Corruption in Nepal: Forms, Reasons and Strategies to Counter it

Running head: CORRUPTION IN NEPAL
CORRUPTION IN NEPAL
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Background
Like most other third world countries of the world, corruption is also very much present
in the small Himalayan nation of Nepal. Ever since the massacre of the Nepalese Royal Family,
and the swift blow of the gradual political changes in the country demarcating a shift from
monarchy to republican form of government, the nation has witnessed a lot of turmoil. Though it
is not a fallen state, it has its share of problems which cannot be ignored (Adhikari 2016). Bound
together by commonality of language, history and culture, yet the country seems to be divided in
terms of the interests each factions espouse. Nepal is one of the most corrupt nations of the
world. According to the estimate provided by Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2014, Nepal
ranks at 126th among the 175 countries chosen for the purpose of the analysis. The latest
statistical data of 2018 shows that there has been a slight improvement in the country, as Nepal is
at the 122nd level out of 175 countries (Baniamin and Jamil 2018).
This particular essay shall be devoted to the discussion of the issue of corruption in Nepal
with particular emphasis on the forms of corruption that exists in the country and thereby put
forward some recommendations to solve the issue.
Reasons behind corruption in Nepal
As in all other third world countries, the reason behind corruption in Nepal is also quite
similar. Poverty and inequality breeds a substantial amount of corruption in the country. In
Nepal, the gap between the rich and the poor is quite substantial. Not only this wide gap between
the rich and the poor is a result of corruption, but it also ensures corruption runs unabated in the
country. In the country of limited resources, the poor are always at the mercy of the rich ones.
The rich ones ensure that they maintain their status quo by exploiting by the poor. The elites lead

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a lavish life and the poor languish whose interests are not taken care of. This is how corruption
leads to poverty, in the Nepalese scenario (Devkota 2017).
Poverty on the other hand also causes corrupt practices to proceed unabated. In Nepal, the
rate of income inequality is quite high, and thus education is the prerogative of just a small
section of the population. Naturally, a society where a considerable section of the population is
lagging behind in terms of education, that society cannot be expected to have a very vibrant civil
society. In Nepal, there is an absence of a strong civil society which is enlightened and is aware
of their rights as citizens, hence has been easier for the perpetrators of corrupt practices to
continue unabated. Moreover, the concept of schools were absent until the Ranas had taken over
the affairs of the country in the year 1846, however that was the prerogative only of the elites
(Meagher 2018).
A nation where the access to the agencies of the government meant to reach out to the
people in times of their needs is restricted heavily by the bureaucratic control, corruption is an
inevitable phenomenon. Such is the scenario in Nepal, where the level of accountability of the
government to the people is quite less, and it is extremely difficult for the common people to
reach out to the government offices for getting their work done. Inordinate delays and
hopelessness are the two adjectives that can be used to exemplify the nature of bureaucratic
control that prevails in Nepal. In such a situation, it is quite convenient for the rich ones to get
their official work done against a sum of money, while the poor ones are left to languish (Regmi
et al 2017).