Press Council Nepalप्रेस काउन्सिल नेपाल

What does it do?

• “Press Council Nepal is a statutory body set up by Government of Nepal to promote the standards of a free press in a democratic society and to advise the government on matters relating to the development of healthy and credible journalism in the country.” www.presscouncilnepal.gov.np About Us (English interface)
• “काउन्सिलले पत्रकार आचारसंहिता उल्लङ्घनका विषयमा उजुरी सुन्ने, सोउपर अध्ययन अनुसनधान गरी आवश्यक कारबाही गर्ने, आचारसंहितासम्बन्धी जागरण अभियान सञ्चालन गर्ने, आमसञ्चार माध्यममा आचारसंहिताको अनुगमन गर्ने, पत्रकारिताको विकासका लागि सरकारलाई सुझाव दिने प्रमुख कार्यहरु गर्दै आएको छ ।” www.presscouncilnepal.gov.np हाम्रो बारेमा, fourth paragraph
• Objectives include creating a suitable environment for healthy journalism, setting a code of conduct for journalism so press freedom is not misused, and maintaining cordial relations between the press and the Government of Nepal. giwmscdnone.gov.np Press Council Act 2048, s.5(क)-(ग); functions in s.7

Which law set it up?

What the law says is summarised with section numbers, not quoted, because text copied from the official PDFs is not reliable.

Law

Press Council Act 2048 (1992)प्रेस काउन्सिल ऐन, २०४८

Section

Section 3 (प्रेस काउन्सिलको स्थापना); s.4 makes it an autonomous body corporate

Official text

lawcommission.gov.np

History

“वि.सं‍. २०४८ सालमा ऐन जारी भएतापनि प्रेस काउन्सिलको स्थापना २०२७ असोज ६ गते भएको हो ।” www.presscouncilnepal.gov.np हाम्रो बारेमा (Nepali interface), second paragraph

Who leads it and who oversees it?

Head

उमेश श्रेष्ठ, अध्यक्ष (Chairperson) www.presscouncilnepal.gov.np Checked 2026-10-16

Falls under

No official source found stating that it is under a ministry. The Act says: The Council must keep contact with the Government of Nepal through the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology (Press Council Act 2048, s.16). The Nepali About page says the Director General of the Department of Information is the Council's member-secretary under s.6 of the Act.

Website

www.presscouncilnepal.gov.np

What could we not establish?

• The establishment year depends on the source: the Nepali About page dates the Council's formal establishment to 2027 Asoj 6 BS under the Printing and Publication Act 2019 s.30(क); the English About page says a 12-member Press Council was constituted in 1972 and the Press Council Act followed in 1992. Both are recorded on the agency's own pages.स्थापना वर्ष स्रोतअनुसार फरक छ: नेपाली परिचय पृष्ठले छापाखाना र प्रकाशन ऐन, २०१९ को दफा ३०(क) अन्तर्गत २०२७ असोज ६ गते परिषद्को औपचारिक स्थापना भएको भन्छ; अंग्रेजी परिचयले सन् १९७२ मा १२ सदस्यीय प्रेस काउन्सिल गठन भएको र सन् १९९२ मा प्रेस काउन्सिल ऐन आएको भन्छ। दुवै विवरण निकायकै पृष्ठमा छन्।
• The English home page still links a profile for 'Mr. Balkrishna Basnet' and a resignation letter from an acting chairman; the current English board page lists Mr. Umesh Shrestha first. The Nepali pages are treated as current.अंग्रेजी गृहपृष्ठमा अझै ‘Mr. Balkrishna Basnet’ को परिचय र कार्यवाहक अध्यक्षको राजीनामा पत्रका लिङ्क छन्; हालको अंग्रेजी सञ्चालक समिति पृष्ठमा उमेश श्रेष्ठको नाम पहिलो छ। नेपाली पृष्ठलाई हालको विवरण मानिएको छ।
• Four member seats are shown as रिक्त (vacant) on the board page.सञ्चालक समिति पृष्ठमा चार सदस्य पद रिक्त देखाइएका छन्।