The Act Relating to Children, 2018

Type: Act
Year: २०७५ BS · 2018 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 consolidates Nepal's child law and sets out children's rights: to life; to a name, nationality and identity; to freedom from discrimination; to live with and meet their parents; to protection, participation, expression, privacy, nutrition and health, play and culture; and to education — free and compulsory up to basic level and free up to secondary level. Children with disabilities get special rights, and every decision must put the child's best interests first.यो ऐनले बालबालिकासम्बन्धी कानूनलाई एकीकृत गर्दै बालबालिकाका अधिकार तोकेको छ: बाँच्न पाउने; नाम, राष्ट्रियता र पहिचान; भेदभावविरुद्ध; बाबुआमासँग बस्ने र भेटघाट गर्ने; संरक्षण, सहभागिता, अभिव्यक्ति, गोपनीयता, पोषण र स्वास्थ्य, खेलकुद र संस्कृति; र आधारभूत तहसम्म अनिवार्य र निःशुल्क तथा माध्यमिक तहसम्म निःशुल्क शिक्षाको अधिकार। अपाङ्गता भएका बालबालिकाका विशेष अधिकार छन्, र हरेक निर्णयमा बालबालिकाको सर्वोत्तम हितलाई प्राथमिकता दिनुपर्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated text Sections 3–16, PDF pp. 3–9
Children in conflict with the law are dealt with through a separate juvenile justice system: no case at all for under-10s; for ages 10–14, counselling for fine-only offences and up to six months' detention or up to a year in a child correction home for others; half the adult penalty for ages 14–16 and two-thirds for 16–18. Cases may be diverted, heard in closed child courts (or child benches of district courts until child courts are set up), and must be decided promptly; handcuffing and solitary confinement are banned.कानूनको विवादमा परेका बालबालिकाका लागि छुट्टै बाल न्याय प्रणाली छ: दश वर्षमुनिकालाई कुनै मुद्दा चल्दैन; दशदेखि चौध वर्षसम्मकालाई जरिवाना हुने कसूरमा सम्झाईबुझाई छाडिन्छ र कैद हुने कसूरमा छ महिनासम्म कैद वा बढीमा एक वर्ष बाल सुधार गृहमा राखिन्छ; चौधदेखि सोह्र वर्षकालाई वयस्कको आधा र सोह्रदेखि अठार वर्षकालाई दुई तिहाइ सजाय हुन्छ। मुद्दा दिशान्तर गर्न सकिन्छ, बाल अदालत (गठन नभएसम्म जिल्ला अदालतको बाल इजलास) मा बन्द इजलासमा छिटो किनारा गर्नुपर्छ, र नेल, हतकडी वा एकान्त कारावास निषेधित छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated text Sections 21–42, PDF pp. 10–20
Governments must set up child correction homes for children in conflict with the law and child homes for those needing special protection, under standards and monitoring. A National Child Rights Council chaired by the Minister for Women and Children, provincial and local child rights committees, and a child welfare officer in every local government protect children's rights; a child fund supports emergency relief.कानूनको विवादमा परेका बालबालिकाका लागि बाल सुधार गृह र विशेष संरक्षण चाहिने बालबालिकाका लागि बालगृह मापदण्ड र अनुगमनसहित सरकारले स्थापना गर्नुपर्छ। महिला, बालबालिका तथा ज्येष्ठ नागरिक मन्त्रीको अध्यक्षतामा रहने राष्ट्रिय बाल अधिकार परिषद्, प्रदेश र स्थानीय बाल अधिकार समिति, र हरेक स्थानीय तहमा रहने बालकल्याण अधिकारीले बाल अधिकारको संरक्षण गर्छन्; तत्काल राहतका लागि बाल कोष रहन्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated text Sections 43, 52–58, PDF pp. 20–26; Sections 59–63, PDF pp. 27–28
Violence against children (such as corporal punishment, involving them in drinking or gambling, using them in political strikes and rallies, unlawful detention, torture or forced begging) and sexual abuse are offences. Penalties range from fines of up to Rs 50,000 and a year in prison upward according to the offence; institutions that breach children's rights can be fined up to Rs 50,000, and parents or guardians who neglect their duties or misuse a child's property up to Rs 100,000. Victims are compensated and the Government of Nepal is the plaintiff.बालबालिकाविरुद्धको हिंसा (शारीरिक सजाय, धूमपान–मद्यपान वा जुवामा संलग्न गराउनु, राजनीतिक बन्द–हडताल वा जुलुसमा प्रयोग गर्नु, गैरकानूनी थुना, यातना वा भिक्षा माग्न लगाउनु आदि) र यौन दुर्व्यवहार कसूर हुन्। कसूरअनुसार पचास हजार रुपैयाँसम्म जरिवाना र एक वर्षसम्म कैददेखि माथिका सजाय हुन्छन्; बाल अधिकार उल्लङ्घन गर्ने संस्थाका प्रमुखलाई पचास हजार रुपैयाँसम्म, र दायित्व पूरा नगर्ने वा बालबालिकाको सम्पत्ति दुरुपयोग गर्ने आमाबुबा वा संरक्षकलाई एक लाख रुपैयाँसम्म जरिवाना हुन्छ। पीडितलाई क्षतिपूर्ति दिलाइन्छ र नेपाल सरकार वादी हुन्छ। Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated text Sections 66, 72–73, 76, PDF pp. 30–36

