Unit 4: Political System of Nepal

Introduction
 Nepal and its unification: Unification by Prithivi Narayan Shah, Rajya Laxmi and Bahadur
Shah.
 Rana Regime: Emergence, reforms and failure.
 Democracy 2007-2017
 Panchayat system and its failure.
 Loktantra and its establishment
 Constitution and its development in Nepal
 Feature of current constitution of Nepal
 Administrative division – central, sub-national and local administration
 Facts about Ancient History of Nepal

 Prithvi Narayan Shah, the eldest son of Narabhupal Shah of Gorkha, was born on 27
Push 1779 BS. Prithvi Narayan Shah is known as the founder of modern Nepal.
 The unification campaign was completed in three phases: Phase I: Prithvi Narayan
Shah; Phase II: Rajendra Laxmi and Bahadur Shah and Phase III: Girbanuddha
Bikram Shah.
 Nuwakot which was conquered in the third attempt opened the way to the
unification of modern Nepal.
 In the first attempt over Kirtipur, the Gorkhali forces were badly defeated and
suffered a heavy loss.
 Capturing of Makawanpur on 9th Bhadra 1819 BS largely contributed to the victory
over the Kathmandu Valley.
 Kirtipur, which was captured in the third attempt in 1823 BS, led the capture of
Kantipur, Patan, and Bhaktapur.
 Prithvi Narayan Shah had to halt his attack along the Marshyangdi River in the
West.
 Chaudandi, Bijapur, and Limbuwan came under one by one and the eastern
boundary of Nepal expanded up to Tista River during Prithvi Narayan Shah’s
rule.
 Ranabahadur Shah was only 29 months when Pratap singh died, so Rajendra
Laxmi became his regent.
 During her nine years of rule, she conquered Chaubise states like Kaski,
Lamjung, Tanahun, Satahun, Garahun etc.
 Bahadur Shah, the youngest son of Prithvi Narayan Shah, ruled as a regent
after the death of Rajendra Laxmi.
 During Bahadur Shah’s regency, Nepal conquered remaining Chaubise and all
of Baise states and expanded up to Almora, Kumaon, and Gadhwal in the
west.
 Time line of unification
 Date Date in BS Description
 1742 1799 Prithvi Naryan Shah (PNS) becomes King of Gorkha after
death of his father
 1742 1800 First battle of Nuwakot. PNS loses the battle.
 1743 1801 PNS brings weapons from Benaras and trains army
 1743 1801 Unification starts
 1744 1801 Second battle of Nuwakot. It is annexed but returned to
Kathmandu in 1745.
 1754 Dolakha,Sindhupalchowk,Dahachowk and Naldum
annexed.
 1757 1814 First battle of Kritipur. PNS loses the battle. Kalu Pande
dies.
 1758 Gorkha makes peace treaty with Kathmandu
 1759 Captures Shivapuri
 1761 Chaule and Kahule is captured
 1762 Makwanpur annexed, Sindhuli annexed
 1763 Pharping, Bisankhu, Dhulikhel, Banepa, Sanga, Ranikot,
Nala, Parevakot and
Kavilaspur annexed
 1764 Second battle of Kritipur.
 1765 Balaju, Lutikot annexed
 1766 Kritipur captured, Salimpa annexed.
 1767 Gurkha soldiers defete British soldiers at Sindhuli who
came to help king of Kathmandu
 1768 India takes possession of Bara, Parsa and Hilwal
 1768 Gorkha repossess the territory. Annexes Bettia.
 1768 1825 Kathmandu, Patan is annexed
 1769 1826 Bhatgaun is annexed
 1769 1826 Kathmandu is declared as the capital
 1771 Kaski and Sapta gandaki region are annexed
 1771 Manpang, Chang, Darhung, Manmul, Ranrung, Jyamire, Grihakot, Kyangmi,
Bhirkot, Garahu, Painyu, Dhuvakot were
annexed.
 1773 Rava, Cisankhu, Dingla was annexed
 1774 Majuva, Kalum, Mahadinga Pauva is annexed
 1774 Chainpur, Vijaypur, area up to Tista river annexed
 1775 1831 PNS dies. Pratap Singh Shah became King. Rajendra Laxmi takes the
incharge of unification.
 1782 1839 BS. Lamjung and Tanahu is annexed.
 1785 1842 Rajendra Laxmi dies in 1842BS. Bahadhur Shah takes incharge of unification.
 1786 1843 Bheri ara is annexed (1843 BS)
 1789 1846 Jumla is annexed (1846 BS)
 1790 1847 Doti, Kumaun and Srinagar (currently India) is annexed (1847 BS)
 1792 1849 Nepal- Sino war starts (1849 BS)
 1757 1871 British India captures Butwal. But Gurkaha army takes control the next
month. This causes Nepal-Anglo war. Kumaun and Gadwal comes
in control of British India. (1814)
 1815 1872 Sugauli Treaty is signed (1872 BS).
 18?? 1917 Janga Bahdhur becomes successful to return part of Terai to Nepal (Naya
muluk) from British India
History of Nepal from Ancient to
Monarchy, Democracy & Republic
 After the death of Prithvi Narayan Shah, his successors continued the
unification campaign. Prithvi Narayan Shah was succeeded by his son Pratap
Singh Shah. He died at a young age of 26 years on 26th Mangsir 1834 BS.
During his short rule, Upordang Gadi, Kavitaspur Gadi, Somesher Gadi and
Chitwan were united in Nepal. Rajendra Laxmi was the Queen of Pratap Singh
Shah. They had a son called Ranabahadur Shah, who was only two and half
years when Pratapsingh died. So Rajendra Laxmi began to rule the country as
the regent of Ranabahadur Shah.

