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The United States has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening its partnership with the Government of Nepal.

 In response to inquiries from ApEx, a State Department spokesperson stated, “While programs that do not align with American interests have been terminated, the United States remains committed to strengthening its partnership with the Government of Nepal.”

Building on 77 years of successful collaboration, the United States is dedicated to supporting Nepal’s sovereignty by bolstering democratic resilience and promoting economic opportunities, the spokesperson added. When asked about the list of canceled projects under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the spokesperson noted, “The US Government's review of all foreign assistance is ongoing.”

Recently, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) had terminated 83 percent of USAID-run programs globally, amounting to the cancellation of 5,200 projects. While reports suggest that dozens of USAID-funded projects in Nepal have also been affected, there has been no official confirmation. Officials indicate that not only are ongoing projects at risk, but several American institutions in Nepal are also on the verge of closure. Regarding specific projects, the spokesperson said, “We do not have additional information to share on specific program awards at this time.”

On March 18, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Arzu Rana Deuba, met with Ricky Gill, Special Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs and National Security Council Senior Director for South and Central Asia, on the sidelines of the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi. Gill assured Minister Deuba that the US would continue to support Nepal. “Gill and I also discussed Nepal-US ties, which are rooted in shared democratic and human rights values,” Rana said. “I am confident that our cooperation will continue to grow over the years.”

In a related development, a federal judge ruled that the dismantling of USAID likely violated the US Constitution. The court order requires the Trump Administration to restore email and computer access to all USAID employees, including those placed on administrative leave.

In his verdict, Judge Theodore Chung wrote, “The court finds that defendants’ actions to shut down USAID on an accelerated basis, including the apparent decision to permanently close USAID headquarters without the approval of a duly appointed USAID office, likely violated the United States Constitution in multiple ways.”

Madhes Province Chief Minister Satish Kumar Singh has alleged a major conspiracy to facilitate cheating in the Secondary Education Examination (SEE). Speaking at a press conference, CM Singh stated that since the provincial government’s decisions were not implemented, they decided to withdraw from the examination process. 

Addressing the media at the Madhes Bhawan, Singh accused the bureaucracy of non-cooperation in controlling exam leaks before the exams even began. He also claimed that exam center heads and teachers were actively involved in helping students cheat. “We attempted to improve the situation, but the presence of federal government employees in the selection of exam center heads and the disregard of provincial directives by district examination committees is unfortunate and counterproductive,” he said.  

Singh further argued that the selection process of center heads, led by the District Administration Officer and the Chief of the Education Development and Coordination Unit, was unacceptable. He stated that the committees followed previous practices, appointing school principals as center heads, prompting the provincial government to exit the exam process.  

“We aimed to boost the morale of competent teachers and ensure fair opportunities while preventing external influence in the examination process,” Singh said. “However, the provincial government's decision was ignored under pressure from vested interests. We believe that center heads should be appointed through a lottery system." “

Education and Culture Minister Rani Sharma Tiwari, who was also present at the press conference, expressed dissatisfaction with the examination system, stating that the provincial government could not remain a silent witness to irregularities. “A meeting was called with all eight district exam coordination committees and district officials to implement the lottery-based selection of center heads, but they refused. Instead, they resorted to financial dealings in the appointment process. That is why we are opposing it,” she said.

The US Embassy in Kathmandu has said that anyone found misusing the visa will be deported from the country.

The Embassy has informed that if any person is found to have violated the US law, they will be deported from the country by revoking their visa.

The Embassy said that it has been conducting regular checks after issuing the visas, urging all to comply with the US laws and immigration regulations.

“Visa checking will not stop even after the US visa is issued. We will continuously check the visa holders  to ensure everyone is abiding by the US laws and immigration regulations. We will deport them by canceling their visas if found violating the regulations,” the Embassy said.

Earlier, the Embassy had said that illegal immigration will be perilous.

Clarifying that America's policy is to end illegal immigration, the Embassy has urged Nepalis not to take that route.

The Embassy had informed that people had to face detention, criminal activity, and other grave consequences by going through illegal routes and trusting the false assurances of the agents.

“Every year, many people put their lives at risk by trusting the false promises of agents in search of green pastures. Do not ruin your life by believing in such promises. Keep yourself and family safe,” the Embassy had said earlier.

With US President Donald Trump assuming his office for the second term, the US has continued the deportations of the immigrants found without official documents back to home.

Earlier on March 6, nine Nepalis, who were living and working illegally in the US, were brought to Kathmandu on a chartered flight.

The government has transferred 13 joint-secretaries and under-secretaries including chief district officers (CDOs) of seven districts.

The Home Ministry has transferred CDOs of Kapilvastu, Surkhet, Udayapur, Nawalparasi East, Baglung, Achham and Parbat.

Joint-Secretary Dil Kumar Tamang has been transferred as CDO of Kapilvastu, Bishwa Prakash Aryal has been transferred to Home Ministry, Shankar Acharya to Home Ministry, Hari Prasad Ghimire as the CDO of Parbat, Jagdishwar Upadhyay as the CDO of Surkhet, Bhavishwar Pokharel as the CDO of Nawalparasi East, and Arun Pokharel to the Home Ministry.

Similarly, Kuman Singh Gurung has been transferred as CDO of Baglung, Netra Prasad Subedi to Home Ministry, Prem Prasad Luintel as CDO of Udayapur, Ananda Sari as CDO of Achham, Shiva Prasad Lamsal to Home Ministry, and Kedar Nath Sharma to Home Ministry.