Ambitious policies and ground realities in Nepal’s digital governance

Artificial intelligence and digital governance are no longer experimental features of public administration; they are becoming structural elements of how states organise authority, deliver services, and define efficiency itself. Across many countries, governments are increasingly embedding digital systems and AI-enabled tools into core administrative functions, from service delivery to policymaking. This shift is not merely technological. It reflects a deeper transformation in governance, in which institutional capacity, data infrastructure, and algorithmic systems are now tightly interlinked.

In South Asia, the relevance of digital governance and artificial intelligence has grown rapidly as states seek to overcome infrastructural limitations and accelerate development through technology-driven solutions. Nepal is also participating in this transition through its broader digital transformation agenda, particularly through initiatives such as the Digital Nepal Framework (2019) , ICT-related policies , expansion of e-governance systems, and recent discussions surrounding a national AI policy.