- Type
- Act
- Year
- २०४९ BS · 1992 AD
- Status
- In force
- Category
- खण्ड १६: महिला, बालबालिका, समाज कल्याण तथा संस्कृति · Volume 16: Women, Children, Social Welfare and Culture
- Official text
- Official page Official text (PDF)
- English translation
- Official English translation archived copy: the original page is no longer online
Translations may not include later amendments. The Nepali text is the authoritative law.
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 the government run social welfare programmes through non-governmental social organisations, including special programmes for children, the elderly, the helpless and people with disabilities; women's rights; people affected by drug abuse and social ills; the unemployed, poor and uneducated; and marginalised communities. It applies to non-profit social organisations registered under other laws and to foreign NGOs wishing to work in Nepal.यस ऐनले नेपाल सरकारलाई गैरसरकारी सामाजिक सङ्घसंस्थामार्फत समाज कल्याण कार्यक्रम चलाउन अनुमति दिन्छ—बालबालिका, वृद्ध, असहाय र अपाङ्गता भएका व्यक्ति; महिलाको हकहित; लागूपदार्थ दुर्व्यसन र सामाजिक विकृतिबाट पीडित; बेरोजगार, गरिब र अशिक्षित; तथा पिछडिएका समुदायका लागि विशेष कार्यक्रमसमेत। यो अन्य कानूनबमोजिम दर्ता भएका नाफा नकमाउने सामाजिक संस्था र नेपालमा काम गर्न चाहने विदेशी गैरसरकारी संस्थामा लागू हुन्छ। Nepal Law Commission Sections 2–4, pp. 2–3; Section 12, p. 7
- The Social Welfare Council, chaired by the Minister for Women, Children and Senior Citizens, with a vice-chair, treasurer and members nominated by the government, coordinates, supports, monitors and evaluates social organisations. Organisations may affiliate with the Council by submitting their statute and committee details and receive a certificate. A foreign NGO must apply to the Council for permission before working in Nepal (decided within three months) and then sign an agreement with it.महिला, बालबालिका तथा ज्येष्ठ नागरिक मन्त्रीको अध्यक्षतामा सरकारले मनोनीत गरेका उपाध्यक्ष, कोषाध्यक्ष र सदस्य रहने समाज कल्याण परिषद्ले सामाजिक सङ्घसंस्थाको समन्वय, सहयोग, अनुगमन र मूल्याङ्कन गर्छ। संस्थाले आफ्नो विधान र कार्यसमितिको विवरण दिएर परिषद्सँग आबद्ध भई प्रमाणपत्र लिन सक्छन्। विदेशी गैरसरकारी संस्थाले नेपालमा काम गर्नुअघि परिषद्सँग अनुमति माग्नुपर्छ (तीन महिनाभित्र निर्णय हुन्छ) र त्यसपछि परिषद्सँग सम्झौता गर्नुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission Section 5, p. 3; Section 9, p. 5; Sections 12–14, p. 7
- A social organisation that wants financial or other help from the government, an international organisation, a foreign mission or an individual must submit the project proposal to the Council, which decides within 45 days in coordination with the relevant ministry and may refuse projects against the national interest; urgent help up to Rs 200,000 a year may be taken with prior notice. Approved projects must be implemented in coordination with the local level, and foreign funds must come through commercial banks in Nepal. Organisations set up under treaties to which Nepal is party need not seek prior approval for emergency humanitarian aid but must inform the Council.नेपाल सरकार, अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय संस्था, नियोग वा व्यक्तिबाट आर्थिक वा अन्य सहयोग लिन चाहने सामाजिक संस्थाले परियोजना प्रस्ताव परिषद्मा पेस गर्नुपर्छ; परिषद्ले सम्बन्धित मन्त्रालयसँग समन्वय गरी ४५ दिनभित्र स्वीकृति दिन्छ र राष्ट्रहितविपरीत परियोजना अस्वीकृत गर्न सक्छ; तत्काल गर्नुपर्ने कामका लागि वार्षिक दुई लाख रुपैयाँसम्म पूर्वजानकारी दिएर लिन सकिन्छ। स्वीकृत परियोजना स्थानीय तहसँग समन्वय गरी लागू गर्नुपर्छ र विदेशी सहयोग नेपालका वाणिज्य बैङ्कमार्फत आउनुपर्छ। नेपाल पक्ष भएको अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय सन्धिअनुरूप स्थापित संस्थाले आकस्मिक उद्धार सहायताका लागि पूर्वस्वीकृति लिनु पर्दैन, तर पछि जानकारी दिनुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission Section 16, p. 8
