Nepal's Federal Structure — Three-Tier Government

Office / Body Name
Nepal's Federal Structure — Three-Tier Government
Description

Nepal's Three-Tier Federal Government Structure

Nepal adopted a three-tier federal structure with the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal in 2015. This system ensures power-sharing and decentralization across different levels of governance.

Tiers of Government

  1. Federal Government: The central government based in Kathmandu, responsible for national policies and matters of federal jurisdiction.
  2. Provincial Governments: There are 7 provincial governments, each responsible for governance within its respective province.
  3. Local Governments: Comprising 753 local units, these are the grassroots level of governance. They include:
    • 6 Metropolitan Cities
    • 11 Sub-metropolitan Cities
    • 276 Municipalities
    • 460 Rural Municipalities

Total Elected Representatives

  • Federal Parliament: Consists of 334 members in total.
    • House of Representatives: 275 members
    • National Assembly: 59 members
  • Provincial Assemblies: A total of 550 members across all 7 provinces.
    • 330 members elected through the First-Past-The-Post (FPTP) system
    • 220 members elected through the Proportional Representation (PR) system
  • Local Level: Over 35,000 elected representatives, including Mayors, Deputy Mayors, Chairpersons, Vice-Chairpersons, and Ward members.

Constitutional Schedules of Powers

The Constitution of Nepal delineates the powers and responsibilities of each tier of government through various schedules:

  • Schedule 5: Lists the exclusive powers of the Federal Government (e.g., defence, foreign affairs, currency, national planning).
  • Schedule 6: Details the exclusive powers of the Provincial Governments (e.g., provincial police, provincial statistics, provincial universities).
  • Schedule 7: Outlines the concurrent (joint) powers shared between the Federal and Provincial Governments (e.g., environmental protection, social security).
  • Schedule 8: Specifies the exclusive powers of the Local Governments (e.g., local roads, basic education, local markets).
  • Schedule 9: Enlists the concurrent (joint) powers shared among the Federal, Provincial, and Local Governments (e.g., forest management, land reform, cooperative management).
Category
Constitutional Body
Established Year
2015
Constitution Article
Article 56–57

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