Government Reduces Federal Ministries to 18

Kathmandu. The government has reduced the number of federal ministries with the objective of administrative reform, frugality, and making performance effective. Now, only 18 ministries including the Prime Minister's Office and Council of Ministers have been retained.

The Council of Ministers meeting held on Baisakh 30 approved the Government of Nepal (Allocation of Business) Rules, 2083, determining the new allocation of business for the ministries. According to the new structure, 9 ministries including the Prime Minister's Office have been kept as they are, while eight ministries have been formed by merging ministries of a similar nature. 

Furthermore, the science and technology sector has been separated from the Ministry of Education to form the 'Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation'. Previously, there were 22 ministries including the Prime Minister's Office.

Ministries such as Finance, Home, Foreign Affairs, Defense and Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs have been kept as they are. Similarly, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, and the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation will also remain as they are.

The 'Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation' has been formed by separating the science and technology sector from the Ministry of Education to look after innovation-related work. The government states that a separate ministry has been created to prioritize technology, research, and invention.

However, there has been a significant restructuring of other ministries. The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Urban Development, and Ministry of Water Supply have been merged to form the 'Ministry of Infrastructure Development'.

Similarly, sports have been added to the Ministry of Education to form the 'Ministry of Education and Sports'. The youth sector has been included in the Ministry of Labor to give it the name 'Ministry of Youth, Labor and Employment'.  The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens has been expanded to include gender and sexual minorities and social security to form the 'Ministry of Women, Children, Gender and Sexual Minorities and Social Security'.