 Bahadur Shah, King Pratap Singh’s younger brother who was exiled to Betia,
India when the king died, returned back, and both of them began to rule
jointly as co-regents. But soon they began to quarrel and Bahadur Shah went
again to Betia.
 Amarsingh Thapa, Balbhadra Kunwar, Damodar Pandey, Bansaraj Pandey etc
were then the commanders of Gorkhali forces. Under their able leadership,
some of the Chaubise Rajya like Tanahu, Kaski, Parbat, Lamjung, Bhirkot,
Rishing, Satahun, Gorahun, Dhor, Paiyun etc fell into the hands of the Gorkha.
In this way, Rajendra Laxmi made an important contribution in carrying
further the unification campaign. She died on 2nd Shrawan 1842 BS from
tuberculosis.

 After the death of Rajendra Laxmi, Bahadur Shah returned to Nepal again and
ruled as a regent of King Ranabahadur Shah. Among the Chaubise states, Palpa
was not conquered. Knowing that Palpa was a strong state, Bahadur Shah got
married to the daughter of King Mahadatta Sen of Palpa. Then he invaded
Gulmi, Arghakhanchi Dhurkot, Kusma, and Baglung. Encouraged by this
success, he sent his forces to Biasi Rajyas and Pyuthan, Dang, Rolpa, Jajarkot,
Dailekh, Achham and Jumla etc were conquered one after another under the
leadership of Amarsingh Thapa.
 After the successful annexation of Chaubise and Baise states, the Gorkhali troop
moved towards Aimorah, Kumaon, Gadhwal and reached up to Alcanda. At the
same. time, a war broke out with Tibet. So, the Gorkhali forces signed a treaty and
returned to Kathmandu. According to this treaty, Gadhwal agreed to pay nine
thousand rupees to Nepal annually. In the year 1849 BS, Nepal-Tibet War ended on
the arbitration of China. Nepal suffered heavy losses during this war. Consequently,
she was forced to sign a humiliating treaty known as Betrawati Treaty. According to
the treaty, the Northern border of Nepal remained up to Tatopani Thus, under
Bahadur Shah, Nepal expanded greatly. He fulfilled the dream of his father. This
great son of Nepal died a tragic death in 1854 BS in jail.
 If Prithvi Narayan Shah has not established the Kingdom of Nepal, it is likely that
the smaller and weaker nation states would have come under the control of the
British Empire, whose influence was increasing in India at the time. If the British
Indian Army had not been stopped and defeated at Makawanpur Gandhi-
Sindhuligadhi, Nepal would not have born as a country, and the Nepalese would not
have been known as an independent, sovereign, political entity. The majority of the
credit for preventing these outcomes goes to Prithvi Narayan Shah. Despite this
historical legacy, however, there are some who criticize his aggressive campaigns of
conquest and empire-building.
 The rise of Jung Bahadur Rana in 1846 introduced another important chapter
in the history of Nepal. After succeeding in various intrigues and feuds
between the different factions of the Nepalese court, Jung Bahadur
established himself as the most powerful Prime Minister and a de facto ruler
of the country and made Prime Minister-ship hereditary.

 As in other countries, Nepalese history of Kings and rulers are full of intrigues
and assassinations. King Jaya Prakash Malla (1736-1768 A.D.) of Kathmandu
behaved treacherously towards his minis­ters and killed many of them. Though
Bahadur Shah, the younger son of King Prithvi Narayan Shah, is credited with
the farthest expansion of the Nepalese Kingdom, he was cold-bloodedly
murdered for outsmarting his elders in the lineage of federal inheritance.
After this murder, the palace became the focus of conspiracies. The third King
(after King Prithvi Narayan Shah) RanaBahadur Shah broke the traditional
rules by enthroning his second son, born of his concubine Girban Youdha
Bikram Shah. During the period, the murder of rivals became the order of the
day. Stalwarts in the Nepalese history like Kaji Amar Singh Thapa and Bhimsen
Thapa (Prime Ministers) were killed through palatial conspiracies. The period
from the reign of King Rana Bahadur Shah (1777-1799 A.D.) to his grandson
King Surendra Bikram (1847-81 A.D.) saw the death of hundreds of patriotic
officers inside the palace.
 Finally, in September 1846, Jung Bahadur Rana, then a junior army officer, prevailed over
the conspiratorial games. Taking advan­tage of the whims of Regent Queen Rajya Laxmi,
Jung Bahadur succeeded in dramatically organizing what is known as Kot Massacre to finish
almost all of his practical and potential rivals in the palatial court on the fateful night of
September 14, 1846, A.D.

 Rana hereditary Prime Ministership also had its history of intrigues and murders. “Currying
favor with the British rulers in India, the Rana rulers imposed a strict isolationist and
tyrannical rule in the country for 104 years. This period was full of political exiles,
murders, and intrigues. Every Rana ruler lived under proverbial Demo cel’s sword of
palatial conspiracies. It is widely believed that most of the then rulers met with unnatural
death.

 The Nepalese people overthrew the repressive regime of the Ranas in 1951. Thereafter
multi-party democracy was introduced. In 1960 the multi-party democracy was replaced
by King Mahendra by the non-party traditional political system, called Panchayat system.

