Nepal’s evolving digital landscape highlights a growing tension between constitutional guarantees of privacy and access to information, and a fragmented, outdated data governance framework. In a recent article published in Republica on March 17, 2026, Avash Mainali, Country Researcher for Nepal for LIRNEasia’s D4D Asia project, argues that while the introduction of the Personal Data Protection Policy, 2082 (2025), marks a positive step, its impact will depend on whether it can move beyond aspirational language to enforceable rights. Existing laws, including the Electronic Transactions Act and the Privacy Act, create a patchwork system in which state institutions retain broad data collection powers, while citizens lack meaningful control over their personal information and face limited access to public data.
Drawing on comparative insights from LIRNEasia’s D4D Asia project, he highlights that countries such as India, Sri Lanka, and Singapore demonstrate how data protection, innovation, and digital economic growth can coexist when supported by clear legal frameworks and independent oversight. Avash emphasizes that Nepal must similarly balance openness and control, ensuring access to non-sensitive government data while protecting personal data through safeguards such as consent, transparency, and accountability.
The article underscores that Nepal’s immediate challenge is not technological capability but governance. Strengthening data protection laws, ensuring enforceable user rights, limiting state surveillance through principles such as necessity and proportionality, and establishing an independent oversight authority are identified as key priorities. As digital services rapidly expand, he concludes that building public trust through accountable and secure data governance will be essential to ensure that innovation supports, rather than undermines, Nepal’s democratic future.
Read the full article in the Republica.
