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Internship in Nepal is gradually gaining recognition as a critical link that connects academic study and professional careers, offering practical experience to students and fresh graduates. However, the legal framework of internships remains largely undefined and hence marked by inconsistencies and exploitation. This is particularly evident in professions such as law, chartered accountancy, and architecture, where the internship is often carried out without any clear oversight, and its linkage with learning objectives is sacrificed. Instead of being seen as learning opportunities, internships are sometimes used as a way to justify paying lower wages.

Existing legal framework and shortcomings 

While the issues of internship indirectly come under the Labor Act 2017, Nepal’s main legislation regarding employment, it does not specify regulations relating to internships. The Act deals with ‘trainees’ and provides certain protections, such as limitation of working hours, safety measures, and compensation in case of injury. Although these may include internships related to academic courses, the ambiguity of definition creates legal ambiguity. They are allowed to work for eight hours daily or 48 hours in a week. They are also provided with medical support, compensation for injuries; however, many tasks which are beyond the training they mostly get transferred or change their status into ordinary laborers which complicates the legal situation. 

Due to this lack of clear regulation, there have been many abuses of internships as a labor law loophole. Interns are often overworked and underpaid, with basic employee protections denied. Minimum wage issues, work hours, safety standards, and compensation for injuries 

are frequently disregarded, which places interns in a precarious situation. Many work long hours with neither formal agreements nor contracts, with little to no financial compensation, and undefined roles. 

Liability and workplace protections 

As no particular legislation exists concerning the matter, liability for work performed by the student will be quite undetermined. Such a legal vacuum provides uncertainty to who would be liable for any damage or loss resulting from performance of the interns, which arises rather typically in cases of legal disputes, especially negligence or misfeasance. In most instances, little protection from workplace harassment, discrimination, and mistreatment can be accorded to interns and limited ways of appeal against those hostile environments. These requirements do not extend to employers who must provide structured learning, mentorship, or adequate training, which often reduces internships to poorly paid work rather than an educationally enriching experience. 

Need for comprehensive regulation 

The urgent need exists for comprehensive regulation through legislation that can provide a clear definition of internships and the difference between them and regular employment or traineeships. Such a framework must detail both the rights and responsibilities of the interns and the employers, providing minimum conditions for work, including reasonable hours, fair

compensation, and safe environments. Also, educational institutions bear the responsibility to guarantee the quality of internships, specify agreements with host organizations, and monitor placements for their adherence to educational and professional standards. 

Stronger protections with clear definitions of what constitutes a genuine learning experience would afford better protection for an internship, making the job market more transparent as a result. Thus, moving ahead in the Nepalese employment landscape, more elaborated regulation of internships will be required to accompany economic growth and ensure that internships provide an actual route into professional careers. 

Manish Khadka 

BA LLB 4th Year 

Kathmandu School of Law

In the early hours of 12 July 2024, two buses tragically plunged into the Trishuli River at Simaltal, Chitwan, claiming several lives and testing Nepal’s disaster response capacity. Within hours, 52 trained members of Nepal's Armed Police Force (APF), along with more than 200 personnel deployed in rescue operations, arrived at the scene and started their work. However, in a move that has become all too familiar, the government sought international assistance, which led to the deployment of 12 personnel equipped with advanced technology like sonar systems and magnets—tools that Nepal lacked—for search operations.

The result? The APF divers, operating with limited equipment, outperformed the foreign team in terms of efficiency. The incident exposed the fact that Nepal's disaster response often relies on foreign assistance, even when capable local teams exist. This tendency raises critical questions about the country's dependency mindset and its failure to empower its own disaster management infrastructure. Despite facing frequent natural disasters—earthquakes, floods, landslides, and more—the country has yet to establish a comprehensive, well-resourced, and functional system, not just a lame institution, for disaster preparedness and response. 

International assistance can be a lifeline in moments of crisis, but relying all the time on it as the primary solution exposes Nepal's willingness and ability to protect its citizens. 