 Nepali Congress and United Left Front jointly launched a movement in 1990. After 50 days
agitation, King Birendra abolished the Panchayat system and re-introduced multi-party
democracy.
Emergence of Ranacracy
 After the Kot Parva in 1903 BS, Jung Bahadur Rana became the Commander-
in-Chief. It was soon followed by another Parva called Bhandarkhal Parva.
Jung Bahadur Rana captured all the state power and became the Prime
Minister and Commander-in-Chief. He sent the junior Queen, Rajyalaxmi in
exile and ousted Rajendra Bikram Shah and placed Surendra on the throne.
He got the title of ‘Maharaja’ from the king. He made the king only a nominal
head. The king delegated all his powers and authorities to him. He was
authorized to carry out ‘pajani’, declare a war or make peace and sign
treaties with any countries. Thus, he fully consolidated his position and
became the de-facto ruler of Nepal.
 Jung Bahadur established a roll of succession to his brothers. All the high-
ranking government posts were reserved for the Ranas. All the state
properties and important resources were captured by the Ranas. There was
exploitation in every sector. People were deprived of the fundamental rights.
There were intrigues and conspiracies to gain power among the Ranas also.
The whole system was at the discretion of the Prime Minister. It was a one-
man show. The country was quite isolated from the outside world.
 Jung Bahadur Rana established the system of hereditary Rana Prime
Ministership in Nepal. Jungbahadur secured the title of ‘Shree 3 Maharaja’.
He passed the order of succession to his brothers. Under this rule, only the
Ranas could become the Prime Ministers as per the succession lineage
established. The King delegated all his powers and authorities to
Jungbahadur. The Rana Prime Ministers ruled over Nepal for 104 years as the
dictators enjoying unlimited powers and authorities.

 After the untimely death of King Pratap Singh Shah, Nepal saw political
instability. There were minor kings and worst ever conspiracies and intrigues
in the courts of the Royal Palace. Jungbahadur exploited this fluid situation in
his favor and founded Ranarchy.
Fall of Ranacracy
 Beginning in the second quarter of the 20th century democratic ideas began
to take roots among Nepalese. Nepalese soldiers who participated in the First
World War became exposed to new ideas. Some of the elite and middle
classes, particularly those living in India and studying in Indian universities
also got influenced by the Indian national movement.

 They soon organised themselves to bring democracy in the kingdom. They set
up weekly newspapers in Kumaon and Benaras which became the forums
where Nepalese exiles could criticize the backwardness and repression of the
Rana regime. By 1935, the first Nepalese political party, the Praja Parishad
(Peoples Council) came into being among Nepalese exiles.

 It began advocating multi-caste, democratic government and the overthrow

of the Ranacracy. In 1946, the Nepali Congress came into being on the India
soil. The British withdrawal from India weakened the Rana regime which drew
support from the British in times of crisis. It also encouraged the Nepali
nationals for freedom in their own country.
 The rise of communists to power in China also made the ruling class panicky.
The liberal section of the ruling Ranas led by the then prime minister Padma
Shamsher tried to contain the Nepalese movement by granting a constitution,
but the die­hard elements were not prepared to concede even this and they
forced the prime minister to resign. Confrontation between the people and
the rulers on the question of changing the Rana system, thus, became
inevitable.
 In this confrontation, the leaders of the democratic movement in Nepal got
support from the monarch, who was being kept in virtual captivity by the
Ranas and the disgruntled Ranas (known as C category of Ranas on the basis
of their inferior lineage) who were deprived of their share of ruling positions
and some of whom had made substantial fortunes in India.
 The anti-Rana democratic upsurge in Nepal was viewed with sympathy by the
independent government of India. The pro-Western linkages of the Ranas and
their refusal to accommodate democratic aspirations of people were not to
the liking of the nationalist Indian leadership.
 The Nepalese popular movement launched from India overthrew the Rana
regime in 1951. The three segments of the Nepali politics at that time, the
Ranas, the popular leaders and the monarch worked out a settlement in Delhi
under the guidance of Indian Prime Minister, Nehru. King Tribhuvan who had
fled the country in 1950 and taken shelter in India, was restored to his
position as a monarch free from the control of the Ranas.

 In February 1951, a coalition cabinet headed by Mohan Shamsher was formed

with five Ranas and five Nepali Congress party members. This was to be an
interim arrangement until the formation and installation in office of a
democratically elected government. It was agreed to have a constituent
assembly for framing of the constitution and holding the general election
within a period of two years hence.
Democracy 2007-2017
Political History of Nepal (2007-2017 BS)
 There were more than five forms of government practiced in a duration of just 10
years, from 2007 BS to 2017 BS, which shows great political instability in Nepal
during that time period. Single party government, advisory government, sole
government, coalition government, multiparty government, direct rule of the King
were the forms of government practiced in Nepal during the decade.
 1 Falgun, 2007
 Delhi Agreement
 A tripartite agreement was signed between the Ranas, the then King Tribhuvan, and the Nepali
Congress in Delhi, India.

 7 Falgun, 2007
 Announcement of Democracy
 King Tribhuvan announced the beginning of democracy in Nepal after the end of 104
years of Rana regime.
 17 Chaitra, 2007
 Interim Government Act of Nepal
 The first ever democratic constitution of Nepal was passed on this day.

 25 Kartik, 2008
 Dissolvement of the Interim Cabinet
 A 10 membered interim cabinet was formed by Nepali Congress and the
Ranas, which was dissolved due to unhealthy environment between the two.