- On the Council's recommendation, the government may suspend or dissolve the executive committee of an affiliated or Council-funded organisation that breaks the law or its statute, after giving it a chance to respond, and appoint an ad hoc committee to run it until a new committee is formed within three months. The Council has its own fund, keeps accounts the government way and is audited by the Auditor General; within six months of each fiscal year it must submit an annual report with its audit report to the Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens, and affiliated organisations must also file annual reports.कानून वा विधानविपरीत काम गर्ने आबद्ध वा परिषद्बाट सहयोग पाएका संस्थाको कार्यसमितिलाई परिषद्को सिफारिसमा, सफाइको मौका दिएपछि, नेपाल सरकारले निलम्बन वा विघटन गर्न सक्छ, र तीन महिनाभित्र नयाँ समिति नबनेसम्म संस्था चलाउन तदर्थ समिति गठन गर्न सक्छ। परिषद्को छुट्टै कोष हुन्छ, लेखा नेपाल सरकारको तरिकाअनुसार राखिन्छ र लेखापरीक्षण महालेखापरीक्षकबाट हुन्छ; आर्थिक वर्ष सकिएको ६ महिनाभित्र परिषद्ले लेखापरीक्षण प्रतिवेदनसहित वार्षिक प्रतिवेदन महिला, बालबालिका तथा ज्येष्ठ नागरिक मन्त्रालयमा पेस गर्नुपर्छ, र आबद्ध संस्थाले पनि वार्षिक प्रतिवेदन दिनुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission Sections 17–18, p. 9; Section 20, p. 10; Section 23, p. 11
Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas
- Not enforced Most affiliated organisations do not renew their affiliation. The Auditor General reported that 57,051 organisations were affiliated with the Council by 2080/81, but of the 52,579 affiliated up to 2077/78 that were due to renew in 2080/81, only 5,790 (11.01%) did so; 46,789 organisations had not renewed even though the rules require renewal every three years. The Auditor General asked the Council to set up inter-agency coordination so that organisations receiving foreign aid renew.अधिकांश आबद्ध संस्थाले आबद्धता नवीकरण गर्दैनन्। महालेखापरीक्षकका अनुसार २०८०/८१ सम्म ५७,०५१ संस्था परिषद्सँग आबद्ध थिए, तर २०७७/७८ सम्म आबद्ध भई २०८०/८१ मा नवीकरण गर्नुपर्ने ५२,५७९ संस्थामध्ये ५,७९० (११.०१ प्रतिशत) ले मात्र नवीकरण गरे; नियमावलीअनुसार हरेक तीन वर्षमा नवीकरण गर्नुपर्नेमा ४६,७८९ संस्थाले नवीकरण गरेका थिएनन्। वैदेशिक सहयोग लिने संस्थाले नवीकरण गराउन अन्तरनिकाय समन्वय स्थापित गर्न महालेखापरीक्षकले सुझाव दिएका छन्। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Nepal Law Commission OAG 62nd report, MoWCSC chapter, Social Welfare Council para 33, printed p. 411 (PDF p. 441); SWA s. 13, p. 7
- Loophole Foreign-funded spending is approved after the fact through a directive the law does not provide for. Sections 12 and 16 require prior permission, agreement and project approval. The Auditor General found that the Council's 2071 directive on approving foreign aid lets organisations that ran programmes without prior approval have their spending approved after paying a fee, and said this was not in line with the law, as the Act has no provision for after-the-fact expense approval. Under it, spending of Rs 6.36 billion by 176 organisations was in the approval process in 2080/81, and Rs 2.89 billion by 139 organisations in 2081/82; the Council did not publish which projects it approved.