- Type
- Act
- Year
- २०३९ BS
- Status
- In force
- Category
- खण्ड ४: आन्तरिक प्रशासन · Volume 4: Internal Administration
- Official text
- Official page Official text (PDF)
Analysis drawn from official reports, court rulings and published research, each cited. Figures are being double-checked against the source documents; corrections are welcome.
What does it do?
- The Act lets government offices (and public bodies the Government designates) classify documents as 'strictly prohibited', 'top secret' or 'secret'. Classification is decided by a committee that includes the secretary of the ministry concerned, using prescribed criteria; ordinary Government decisions and orders may not be classified, and documents not classified under the Act are not secret. Classified documents must be marked with their category.यो ऐनले सरकारी कार्यालय (र सरकारले तोकेका सार्वजनिक संस्था) का लिखतलाई 'सख्त निषेधित', 'अति गोप्य' र 'गोप्य' गरी वर्गीकरण गर्ने व्यवस्था गर्छ। कुन लिखत कुन वर्गमा राख्ने भन्ने निर्णय सम्बन्धित मन्त्रालयका सचिवसमेत रहेको समितिले तोकिएका आधारमा गर्छ; नेपाल सरकारका सामान्य निर्णय र आदेशलाई वर्गीकृत लिखतमा राख्न पाइँदैन, र ऐनबमोजिम वर्गीकरण नगरिएको लिखत गोप्य मानिँदैन। वर्गीकृत लिखतमा वर्ग जनाउने छाप लगाउनुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission Sections 2–4, pp. 1–2
- 'Strictly prohibited' documents stay secret for up to 30 years at a time and must be kept and moved under seal; 'top secret' documents stay secret for up to 20 years at a time, renewable by the Government; 'secret' documents stay secret for five years. During these periods no one other than the persons concerned may publish, cite or view them without Government permission, and they cannot be submitted as evidence in any court or legal proceeding (except naming them in cases under this Act). The Government may move documents between categories or declassify them.'सख्त निषेधित' लिखत एकपटकमा तीस वर्षसम्म गोप्य रहन्छ र सिलबन्दी गरी राख्नुपर्छ र ओसारपसार गर्नुपर्छ; 'अति गोप्य' लिखत एकपटकमा बीस वर्षसम्म गोप्य रहन्छ र सरकारले अवधि थप्न सक्छ; 'गोप्य' लिखत पाँच वर्षसम्म गोप्य रहन्छ। यो अवधिमा सम्बन्धित व्यक्तिबाहेक अरूले सरकारको अनुमतिबिना त्यस्ता लिखत प्रकाशित गर्न, उल्लेख गर्न वा हेर्न पाउँदैनन्, र कुनै अदालत वा कानूनी कारबाहीमा प्रमाणका रूपमा पेस गर्न सकिँदैन (यस ऐनअन्तर्गतका मुद्दामा नाम र प्रकृति उल्लेख गर्न बाहेक)। सरकारले लिखतको वर्ग बदल्न वा वर्गीकरणबाट हटाउन सक्छ। Nepal Law Commission Sections 5–9, pp. 2–3
- Anyone who publishes or cites the contents of a classified document must reveal its source to the investigating authority. The Government may arrest and search, even without a warrant where evidence may be destroyed or the suspect may flee, people suspected of offences or of holding classified documents without authority. Breaches are punishable under the Act and can also be prosecuted under other laws, while officials who keep classified documents in the course of duty are protected.वर्गीकृत लिखतको व्यहोरा प्रकाशित वा उल्लेख गर्ने व्यक्तिले अनुसन्धान अधिकारीलाई त्यसको स्रोत बताउनुपर्छ। कसूर गरेको वा अनधिकृत रूपमा वर्गीकृत लिखत राखेको शङ्का भएमा सरकारले पक्राउ र खानतलासी गर्न सक्छ, र प्रमाण नष्ट हुने वा भाग्ने सम्भावना भए वारेन्टबिना पनि गर्न सक्छ। उल्लङ्घनमा यस ऐनबमोजिम सजाय हुन्छ र अन्य कानूनबमोजिम पनि मुद्दा चलाउन सकिन्छ; कर्तव्यका सिलसिलामा वर्गीकृत लिखत राख्ने कर्मचारीलाई भने कारबाही हुँदैन। Nepal Law Commission Sections 10–16, pp. 3–5
Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas
None documented in the official reports we have reviewed so far.
Where does it conflict with other laws?
No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.