Jun 16, Kathmandu - The Nepal Medical Education Commission has approved and issued new procedures for scholarship grants, aiming to resolve longstanding legal uncertainties. The decision was made during a meeting chaired by Prime Minister and Council of Ministers Office Chief, Sher Bahadur Deuba, today.

According to Deuba’s Press and Research Officer, Deepa Dahal, the commission swiftly approved the new procedures within 24 hours of receiving approval from the Ministries of Education, Sports, and Finance, effectively addressing previous legal ambiguities and ensuring long-term clarity.

The legislative changes came through an ordinance amending the Nepal Gazette, which added Section 54(b) to the National Medical Education Act, 2075, following the approval of the Education Act Amendment, 2083. This legal development opened the pathway for the commission to formulate necessary directives and procedures.

Previously, under Section 35 of the Legislative Act, 2081, all existing directives and procedures of the commission became automatically invalid, creating a legal vacuum.

To resolve this issue, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Education, Sports, and Youth Development reached a consensus on June 15, with positive feedback supporting the new procedures. The revised procedures now pave the way for distributing grants to public educational institutions providing free scholarships, including postgraduate programs like D.M. and M.Ch.

The new guidelines also enable the commission to provide grants for medical institutions offering postgraduate studies, ensuring free scholarships at all levels, including D.M. and M.Ch.

The meeting was chaired by Minister of Health and Food Safety Nisha Mehta, with Vice-Chair Professor Dr. Shreekrishna Giri and other members present.