 1 Mangsir, 2008
 Government of Nepali Congress
 Single party government of Nepali Congress was formed under the
premiership of Matrika Pd. Koirala.
 30 Shravan, 2009
 Advisory Government
 King Tribhuvan formed a five membered advisory government.

 2 Asar, 2010
 Government of Nepal Praja Party
 Sole government of Nepal Praja Party was formed under the premiership of Matrika
Pd. Koirala.

 Falgun, 2010
 Multiparty Coalition Government
 The then political parties of Nepal reached an understanding to create a multiparty
coalition government.

 30 Falgunj, 2010
 Death of King Tribhuvan
 King Tribhuvan passed away. Then his successor, King Mahendra was crowned as the
King of Nepal.
 1 Baisakh, 2012
 Direct Rule of King Mahendra
 King Mahendra started a partial direct rule in Nepal by establishing a five
membered advisory council.

 13 Magh, 2012
 Government of Praja Parishad
 The first ever political party of Nepal – Praja Praishad was made to form a
government by King Mahendra.

 11 Shrawan, 2014
 Government of Dr K.I. Singh
 King Mahendra invited Dr. Kunwar Indrajit Singh, who had fled to Tibet, to
form a new government.
 29 Kartik, 2014
 Direct Rule of King Mahendra
 After the royal proclamation, King Mahendra dissolved the existing government and started his
own direct rule.

 2 Jestha, 2015
 Interim Government of Suvarna Shumsher
 To conduct the general election for the parliament, King Mahendra formed a government under
the premiership of Suvarna Shumsher.

 7 Falgun, 2015
 First General Election in Nepal
 The government formed under Suvarna Shumsher, conducted the first ever general election of
Nepal for 109 seats.

 13 Jestha, 2016
 First Elected Interim Cabinet
 19 membered interim cabinet was formed under the premiership of B.P. Koirala – the first
elected prime minister of Nepal.
 Interim Government Act of Nepal 2007:
Immediately after the Delhi Agreement (1st Falgun, 2007) and the announcement of
Democracy in Nepal (7th Falgun, 2007) by the then King Tribhuvan, the first ever democratic
constitution of Nepal was passed on 17th of Chatira, 2047 BS.
This government aimed to flourish democracy in Nepal. So, it had provisions for the
legislature of people’s representatives, directive principles and policies of the state, Supreme
Court, PSC, advisory council, and the civil rights of people.

 Conflict in the ten-membered Interim Cabinet 2008:

According to the Delhi Agreement, a 10 membered interim cabinet (5-5) was formed
in coalition of the Nepali Congress (5 members) and The Ranas (5 members), in the
premeirship of Mohan Shumsher (Prime Minister, representing the Ranas).
Both the Ranas and the Nepali Congress opposed each other as they had two
completely different mindsets. The Ranas wanted to regain their lost power after the Delhi
Agreement whereas the representatives of Nepali Congress believed that they couldn’t work
smoothly, with Mohan Shumsher, the then Prime Minister of Nepal. This obstructed the peace
within the Interim Cabinet.The death of Chinya Kaji, a student leader, worsen the condition.
Each party blamed one another for the death of Chinya Kaji.As a result, the representatives of
Nepali Congress resigned from the posts on 25th Kartik, 2008 BS. The existing situation
compelled the Ranas to resign from their respective posts, too resulting in the start of political
instability in Nepal.
 Single Party Government of Nepali Congress 2008:
Due to the failure of the interim cabinet, one week later, King Tribhuvan
appointed a 14 membered interim cabinet under the premiership of Matrika Prasad
Koirala on 1st Mangsir, 2008 with the objective to conduct the election of the constituent
assembly within 2009 BS.But, this government also failed to function as it was heavily
opposed by the political parties, especially the Praja Parishad and CPN, by forming a
United Democratic Front with an allegation that a country shouldn’t be ruled by a single
party in democracy.
Additionally, it was ineffective towards the responsibilities assigned to it by the
Interim Government Act of Nepal, 2007.
Hence, this government was also dissolved in less than one year of its
formation.

 Advisory Government 2009:

King Tribhuvan formed a five membered advisory government on 30th Shrawan
2009 BS, which was criticized at local, national and international level for its
undemocratic nature.
The King was the supreme leader in this form of government. The elected
cabinet could only suggest for the activities, and/or plans, but its implementation was
completely based on the King. So, this government was dissolved sooner on 2nd Ashad,
2010 BS.
 Sole Government of Nepal Praja Party 2010:
Once again, a single party government was brought into practice from 2nd of
Ashad 2010 BS. King Tribhuvan formed the sole government of Nepal Praja Party under
the premiership of Matrika Prasad Koirala.
Nepal Praja Party was a separate political party formed and leaded by the
then former President of Nepali Congress, Matrika Prasad Koirala, after the
misunderstanding within the party.

 Multiparty Coalition Government 2010:

Nepali National Congress and People’s Congress joined the then Government
of Nepal Praja Party and formed a multiparty coalition government in Falgun, 2010.
Bhim Dutta Panta, a politician and revolutionary, one of the leader of the
liberation army during the revolution of 2007, died on 7th of Bhadra, 2010 that
created a difficult condition for this government to function.
Dispute in the Koshi project, entry of Indian army with weapons in Nepal,
political inability and other several reasons led to the dismissal of this government on
19th of Falgun, 2011.
King Tribhuvan passed away on 30th Falgun, 2011. Then, the successor, King
Mahendra was crowned as the King of Nepal.
 Direct Rule of King Mahendra and Advisory Council 2012:
King Mahendra, an ambitious king of Nepal, started a partial direct rule
in Nepal by establishing a five membered advisory council from 1st of Baisakh,
2012 BS to 12th of Magh, 2012 BS.

