Kathmandu, – As more Nepali students look overseas for higher education, serious concerns are being raised about the way many educational consultancies are operating in the country. A recent assessment by the Department of Commerce, Supplies, and Consumer Protection has found that a large number of these consultancies are running without proper government approval.
According to the department’s Director General, Kumar Prasad Dahal, around 90 percent of the nearly 10,000 consultancies currently operating across Nepal don’t have the required licenses. Speaking at an event hosted by the Nepal Educational Consultancy Association (ECAN) under the theme “Challenges and Opportunities for Reform in the Educational Consultancy Sector,” Dahal said the government is preparing to take strict action.
“Any consultancy that hasn’t registered properly must either complete the legal process or shut down,” he said. “Operating like this is no different from committing fraud, and we won’t turn a blind eye. In the first phase, those running without permission will be fined between NPR 50,000 and 100,000. If they still continue, we’ll escalate enforcement.”
He added that the department has already started planning tougher inspections and that more steps will follow soon.
Legal Consultancies Reassured as Identity Misuse Draws Scrutiny
Semanta Koirala, head of the Educational Consultancy and Certification Section at the Ministry of Education, had a reassuring message for legally registered institutions. “There’s no reason for law-abiding consultancies to be afraid,” he said. “We want to move forward through cooperation and open communication. Those who’ve applied for renewal and are in process will be cleared soon.”
Koirala also noted that properly registered consultancies are helping the country by contributing to tax revenues, and the government intends to support those working within the legal framework.
But it’s not just about licensing. Some serious red flags have also been raised about identity fraud. Superintendent of Police Kavita Katuwal said there are cases where consultancies have used other people’s citizenship documents to operate. “We’ve even found bank accounts created under those false identities,” she said.
Business Leaders Call for Fair Oversight
Hemraj Dhakal, Vice President of the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, called for balanced regulation. While he acknowledged the need for monitoring, he warned that over-policing could hurt honest business owners. “Yes, inspections are necessary,” he said, “but they shouldn’t create problems for people who are doing everything right.”
The growing number of educational consultancies shows just how many Nepali students are interested in studying abroad. But the lack of regulation in the sector is a growing problem. The government’s decision to crack down on unauthorized consultancies is being seen as an important step toward cleaning up the industry and protecting students who dream of studying overseas.
