Barely a month into office, the Balen Shah administration has placed digital governance at the center of its reform agenda. From speeches to policy documents, “Digital Nepal” has been framed not merely as a long-term vision, but as an immediate transformation in how the state interacts with citizens. The government’s 100-point agenda reinforces that emphasis, with roughly a fifth of its priorities directly tied to digitalization. Yet an assessment of ministry websites and social media platforms reveals a more uneven reality—one where ambition is evident, but execution remains fragmented, inconsistent, and at times neglected.
Across ministries, one of the most striking patterns is uniformity without functionality. Nearly all ministry websites use the same interface, suggesting a centralized template, but that standardization has not translated into quality. English-language versions, crucial for accessibility, transparency, and international engagement, are generally weak, incomplete, poorly translated, or outdated. Equally notable is the absence of basic political transparency: most ministries do not include biographies of their ministers on official websites, leaving a glaring gap in public-facing leadership information.
Nowhere is this contradiction more visible than at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers (OPMCM). Despite serving as the nerve center of governance, its digital presence appears uneven. The website has a weak English version, lacks a biography of Prime Minister Balen Shah, and continues to display outdated notices on its homepage. Its photo gallery is updated irregularly, reinforcing the impression of a platform that is not actively maintained.
Outside the website, however, the Prime Minister’s digital reach tells a different story. The official “PMO Nepal” Facebook page, with around 82,000 followers, is regularly updated, while Shah’s personal Facebook page, “Balen,” commands an audience of more than 4.6m. The contrast highlights a broader issue: institutional platforms lag behind the personal digital influence of political leaders. The PMO also maintains accounts on TikTok, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Messenger channels, but most are either inactive or inconsistently maintained. Even its X account, despite having more than 700,000 followers, has not been updated since late March.
The OPMCM website does host one of the government’s more functional digital tools: the “Hello Sarkar Complaint Management System,” which allows citizens to register and track complaints. The platform signals an attempt to improve digital service delivery. Yet even here, gaps are visible. The publicly displayed complaint status appears to be at least a year old, raising questions about whether backend systems are being updated as actively as the interface suggests.
At the Ministry of Home Affairs, the situation is somewhat more balanced, though still imperfect. While the English version remains weak and the biography of Home Minister Balen Shah is absent, the website is otherwise updated regularly. Notices and photo galleries are current, and the homepage integrates multiple citizen-facing tools, including complaint forms, tenders, directives, and thematic portals such as the Drug Portal and Peace Portal. These features indicate an effort to centralize services digitally.
However, the ministry’s social media presence lacks originality. Official accounts largely reshare updates from subordinate agencies, including the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority and the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, rather than producing distinct institutional communication.
The Ministry of Defense presents a more static digital presence. While notices and photographs are updated, key details such as office hours remain outdated. More notably, its social media presence appears almost dormant. Official Facebook and X accounts are neither active nor integrated into the website, reflecting a disconnect between the ministry and contemporary digital communication practices.
At the Ministry of Finance, the contrast between innovation and neglect is particularly stark. On one hand, the homepage includes a QR code for lodging complaints and a budget suggestion form, signaling openness toward participatory governance. On the other hand, the English version remains weak, a biography of Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle is absent, and the photo gallery is outdated.
Social media integration is also inconsistent. While the ministry’s X account (@mofnepal) is active and followed by more than 57,000 users, its Facebook page has effectively been abandoned since its creation in 2022, with no posts beyond initial profile and cover updates. Adding to the inconsistency, the website inexplicably integrates the X handle of the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority.
In contrast, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stands out as a relative exception. Its English-language website is comparatively well developed, likely reflecting the ministry’s international mandate. It includes a biography of Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, while press releases, notices, and updates are maintained regularly. Its social media platforms are integrated and active, with around 80,000 followers on Facebook and more than 267,000 on X. Even here, however, the photo gallery remains outdated, suggesting that no ministry is entirely free from lapses in digital upkeep.