 Government of Praja Parishad 2012:

After the failure of several governments, King Mahendra decided to
provide the governmental tasks to the first ever political party of Nepal, the
Praja Parishad on 13th Magh, 2012, in order to establish political stability.
But, this government was not appreciated by the people for it tried to
impose the ban on newspapers, a tool for representing the people’s thoughts and
opinions. And other several undemocratic practices, this government was
dissolved on 31st of Ashadh, 2014 BS.

 Government of Dr. K.I. Singh 2014:

Dr. K.I. Singh was called back to Nepal from Tibet and asked to form his own
government. His government was formed on 11th of Shrawan, 2014 and dissolved
on 29th of Kartik, 2014 with the royal proclamation of the King Mahendra.
 Direct Rule of King Mahendra 2014:
On 29th of Kartik, 2014, King Mahendra dissolved the then government and imposed
direct rule over Nepal via a royal proclamation. He ruled till 2nd of Jestha, 2015 BS.

 Interim Government of Suvarna Shumsher 2015:

To conduct the general election for the parliament, King Mahendra formed a
government under the premiership of Suvarna Shumsher on 2nd Jestha, 2015 BS and existed
till the 2nd of Jestha, 2016 BS.
The Constitution of Nepal 2015 was promulgated on Falgun 1, 2015 BS.
 First General Election 2015:
The government formed under Suvarna Shumsher, conducted the first ever general
election of Nepal on 7th of Falgun, 2015 BS for 109 seats, and the results were announced
on 28th of Baisakh, 2016 BS.
The Nepali Congress received a clear majority in the election and 19 membered
interim cabinet was formed under the premiership of B.P. Koirala, the first elected prime
minister of Nepal, on 13th of Jestha, 2016 BS.
Dwarika Devi Thakurani was the only woman who constituted that cabinet.
 In conclusion, the election that was aimed to have conducted within 2009, as per the
Delhi Agreement was conducted years later in 2015 due to extreme political instability in
Nepal.
Panchayat System and its Failure
 Panchayat (Nepali: पञ्चायत) was a partyless political system incepted by King
Mahendra by sidelining the Nepali Congress government of B. P. Koirala on
15th December 1960 AD (1st Poush 2017 BS). He introduced the partyless
Panchayat system on 5th January 1961 AD (22nd Poush 2017 BS). Under his
direct rule King Mahendra introduced the four tiered structure—village, town,
district and national Panchayat—on the basis of limited elected executive
committee. Mahendra consolidated power by institutionalizing and invoking
the three pillars of national identity—Hindu religion, Nepali language and
Monarchy—as a foundation of everyday social and religious life. Moreover, the
system propagated the idea of Ek Raja, Ek Bhesh, Ek Bhasa, Ek Desh (One
King, One Dress, One Language, One Nation).
Background
 In 1960, King Mahendra used his emergency powers and took charge for the betterment of
the State once again claiming that the Congress government had fostered corruption,
promoted party above national interest, failed to maintain law and order and "encouraged
anti-national elements". Political parties were outlawed and all prominent political figures,
including the Prime Minister, were put behind bars. Civil liberties were curtailed and press
freedom muzzled. King Mahendra, then, through an "exercise of the sovereign power and
prerogatives inherent in us" promulgated a new constitution in December 1959 introducing a
party-less Panchayat system. The political system (Panchayat System) was a party-less
"Guided democracy" in which the people could elect their representatives, while real power
remained in the hands of the monarch.Dissenters were called anti-national elements.