विदेशी सहयोगको खर्च कानूनमा व्यवस्था नभएको निर्देशिकाका आधारमा पछि अनुमोदन गरिन्छ। दफा १२ र १६ ले पूर्वअनुमति, सम्झौता र परियोजना स्वीकृति अनिवार्य गरेका छन्। महालेखापरीक्षकका अनुसार परिषद्को वैदेशिक सहयोग स्वीकृतिसम्बन्धी निर्देशिका, २०७१ ले पूर्वस्वीकृतिबिना कार्यक्रम चलाएका संस्थालाई शुल्क तिराएर खर्च अनुमोदन गर्ने व्यवस्था गरेको छ, जुन कानूनसम्मत नदेखिएको र ऐनमा खर्च अनुमोदनको व्यवस्था नै नभएको उल्लेख छ। यसअनुसार २०८०/८१ मा १७६ संस्थाको रु. ६ अर्ब ३६ करोड र २०८१/८२ मा १३९ संस्थाको रु. २ अर्ब ८९ करोड खर्च अनुमोदन प्रक्रियामा थियो; अनुमोदित परियोजना परिषद्ले सार्वजनिक गरेको छैन। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Office of the Auditor General, Nepal OAG 62nd report, SWC para 36 (36.1–36.2), printed p. 412 (PDF p. 442); OAG 63rd report, SWC para 20, printed p. 351 (PDF p. 383); SWA ss. 12, 16, pp. 7–8
- Unclear The pay and benefits of the Council's vice-chair, member-secretary and treasurer are not set by law. Neither the Act nor the ministry's nomination letters state them; the Council's own board decisions of 2063 gave these office-bearers benefits equal to special-class civil servants, costing Rs 2.25 million in 2080/81 and Rs 2.81 million in 2081/82. The Auditor General said such benefits should be fixed by law or by the appointing body.परिषद्का उपाध्यक्ष, सदस्य-सचिव र कोषाध्यक्षको पारिश्रमिक र सुविधा कानूनले तोकेको छैन। न ऐनमा न मन्त्रालयको मनोनयनपत्रमा यो उल्लेख छ; परिषद्को २०६३ को बोर्ड निर्णयले ती पदाधिकारीलाई विशिष्ट श्रेणीसरह सुविधा दिएको छ, जसमा २०८०/८१ मा रु. २२ लाख ५४ हजार र २०८१/८२ मा रु. २८ लाख १२ हजार खर्च भयो। यस्तो सुविधा कानून वा नियुक्त गर्ने निकायले तोक्नुपर्ने महालेखापरीक्षकले उल्लेख गरेका छन्। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Office of the Auditor General, Nepal OAG 62nd report, SWC para 34, printed pp. 411–412 (PDF pp. 441–442); OAG 63rd report, SWC para 18, printed p. 350 (PDF p. 382); SWA s. 5(2), p. 3
- Not enforced Complaints against NGOs are not followed through. In 2080/81 the Council received complaints about 17 NGOs, including misuse of property, office-bearers holding dual roles, actions against social interest and sexual abuse in a children's home. It investigated 13 and wrote to have the findings implemented, but did not monitor whether they were.गैरसरकारी संस्थाविरुद्धका उजुरीको पछिल्लो कारबाही टुङ्गिँदैन। २०८०/८१ मा परिषद्मा सम्पत्ति दुरुपयोग, पदाधिकारीको दोहोरो जिम्मेवारी, सामाजिक हितविपरीत काम र बालगृहमा यौन दुर्व्यवहारलगायत विषयमा १७ गैरसरकारी संस्थाविरुद्ध उजुरी परे। परिषद्ले १३ संस्थाको छानबिन गरी प्रतिवेदन कार्यान्वयन गर्न लेखी पठाए पनि कार्यान्वयन भए-नभएको अनुगमन गरेन। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Nepal Law Commission OAG 62nd report, SWC para 37, printed p. 412 (PDF p. 442); SWA ss. 9(a), 20, pp. 5, 10
Ideas to fix it
- Fix the pay and benefits of the Council's office-bearers by law or by the appointing body, and approve foreign-funded spending only as the law provides, publishing the projects approved.परिषद्का पदाधिकारीको पारिश्रमिक र सुविधा कानून वा नियुक्त गर्ने निकायबाट तोक्ने, र विदेशी सहयोगको खर्च कानूनबमोजिम मात्र अनुमोदन गरी अनुमोदित परियोजना सार्वजनिक गर्ने। Proposed by: Office of the Auditor General (62nd and 63rd Annual Reports) Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Office of the Auditor General, Nepal
Where does it conflict with other laws?
No conflict with another law is documented in the sources we have reviewed so far.
Open questions for lawmakers
Research candidates on possible conflicts, gaps or loopholes involving this law. Not legal findings: each awaits qualified legal review.