Government Approves New Regulations for Educational Consultancies, Mandates Digital Payments and Public Fee Disclosure

Kathmandu. The government has approved the Educational Consultancy, Language and Preparation Classes (Operation and Management) Regulations, 2026, introducing stricter rules for educational consultancies, language institutes, and preparatory classes.

The regulations, endorsed during Wednesday's Cabinet meeting under the authority of the Education Act, 1971, establish new provisions on licensing, financial transactions, student protection, transparency, and service quality.

Under the new rules, no individual or institution may operate an educational counseling service, language teaching center, or preparation class without a government permit. To receive a license for an educational consultancy, operators must deposit a security amount of Rs 2.5 million and pay a permit fee of Rs 50,000.

The regulations also require all service fees to be collected only through banks or other digital payment systems, prohibiting cash transactions. Institutions must issue bills or receipts for every payment and publicly disclose their service charges on their official websites.

To improve oversight, the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology will develop an integrated electronic management system and database, which will be linked to the No Objection Certificate (NOC) system for students pursuing higher education abroad.

The ministry will also introduce a live digital dashboard enabling the public to access information on consultancy services and fee structures.

To strengthen accountability, educational consultancies will be graded as A, B, or C based on service quality and student success rates. The grading results will be published on the ministry's website.

The regulations further require consultancies to compensate students if they are stranded abroad due to negligence, misinformation, or if they are sent to unauthorized educational institutions. Institutions are also expected to take necessary steps to assist affected students.

Under the new standards, every institution must maintain its own website with regularly updated fee information. Other minimum requirements include reliable internet access, disability-friendly infrastructure, and safe operating premises.

The regulations also encourage domestic ownership in the sector by requiring institutions with foreign investment to transition to Nepali ownership within one year. Existing institutions that fail to comply with the new standards within the stipulated period will not have their operating permits renewed.

पछिल्लो अध्यावधिक: असार २५, २०८३ १६:१६