 The Panchayat System was formulated by King Mahendra after overthrowing the first
democratically elected government and dissolving the parliament in 1960. On December 26,
1961, King Mahendra appointed a council of five ministers to help run the administration.
Several weeks later, political parties were declared illegal. At first, the Nepali Congress
leadership propounded a non-violent struggle against the new order and formed alliances
with several political parties, including the Gorkha Parishad and the United Democratic
Party. Early in 1961, however, the king set up a committee of four officials from the Central
Secretariat to recommend changes in the constitution that would abolish political parties
and substitute a "National Guidance" system based on local panchayat led directly by the
king.
 Adopted on the second anniversary of the dissolution of the government, the new constitution of December
16, 1962, created a four-tier panchayat system. At the local level, there were 4,000 village assemblies (gaun
sabha) electing nine members of the village panchayat, who in turn elected a mayor (sabhapati). Each village
panchayat sent a member to sit on one of 75 districts (zilla) panchayat, representing from 40 to 70 villages;
one-third of the members of these assemblies were chosen by the town panchayat. Members of the district
panchayat elected representatives to fourteen zone assemblies (anchal sabha), functioning as electoral
colleges for the National Panchayat, or Rastriya Panchayat, in Kathmandu. In addition, there were class
organizations at village, district, and zonal levels for peasants, youth, women, elders, laborers, and ex-
soldiers, who elected their own representatives to assemblies. The National Panchayat of about 90 members
could not criticize the royal government[citation needed], debate the principles of party-less democracy,
introduce budgetary bills without royal approval, or enact bills without approval of the king. Mahendra was
supreme commander of the armed forces, appointed (and had the power to remove) members of the Supreme
Court, appointed the Public Service Commission to oversee the civil service, and could change any judicial
decision or amend the constitution at any time. Within a span of ten years, the king had, in effect, reclaimed
the sovereign power exercised by Prithvi Narayan Shah in the eighteenth century.
 The first elections to the National Panchayat took place in March–April 1963. Although political parties
officially were banned and the major opposition parties publicly refused to participate, about one-third of
the members of the legislature were associated with the Nepali Congress. Support of the king by the army and
the government bureaucracy prevented opposition to his rule from developing within the panchayat system.
Real power came from the king's secretariat, and in the countryside influence rested in the offices of zonal
commissioners and their official staffs or the parallel system of development officers.
 Founded on the idea of having a system "suitable to the soil" by King Mahendra, the Panchayat polity was
marked by a party-less system that emphasized decentralization while class coordination was to be
implemented "only through active and dynamic leadership of the crown". Mahendra dismissed the first ever
democratically elected government of BP Koirala and the Panchayat polity’s legacy has had a lasting impact
on Nepal’s history. The Panchayat equated nationalism with the Nepali language, Daura-Suruwal and Hindu
religion. It led an aggressive campaign to mold a Nepali identity along these lines. However, the institutions
and policies of Panchayat were riddled with contradictions.
Reforms during Panchayat Regime
 Under the direct leadership of the king, the government implemented some of
the major projects that were initiated under the previous regime and oversaw
further steps toward the development of the country. Land reforms led to the
confiscation of large Rana estates. Rajya reform abolished special privileges of
some aristocratic elites in western Nepal. A new legal code promulgated in
1963 replaced the Muluki Ain of 1854. A major land reform program launched
in 1964 essentially was a failure.
 The new panchayat system managed to bring 50,000 to 60,000 people into a
single system of representative government in a way that had been rendered
impossible for the elite-based political parties. Nepal was able to carry out its
second plan (1962-65) and third plan (1965-70), and to begin the Fourth Five-
Year Plan (1970-75). Eradication of malaria, construction of the Mahendra
Highway, or East-West Highway, along the southern foot of the hills, and land
settlement programs contributed to a massive movement of population from
the hills into the Terai, resulting in a large increase in the area devoted to
agriculture.
End of Panchayat System
There was resentment against the authoritarian regime and the curbs on the freedom
of the political parties.There was widespread feeling of the Palace being non-representative of
the masses, especially when the Marich Man Singh government faced political scandals on
charges of misappropriation of funds allotted for the victims of the earthquake in August 1991 or
when it reshuffled the Cabinet instead of investigating the deaths of the people in a stampede
in the national sports complex in a hailstorm. Also the souring of the India-Nepal trade relations
affected the popularity of the Singh government.
In April 1987, Nepal had introduced the work permit for Indian workers in three of its
districts, and in early 1989, Nepal provided 40% duty concession to Chinese goods and later
withdrew duty concessions from Indian goods in such a manner that the Chinese goods became
cheaper than the Indian goods. This led to the souring of relations which were already strained
over the purchase of Chinese arms by Nepal in 1988. India refused to renew two separate
Treaties of Trade and Transit and insisted on a single treaty dealing with the two issues, which
was not acceptable to Nepal. A deadlock ensued and the Treaties of Trade and Transit expired on
March 23, 1989. The brunt of the closure of the trade and transit points was mainly faced by the
lower classes in Nepal due to the restricted supply of consumer goods and petroleum products
like petrol, aviation fuel and kerosene. The industries suffered because of their dependence on
India for resources, trade and transit. The Government of Nepal tried to deal with the situation
by depending on foreign aid from the US, UK, Australia and China. However, the government's
strategy to manage the crisis could not satisfy those people who desired negotiations with India
rather than dependence on foreign aid as a solution.
 Taking advantage of the uneasiness amongst some people against the government and
the strained India-Nepal relations, the Nepali Congress (NC) and the left-wing parties blamed
the government for perpetuating the crisis and not taking any serious measures to solve it. In
December 1989, the NC tried to utilize B.P. Koirala's anniversary by launching a people's
awareness program. The left-wing alliance known as the United Left Front (ULF) extended its
support to the NC in its campaign for a party system. On January 18-19, 1990, the NC held a
conference in which leaders from various countries and members of the foreign Press were
invited. Leaders from India attended the conference; Germany, Japan, Spain, Finland
supported the movement; and the embassies of the US and West Germany were present on the
occasion. Inspired by the international support and the democratic movements occurring
throughout the world after the disintegration of the Soviet Union in 1989, the NC and the ULF
launched a mass movement on February 18 to end the Panchayat regime, and the installation of
an interim government represented by various parties and people. On April 6, the Marich Man
Singh government was dismissed and Lokendra Bahadur Chand became the Prime Minister on
the same day. However, the agitating mob was not satisfied with the change of government as
they were not against the Singh government per se but against the party-less system. The
people became violent and a few people were killed in an encounter with the Army. On April
16, the Chand government was also dismissed and a Royal Proclamation was issued the next day
which dissolved the National Panchayat, the Panchayat policy and the evaluation committee
and the class organizations. Instead, the proclamation declared "functioning of the political
parties" and maintained that "all political parties will always keep the national interest
uppermost in organizing themselves according to their political ideology."
Loktantra and its establishment
The 2006 Democracy Movement is a name given to the political agitations against the
direct and undemocratic rule of King Gyanendra of Nepal. The movement is also sometimes
referred to as Jana Andolan II ("People's Movement"), implying it being a second phase of the 1990
Jana Andolan.
In 1996 the Maoist insurgency launched a violent campaign to overthrow the political-
economic status quo, redistribute land and affect a ‘proletarian revolution’ in Nepal. The ensuing
civil war caused human rights violations and killings of more than 13,000, as well as a decline in
Nepal's GDP growth rate, fueled by a drop in tourist arrivals and the destruction of infrastructure.
Following the assassination of King Birendra and his family in 2001, the multi-party democracy was
placed under a State of Emergency by the preceding King, tightly controlling the opposition,
censoring news and media organizations, and shutting down telecommunications in parts of the
country. The civil war developed into a military and political stalemate that ended in 2005. Protests
against the political and economic situation drew an estimated 100,000 to 200,000 in Nepal's
capital Kathmandu and 5 million in the entire country.
An alliance of seven political parties developed a coalition government, abolished the
monarchy and signed a peace agreement with Maoist insurgents in 2006.This was achieved through
cooperation between main-stream political parties and the Maoist insurgency facilitated though a
12-point agreement which outlined the democratic framework to be instituted after the abolition
of monarchy. This framework set out the formation of an internationally monitored interim
government, holding free and fair elections in a system of governance which guarantees civil,
political and human rights, as well as the rule of law.
Furthermore, the Constitution was redrafted to:
 remove the right and role of the monarch
 shift executive power to the Council of Ministers of the incumbent government
therefore abolishing of the Raj Parishad, the royal advisory body.
 remove terms that referred to the monarch as the leader of Nepal, such as "his
majesty's government
 establish accountability for the Council of Ministers through the House of
Representatives.
 bring all executive organs of government, such as police, army and administration
under the influence of the republican government.
 compel the king to pay taxes on fortunes and estates.
 integrate the Palace Service into the state civil service.
 declare Nepal as a federal republic.
 declare Nepal as a secular state.
 in 2008, the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist–Leninist) won 38% of the votes
contrary to international predictions. Furthermore, the election increased the
representation of women and ethnic minorities.
 Constitution of Nepal

