Khil Raj Regmi, 2013 Shushil Koirala, 2015 KP Sharma Oli, 2016 Puspa Kamal Dahal (Prachanda), and 2017 Sher Bahadur Deuba.

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Gautam, B. (2019). Reforms in the Administrative System of Nepal. In: Jamil, I., Dhakal, T., Paudel, N. (eds) Civil Service Management and Administrative Systems in South Asia. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90191-6_11

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