Nepal’s Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation (MoEST) recently advised trainees preparing to study abroad to utilize just restored consultancy companies after releasing a list of authorized operators for the 2025/26 fiscal year.
The announcement came days after cops raids on dozens of education consultancies across Kathmandu Valley. Reports recommend authorities apprehended 69 people and released examinations into supposed fraud, document falsification and unregistered operations as part of a broader project by the ministry and Nepal Police to reform and control the sector.
Reports also recommend some consultancies are implicated of misleading students about abroad study opportunities, consisting of appealing positionings that never materialised or misrepresenting the institutions students were being sent to.
Meanwhile, the Federation of Education Consultancy Business owners of Nepal said it supports efforts to clean up the sector but advised authorities not to produce “unneeded fear” among genuine consultancy business owners.
The developments come amidst record outbound movement from Nepal, with the number of no-objection certificates (NOCs) provided for abroad research study increasing from 98,997 in 2023 to 123,092 in 2025. Around 4,000 consultancies are also thought to be operating across the country, according to University World News.
As per regional media reports, only around 1,000 consultancies had actually complied with previous renewal requirements, with approval for non-renewed operators automatically withdrawed, while the emergence of provincial registration systems has added even more intricacy to the regulatory landscape.
Reports suggest weak oversight has actually enabled some consultancies to assist in overseas employment under the guise of study abroad, triggering require stronger policy.
“I believe any action taken versus consultancies associated with fraud, document falsification, student exploitation, or other unlawful activities is warranted and essential,” Roshan Ghimire, creator and handling director of Gen Z Global Visa and Education Providers, informed The PIE News.
“Students and their families invest considerable financial and psychological resources into international education, and those who deliberately misguide trainees must be held liable.”
Nevertheless, Ghimire cautioned against seeing the current enforcement actions as representative of the whole sector.
“Real education specialists are not merely recruiters working for commission. At their best, they help trainees recognize suitable research study paths, comprehend visa requirements, examine career outcomes, and make notified choices about among the most significant investments they will make in their future.
“Nepal has numerous professional and ethical consultancies that have actually supported students effectively for several years. In fact, the absence of efficient policy has typically injured trustworthy operators, as they have actually had to compete with those engaging in deceptive or unethical practices. Stronger oversight, if implemented fairly, should assist professionalise the sector and enhance trust.”
Deepak Khadka, creator and CMO of Franklin Education, stated Nepal’s consultancy licensing structure currently operates throughout both federal and provincial systems, creating regulatory intricacies that authorities are seeking to address.
Khadka noted that while the ministry has published a list of 1,459 authorized operators, MoEST data suggests only around 760 firms have finished their most recent licence renewal, a gap authorities are looking for to resolve through reforms.
“We comprehend this space is something the government is actively seeking to deal with through forthcoming legislation, which may consist of a financial deposit requirement as a condition of renewal, with the wider goal of bringing the number of operating firms to a more workable and quality-assured level,” he said.
“In the meantime, we would motivate trainees to confirm a company’s present renewal status and request paperwork before engaging their services.”
Khadka stated the application of the procedures had actually produced uncertainty for some companies operating within the law, while disturbance to federal government systems throughout last year’s “Gen Z movement” had actually impacted certain renewal records.
“We hope authorities will take this context into factor to consider as they examine compliance,” he stated.
Eventually, the objective must be to develop a worldwide education environment that is transparent, ethical, student-centred, and relied on by trainees, parents, organizations
, and regulators alike Roshan Ghimire, Gen Z Global Visa and Education Solutions
The crackdown comes in the middle of larger reforms to Nepal’s worldwide education system, including proposed changes to no-objection certificates, consultancy oversight and student outcome tracking.
According to sources, formerly revealed representative tracking procedures and NOC concern sector policies are anticipated to be presented in the coming weeks as Nepal seeks to enhance governance in global education and position itself as an emerging study destination.
To assist enhance Nepal’s international education sector, Ghimire called for more powerful digital tracking, routine compliance evaluations and greater transparency around trainee results, while backing the government’s proposed consultancy grading framework.
“Eventually, the objective ought to be to develop an international education community that is transparent, ethical, student-centred, and relied on by students, moms and dads, institutions, and regulators alike,” he mentioned.
For Khadka, efficient guideline needs to also be collaborative, with structured dialogue required in between the ministry and professional associations such as ECAN, FECON and NECA, whose members collectively serve the vast bulk of trainees.
“Collective policy, developed on shared trust and shared objectives, tends to be far more reliable and sustainable than top-down action alone. Our company believe the associations are all set and ready to engage constructively,” he added.
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