Introduction
Constitution of Nepal 2015 (2072 BS) is the present governing
Constitution of Nepal. Nepal is governed according to the Constitution which
came into effect on September 20, 2015, replacing the Interim Constitution of
2007. The constitution of Nepal is divided into 35 parts, 308 Articles and 9
Schedules.
The Constitution was drafted by the Second Constituent
Assembly following the failure of the First Constituent Assembly to produce a
constitution in its mandated period after the devastating earthquake in April
2015. The constitution was endorsed by 90% of the total legislators. Out of 598
Constituent Assembly members, 538 voted in favor of the constitution while 60
people voted against it, including a few Terai-based political parties which
refrained from the voting process.
 Constitution development of Nepal
In the 68-year history of constitutional development up to this Constitution, Nepal
experienced 7 different constitutions in different time periods, with previous constitutions
being enacted in 1948, 1951, 1959, 1962, 1990, and 2007.
 The Nepal Government Act 1948
In 2004 Bikram Sambat, the Government of Nepal Act was enacted. Since the mid-
nineteenth century, the country had been a monarchy where the prime ministers, from the
Rana dynasty, had sweeping control over the affairs of the state. The 1948 (Common Era)
document introduced limited democratic elements, but the experiment was not successful
due to the misgivings of the Rana rulers to give away power. This constitution was declared
on 26 January 1948 by PM Padma Shamsher. The constitution was formed under the
chairmanship of Padma Shamsher and three Indian Scholars had helped him to prepare this
document. The three Indian Scholars who contributed during its writing were Prakash
Gupta, Raghu Nath Singh and Ram Ugra Singh. It consisted of 6 parts, 68 articles and 1
schedules.
 Nepal Interim Government Act 1951
The Interim Government of Nepal Act 1951 was promulgated after the Revolution
of 1951 at the end of the Rana period. This text strengthened the authority of the king,
and introduced relevant reforms such as the creation of the Supreme Court and the
inclusion of fundamental rights and socio-economic goals to be pursued by the state. This
constitution was promulgated on 11 April 1951 by King Tribhuwan. It consisted of 7 parts,
 Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, 1959
The Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, 1959 followed the
previously mentioned interim text. Despite the establishment of a bicameral
parliament, the king continued to hold important powers such as the prerogative to
appoint half of the members of the Senate and the suspension of parliament under
certain circumstances. This constitution was drafted under the chairmanship of
Bhagawati Pd Singh. The constitution drafting commission included members like
Surya Pd Upadhyaya, Ranabir Subba, Hari prashad Joshi. Sir Ivor Jennings was an
advisor in this committee. This constitution was promulgated on 12 February 1959. It
consisted of 10 parts, 77 articles and 3 schedules.

 Constitution of Nepal 1962

The democratic experiment was short-lived, as in 1962 a new
constitution came in to eliminate political parties, and to introduce the panchayat
system. In this model, panchayats were councils organized at the local level,
presumably to ensure the representation of citizens. However, the king exercised
much stronger authority than in the 1959 regime. and could modify the constitution or
suspend it in case of emergency. This constitution was promulgated on 16 December
1962 by King Mahendra. It consisted of 20 parts, 97 articles and 6 schedules.
 Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, 1990
In 1990, the first Jana Andolan, Popular Revolt, brought multi-party
democracy back to Nepal. The Constitution of the Kingdom of Nepal, 1990 lifted the
ban on political parties, described a democratic representative system where the
authority of the king was curtailed, and enshrined fundamental rights. Although the
1990 constitution substantially increased the democratic character of the state in
comparison with the Panchayat Regime, critiques have argued that this text did not
adequately represent all sectors of society even though Nepal was a multi-cultural
country where diverse social groups coexist. This constitution was promulgated on 9
November 1990 by King Birendra. It consisted of 23 parts, 133 articles and 3
schedules. This constitution was repealed by the current constitution of Nepal.

