MPs Propose Amendments to National Service Corps Bill, 2083

Kathmandu. MPs have registered important amendments in the 'National Service Corps Bill, 2083' to make the National Service Corps more organized, inclusive, and timely. In the bill, 14 MPs from the House of Representatives have demanded significant changes in the form and scope of the service corps by registering amendments in 78 points.

Proposing amendments to the preamble of the bill, Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) MPs Sushil Khadka and Niti Ma Bhandari Karki have demanded clarification of the age limit for participation in the service corps. Their proposal is to allow any eligible Nepali youth who have completed 13 years of age and have not yet reached 21 years to participate, not just 'students studying in schools'.

RSP MP Dr. Tosima Karki has proposed that the training of the service corps should not be limited only to military drills but should be focused on disaster management, relief, rescue, culture and heritage conservation, and national security issues.

CPN-UML MP Guru Prasad Baral has proposed that the structure of the service corps should not be limited only to the center but should establish provincial offices in coordination with the Social Development Ministry in all seven provinces. He also proposed that the goal should be to gradually extend it to local level schools.

To make the training more effective, Baral's amendment proposal states that at least 40 percent of the trainers should be non-military experts or trained civilian trainers designated by the Ministry of Education and Sports. Similarly, MP Parshuram Tamang has registered an amendment to prioritize minorities in particular, based on the principles of proportionality and inclusion, when selecting trainees.

The bill proposes a governing council chaired by the Minister of Defense, which will include the Minister of Education, members of the Federal Parliament, the Chief of Army Staff, and experts from various fields. To make the council's work more transparent, amendments have been sought to present an annual report to the parliamentary committee and to include the participation of provincial and local levels in budget management.

The bill defines 'national need' as natural disasters, pandemics, or states of emergency declared by the Federal Parliament, and arrangements have been made to mobilize trained youth as volunteers during such times.

Discussions on the amendments, integrated in accordance with Rule 114 of the House of Representatives Regulations, 2083, will now be held in the thematic committee.