Gaps, loopholes and improvement ideas

Capacity The Auditor General found that child correction homes hold more people than their capacity, including some people over 18. The nine child correction homes run or approved by the ministry under Section 43 had a capacity of 835 but held 1,342 children in FY 2081/82, and of those in the homes, 663 (650 male and 13 female) were over 18. The Auditor General said the homes must arrange proper accommodation and physical and mental development for children held beyond the set standard.बाल सुधार गृहमा क्षमताभन्दा बढी र १८ वर्ष नाघेकासमेत राखिएको महालेखापरीक्षकले उल्लेख गरेको छ। दफा ४३ अन्तर्गत मन्त्रालयले सञ्चालन वा स्वीकृत गरेका ९ बाल सुधार गृहको क्षमता ८३५ रहेकोमा आर्थिक वर्ष २०८१/८२ मा १,३४२ बालबालिका राखिएका थिए, र तीमध्ये ६६३ जना (६५० पुरुष र १३ महिला) १८ वर्षमाथिका थिए। मापदण्डभन्दा बढी राखिएका बालबालिकाको उचित बसोबास र शारीरिक तथा मानसिक विकासको व्यवस्था गर्नुपर्ने महालेखापरीक्षकको सुझाव छ। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal · Nepal Law Commission (lawcommission.gov.np), consolidated text OAG 63rd report, Women, Children and Senior Citizens chapter, para 10 (PDF pp. 379–380, printed pp. 347–348); Act Section 43, PDF p. 20
Not enforced Many child care homes do not yet fully meet the required standards. Of 207 child homes, 98 sheltered 2,221 children; 56 had fewer than 20 children (the rules require facilities for at least 20) and two homes in Sindhupalchok and Kavre had none. Only 11 were fully equipped; 64 met standards but needed improvement, 23 did not meet basic standards and 2 met none of them and were recommended for action. The Council also had not produced a clear report on 601 of the 8,792 missing, abandoned and street children it rescued that year.धेरै बालगृहले तोकिएको मापदण्ड अझै पूर्ण रूपमा पूरा गरेका छैनन्। २०७ बालगृहमध्ये ९८ मा २,२२१ बालबालिका संरक्षणमा थिए; ५६ बालगृहमा २० जनाभन्दा कम (नियमले कम्तीमा २० जनालाई सेवा दिन सक्ने संरचना माग्छ) र सिन्धुपाल्चोक र काभ्रेका दुई बालगृहमा बालबालिका नै थिएनन्। ११ मात्र सुविधासम्पन्न थिए; ६४ ले मापदण्ड पूरा गरे पनि सुधार गर्नुपर्ने, २३ ले आधारभूत मापदण्ड पूरा नगरेका र २ ले मापदण्ड नै पूरा नगरेकाले कारबाहीका लागि सिफारिस भएका छन्। सो वर्ष उद्धार गरिएका ८,७९२ हराएका, बेवारिसे र सडक बालबालिकामध्ये ६०१ को स्पष्ट विवरण परिषद्ले तयार गरेको थिएन। Office of the Auditor General, Nepal OAG 63rd report, National Child Rights Council paras 13–14 (PDF p. 381, printed p. 349)

Ideas to fix it

Make child homes meet the minimum standards, and develop a coordinated system for reuniting rescued children with families and providing skills training.बालगृहलाई न्यूनतम मापदण्ड पूरा गर्न लगाउने, र उद्धार गरिएका बालबालिकाको पारिवारिक पुनर्मिलन तथा सीप विकासका लागि समन्वयात्मक प्रणाली विकास गर्ने। Proposed by: Office of the Auditor General (63rd Annual Report) 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.

Regulations and rules made under it

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