 Nepal Interim Constitution, 2007

Again following the 2007 democracy movement in Nepal, Interim
Constitution was promulgated in 2007. This constitution was promulgated on 15
January 2007. It consisted of 25 parts, 167 articles and 4 schedules.
 Features of present constitution of Nepal
The constitution is largely written in gender-neutral terms. Some of the
important aspects of the constitution include the following:
 The Constitution restructured Nepal into a federal republic. The Constitution divided the
nation into seven provinces and completed the transition of Nepal from constitutional
monarchy to republicanism and from a unitary system to federalism.
 The Federal system is established with three tiers, Federal Government, Provincial Level,
and Local Level. The guiding principles of the 'Holding Together' type of Nepalese federal
system are based on Co-existence, Co-operation, and Coordination.
 Nepal is defined in article 4 as an "independent, indivisible, sovereign, secular, inclusive,
democratic, socialism-oriented, federal democratic republican state."
 A bicameral parliamentary system was created with two Federal houses (i.e. National
Assembly and House of representatives) and unicameral parliamentary systems in each
province.
 A mixed electoral system was adopted for the elections of the lower Federal house with
both first-past-the-post and proportional electoral aspects used to elect members.
 The rights of gender and sexual minorities are protected by the new
constitution with provisions of special laws to protect, empower and develop
minority groups as well as allowing them to get citizenship in their chosen
gender.
 The rights of women were explicitly recognized, the constitution stating that
“women shall have an equal ancestral right without any gender-based
discrimination”.
 Acts leading to conversions from one religion to another were banned, and
acts that undermine or jeopardize the religion of another prohibited. At the
same time, the constitution declares the nation to be secular and neutral
toward all religions.
 Nepal also has continued not to use the death penalty. Nepal had abolished
capital punishment in 1990 after the promulgation of that year's Constitution
of the Kingdom of Nepal.
The Constitution has 35 parts:
 Preliminary
 Citizenship
 Fundamental Rights and Duties
 Directive Principles, Policies and Responsibilities of the State
 Restructuring of the State and distribution of State power
 President and Vice-president
 Federal Executive
 Federal Parliament
 Federal Legislative Procedure
 Federal Financial Procedures
 Judiciary
 Attorney General
 Provincial Executive
 Provincial Legislature
 Provincial Legislative Procedure
 Financial Procedures of Province
 Local Executive
 Local Legislature
 Local Financial Procedure
 Interrelationship between the Federation, Provinces and Local Levels
 Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority
 Auditor General
 Public Service Commission
 Election Commission
 National Human Rights Commission
 National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission
 Other Commissions
 Provision regarding National Security
 Provision relating to Political Parties
 Emergency Power
 Amendment of the Constitution
 Miscellaneous
 Transitional Provisions
 Definitions and Interpretations
 Short title, Commencement and RepeaL
Schedules

The Constitution has 9 schedules:

 Nepali National Flag
 National Anthem of Nepal
 Coat of Arms of Nepal
 Provinces and Districts within provinces
 List of Federal Powers/Jurisdiction
 List of Provincial Powers/Jurisdiction
 List of Concurrent (federal and provincial) powers/jurisdiction
 List of Powers/Jurisdiction for Local Level
 List of Concurrent Powers/Jurisdiction for Federation, Province and Local
Level
Administrative divisions of Nepal

The administrative divisions of Nepal are subnational administrative

units of Nepal. The first level of country subdivision of Nepal are the provinces.
Each province is further subdivided into districts, each district into municipalities
and rural municipalities, and each of those municipalities into wards. Before
2015, instead of provinces, Nepal was divided into developmental regions and
administrative zones.
Fulfilling the requirement of the new constitution of Nepal in 2015, all
old municipalities and villages (which were more than 3900 in number) were
restructured into 753 new municipalities and rural municipalities. The former 75
district development committees (DDC) were also replaced by 77 new district
coordination committees (DCC) which have much less power than the DDCs. At
present there are 6 metropolitan cities, 11 sub-metropolitan cities, 276
municipalities, and 460 rural municipalities.
 Administrative Division
Federal
Government

7 Provinces (e.g.
Gandaki)

77 Districts (e.g.
Parbat)

276
6 Metro Cities 11 Sub-Metro 460 Rural
Municipalities
(e.g. Kathmandu) Cities (e.g. Municipalities
(e.g. Lamki
Dharan) (e.g. Mahashila)
Chuha)
Provinces
 Nepal is composed of seven provinces. They are defined by schedule 4 of the new
constitution, by grouping together the existing districts. Two districts however are
split in two parts ending up in two different provinces.
Population
Capital Area (km2)
Provinces (2011)
Province No. 1 Biratnagar 25,905 4,534,943

Madhesh Janakpur 9,661 5,404,145

Bagmati Hetauda 20,300 5,529,452
Gandaki Pokhara 21,504 2,403,757
Lumbini Deukhuri 22,288 4,741,716
Karnali Birendranagar 27,984 1,327,957

Sudurpashchim Dhangadhi[a] 19,539 2,552,517

 Question Pattern for Nepal Parichaya
Total
Marks
Group A – 2 marks x 20 Questions = 40 marks (Very short )
Group B – 15 marks x 2 Questions = 30 Marks (Long Question) 4 Question(write

any 2 out of it)

Group C – 30 marks x 1 Question = 30 Marks (Case Study)
100 Marks