National ID card is required to access government services

A writ petition contesting the government’s decision to require the National Identity Card (NIC) to be used in order to access government services was denied by the Supreme Court (SC). The petition was dismissed and a directed order was given on Sunday by a full bench consisting of Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut, Justice Abdul Aziz Musalman, and Justice Nripadhwaj Niraula. The NIC is now required to get government facilities as a result of the SC’s ruling.

Advocates Ram Bahadur Raut, Bimal Pokharel, and senior counsel Dhruba Lal Shrestha had each filed a separate writ suit challenging the government’s ruling. Notwithstanding their citizenship, the writ petitioners had insisted that NIC not be made mandatory, claiming that doing so would inconvenience the public. The written order of the directive has not yet been prepared, according to SC spokesperson Achyut Kuikel.

In addition to the writ petition being dismissed, the SC’s previous interim order is also null and void. The SC had issued an interim order, which the Ministry of Home Affairs had petitioned to be revoked. The SC had issued an interim ruling prohibiting the requirement of the NIC for government-provided public services.

On June 24, 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs released a notification in the Nepal Gazette directing the public to provide their NIC number in order to receive government services. “In place of a Nepali Citizenship Certificate, a NIC or NIC number may be used to request or access public services or facilities offered by government-owned organizations, institutions, or the commercial sector,” the notice said. The SC’s temporary ruling prevented that notification from going into effect. However, the government’s decision to make the NIC mandatory came after the writ petition was denied.

On June 6, the administration declared that, in the first phase, social security allowance renewals in 28 districts will require the use of the NIC number. As of July 16, the NIC is already required in the chosen districts.

In the second phase, starting on January 14, NICs are required in 38 districts. The government has determined that the NIC will be required in the remaining districts as of July 16, 2025.

In a similar vein, opening a bank account now requires NIC. The Unified Directive 2080 BS has been updated and modified by Nepal Rastra Bank (NRB) to require opening a bank account starting in the month of Magh (mid-January to mid-February).

In order to update existing accounts and open new ones, the NRB has mandated that NIC numbers be provided.

“Priority monitoring should also be given to the high-risk associated crimes listed in the National Risk Assessment (NRA) and Mutual Evaluation Report-2023, such as tax evasion, human trafficking, corruption, and casino or internet casino operators, traders in precious metals or commodities, real estate buyers and sellers, cooperative accounts, and the identification of related individuals and their transactions,” it states in the amended NRB directive when identifying customers or updating customer details.

To incorporate all of a person’s information, the government has also made the NIC required for government services.