What the Simaltal incident teaches us

The Simaltal incident is a reminder of the need to shift our focus from reactive measures to proactive disaster management. If we are to quickly scan the current DRR regime in Nepal, at least five key actions can be said to be crucial to correcting our past mistakes and building a resilient DRRM system.

Firstly, let’s not just enjoy doing one after another workshops for response planning in star hotels. Instead, the Ministry of Home Affairs must invest in modern equipment and technology disaster risk reduction measures. The Study says if we invest 1 USD in preparedness, we could save 7 USD in post-disaster management. 

The APF divers’ performance highlighted their courage and commitment, but it also exposed the limitations of working without advanced equipment. The tools brought by the foreign rescue divers--such as sonar systems for underwater detection--are not luxuries but necessities for modern disaster response. Nepal must invest in acquiring and maintaining such equipment, along with training personnel in their use. 

Second, the Ministry will be at ease if it invests in empowering and equipping national forces and local governments. Nepal has competent agencies like the APF and Nepal Army, yet their potential is undermined by a lack of resources. We must provide these agencies with continuous training, better infrastructure, and the authority to act autonomously in times of disaster. Local governments, too, need to be integrated into the national disaster preparedness framework, enabling them to take the lead in disaster-prone areas.

Third, given the advancement in technology, we must invest to fully develop a robust multi-hazards early warning system. Let me bring up a case. The Department of Hydrology and Meteorology had projected above-normal rainfall for this year. By mid-monsoon, 70 percent of the rainfall had already occurred and by early August an average of 90 percent rainfall had been recorded. Early warnings are even more critical, where every second matters for saving lives and properties. 

On July 6, several villages in Bagmati and Lumbi were flooded due to heavy rainfall a day before (on July 5) and Kanchanpur of Sudurpaschim recorded 624 mm of rainfall in 24 hours which is extremely heavy rainfall.  The news media had published warning news including expert interviews two days in advance citing weather forecasts, but the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA) failed to act promptly. All it did was upload an awareness song on its website only by late afternoon on July 6. 

The lack of an effective early warning system has exacerbated the impact of disasters in several such cases, including during the Bhotekoshi floods in 2016 and the recent Thame floods in Solukhumbu. Nepal needs a comprehensive, tech-enabled early warning system that can provide real-time data on natural hazards such as floods and landslides. One that is now run by the Department of Hydrology and Metrology (DHM) requires a massive upgrade in its current EWS

Fourth, it is time we prioritize Disaster-Resilient Infrastructure given the losses we have already faced with the multi-million-dollar Melamchi project constructed on ADB loan. Whether it's flood barriers, earthquake-resistant buildings, or safe roadways in landslide-prone areas, investments in infrastructure can dramatically reduce both the human and economic toll of disasters. Nepal’s geography is challenging, but modern engineering can mitigate these risks if prioritized. A  flood in the Koshi basin, for example, could wipe away investment made in the Hydropower sector (some already in construction, some in pipeline) worth over US 10bn. Climate-proofing this investment makes a business case.

Finally, Nepal needs to roll up its sleeves and work hard to institutionalize preparedness and response through policy and governance. Not much progress has been made in this sector despite the substantive support from international partners. 

The unfortunate reality is that the Ministry has no information on the impact of the 36 projects implemented in areas like DRR and urban resilience with donor's money. This reflects a potential misuse of donor funds.

While Nepal has made progress in policy-making, including setting up of NDRRMA, the implementation often falls short. It lacks full authority like the one enjoyed by India’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). This also means creating a clear chain of command during emergencies. During the Simaltal tragedy, the state was in a doldrum as the parties were busy flexing muscles to form a new government. A strong NDRRMA would have come into action irrespective of any change in the political equation in Kathmandu. 

