6.3 Structure of State and Division of State Power — Nepal

The Constitution of Nepal (2015) builds a three-tier federation (Article 56): the Federation, seven Provinces (districts listed in Schedule 4), and the local level — 753 rural municipalities and municipalities, each with its elected council, plus a District Assembly in each district. The division of power (Article 57) — five schedules: Schedule Contents Level Schedule Federal list — defence, foreign affairs, currency, citizenship, major infrastructure, standards Federal Parliament Schedule Provincial list — provincial police, cooperatives, provincial universities, provincial services Provincial Assembly Schedule Federal–provincial concurrent list — education, health, forests, electricity, agriculture Both (federal framework law prevails) Schedule Local list — local roads, basic health and education, local markets, water supply Local councils Schedule All-three concurrent list — defined taxation, disaster management, natural-resource royalties All three levels The priority rules: provincial and local laws inconsistent with federal law are void to the extent of inconsistency (Article 57(6)–(7)); residual powers rest with the Federation (Article 58). Fiscal power follows function: each level budgets within its list, and natural-resource benefits must be equitably shared with affected areas and local communities, with priority investment opportunities for them (Article 59). Summary sentence (examiners reward it): Nepal is a holding-together, cooperative federation with a unitary tilt — federal priority plus federal residual power. Basic features of Nepalese federalism — the checklist: Three constitutional tiers (Article 56)…