Reservation for Whom?

The democratic republican system adopted by Nepal aims to ensure equal opportunities for all. Inclusion—or positive discrimination—lies at the heart of this commitment. To operationalise it, the Constitution mandates the establishment of the Inclusion Commission, and reservation quotas have been introduced in Public Service Commission (PSC) examinations to ensure representative appointments across castes and communities. The Constitution requires that these quotas be reviewed every ten years. Yet, despite 18 years having passed since the provision came into force, no review has been conducted. This failure has not only weakened the effectiveness of the inclusion system but also prevented the intended groups from benefitting. Instead, those who have gained the most are predominantly influential individuals—mainly urban residents with access to power structures. The inclusive recruitment system has been in place since 2007, following an amendment to the Civil Service Act, 1992. More than 26,000 individuals have benefited so far. In principle, reservation benefits should not be granted repeatedly to the same person. Once used for appointment or promotion, the facility should be available to others. When both parents and their children repeatedly benefit, opportunities fail to reach new recipients.