 All these failed disaster responses that we witness every monsoon, therefore, should not be remembered only for its loss of life but as a wake-up call. If Nepal fails to learn from these repeated incidents, we risk falling into the same trap of reactionary measures that only exacerbate the loss and damage.

May 

A touch reaches the heart 

And sing a life of love

Admonishing the heartbeat

Of joy 

And melody 

Along a deserted road 

Of the woods

A slow and calm 

Breeze drifts

Our feet 

Stepping with a rhythm 

On the dried leaves 

In sweet way

Some unseen birds chirps

And we walk 

With a deep silence 

Listening to our soul 

Filled with immense pleasure

And some strange feeling 

If tickle in the heart

We are lost somewhere 

In the peaceful world 

Of our dreams - 

We see everything beautiful

And there is no any anguish 

Except the anguish of love 

Which we embrace 

In our touch 

And we feel our warmth,

And flow of blood

And we exist in 

Each other 

And it’s all the world-

Along the woods 

We walk together 

With arms tied 

And lost in our presence 

Of the music 

Of our hearts

Manish Lamichhane

Nepal Law Campus

“Time heals all wounds.” This saying rang hollow to Saurya, who couldn’t get over the experience that left him dejected. Living in a world dominated by 21st-century technology, he often wondered why rural areas in Nepal still lagged behind, particularly in the health sector. Just a month ago, he lost a close friend because the local hospital lacked the necessary provisions and equipment to save his life.

Hospitals are meant to be lifelines, yet in many parts of Nepal, people struggle to access even basic healthcare. Saurya recalls Article 35 of Nepal’s Constitution, promulgated in 2015, which guarantees that no one shall be deprived of emergency health services and that everyone has the right to equal access to healthcare. Despite knowing these rights, he now found himself in despair. The law seemed distant and irrelevant in the face of his loss, leaving him heartbroken and disillusioned.

This tragedy is not just Saurya’s story—it reflects the broader struggles of countless people in Nepal’s rural areas. Many are still deprived of basic healthcare services, from pediatric care to essential diagnostic tools. Hospitals in these regions often lack the most basic equipment to treat diseases and care for patients, leading to tragic outcomes. The situation is especially dire in Nepal’s largest province, Karnali, where many hospitals suffer from chronic shortages of critical medicines and skilled personnel.

A 2023 report from the Global Press Journal highlights that “few people are willing to work in Nepal’s largest state,” citing poor infrastructure as a key reason. Patients often have to travel more than 100 kilometers to receive treatment. The provincial Ministry of Social Development reports that Karnali has the fewest health institutions in the country, with just 15 hospitals spread across its 10 districts. Even these facilities are plagued by resource shortages, causing significant hardships for those in need of care. Since 2022, for example, the District Hospital in Mugu has been forced to refer patients elsewhere for surgeries due to a lack of specialist doctors. This grim reality underscores the severe challenges ordinary people face due to inadequate healthcare services.

In response, the government allocated Rs 86.24b to the Ministry of Health and Population for the fiscal year 2024/25. This budget could play a pivotal role in building new hospitals and recruiting qualified doctors, nurses, and support staff, especially in underserved areas like Karnali. In addition to hospital upgrades, infrastructure development in rural areas is crucial. Financial support is also needed to make healthcare more affordable for low-income populations.

The saying ‘Health is wealth’ reminds us that nothing is more valuable than our health. A healthy body and mind are the foundation for personal and societal growth. As our society progresses, it is essential that hospitals across the country are equipped to serve all citizens, regardless of location. The government must ensure that basic facilities, adequate healthcare personnel, and sufficient hospitals are available to meet the needs of the population.

Nepal’s healthcare system faces significant challenges, especially in regions like Karnali. Despite constitutional guarantees, many citizens struggle to access even the most basic medical services. The government’s allocated budget must be used effectively to ensure equitable healthcare for all, as addressing these issues is essential for the well-being and future growth of the nation.

Prakriti Thapa

BA IInd Year,

St Xavier’s College, Maitighar