The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation presents a mixed picture. While notices are updated regularly and the homepage usefully lists national pride projects with relevant details and links, other aspects lag behind. The English version is weak, a biography of Minister Biraj Bhakta Shrestha is missing, and the photo gallery is outdated. Its Facebook page, despite having a small following, remains active. Its X account, created in April, has just two followers and no posts.
The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport provides only a one-line biography of Minister Sunil Lamsal, and that too only in Nepali. While notices are updated regularly and Facebook remains active, the ministry’s X account has been dormant since 2024 and has minimal followers.
The Ministry of Urban Development mirrors this inconsistency. Although notices and photographs are updated, its newly created Facebook page has negligible reach, while its X account has remained inactive for years and is not even linked to the official website.
At the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, the absence of a biography of Minister Sobita Gautam continues the broader trend. Although notices and photographs are updated, newly created social media accounts remain inactive, suggesting that digital presence is being treated more as a formality than a functional communication tool.
The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens provides a biography of Minister Sita Badi, but only in Nepali, limiting accessibility. While its Facebook presence is active, the absence of an identifiable official X account reflects incomplete platform integration.
Similarly, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration lacks a biography of Minister Pratibha Rawal and has not updated its X account in more than a year, despite maintaining an active Facebook page.
The Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation presents an even weaker digital profile, with no ministerial biography, poor English-language content, an outdated photo gallery, and minimal activity across social media platforms.
The Ministry of Health and Population also lacks a biography of Minister Nisha Meheta, while its English-language content remains weak. The photo gallery and notices section are not updated regularly. However, the ministry stands out in terms of digital services and social media presence. Its Facebook page, with around 782,000 followers, is updated regularly, while its X account is also active.
The ministry’s homepage features several public-facing digital services, including the Nepal Health Facility Registry, the Free Health Dashboard, and Digital Mapping of Health INGOs. It also provides real-time data on hospitals, beds, ICU beds, ventilators, and available free beds across the country.
Similarly, the Ministry of Water Supply does not include a biography of Minister Meheta, while its English-language content remains poor. The photo gallery and notices section are outdated, and Facebook and X accounts are not integrated into the website. During the assessment, no official Facebook or X accounts linked to the ministry could be identified.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology also lacks a biography of Minister Sasmit Pokharel, while the English version of its website remains weak. The photo gallery contains outdated material, though notices are updated regularly.
Despite this, the ministry provides several useful digital services on its homepage, including career guidance tools, e-learning resources, and services targeted at students, teachers, guardians, and local governments. Its Facebook page, followed by around 40,000 users, is regularly updated. Although the X account “@MoEST_Nepal” is linked on the website, the link redirects to a page stating that the account does not exist.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports also does not feature a biography of Minister Pokharel, while the English-language version of the website remains poor. Although the photo gallery is outdated, the notices section is updated regularly. The ministry’s Facebook page is active and has around 15,000 followers. However, its X account, “@youthmoys,” appears largely inactive, with the last post published on 7 May 2025.
The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation does not feature a biography of Minister Ganess Paudel, while the English-language version of its website remains weak, similar to many other ministries. However, both the photo gallery and notices section are updated regularly. The ministry’s Facebook page, with around 30,000 followers, is also actively maintained, though no official X account could be identified.
The homepage includes several useful public services and features, including an air accident hotline, QR codes for complaints and suggestions, a “scan to meet the minister” feature, the Tourism Product Sharing Program, and access to Nepal’s tourism statistics from 1962 to 2021.
The Ministry of Communication and Information Technology includes a detailed biography of Minister Bikram Timilsina in both English and Nepali. However, like most ministries, the website’s overall English-language content remains weak. While the photo gallery is updated regularly, the notices section is not.
The ministry’s Facebook page is active, and its official X account, “@Hello_MoCIT,” has around 14,000 followers, though it has not been updated since 20 June 2025. Notably, the last post from the ministry’s official X handle was a YouTube link to a song produced by Beest Production. The ministry’s homepage also provides several digital services, including foreign film development permission and movie licensing services.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development also lacks a biography of Minister Gita Chaudhary, while its English-language version remains poor. However, both the photo gallery and notices section are updated regularly, and the ministry’s Facebook page is active. No official X account appears to exist. The homepage includes several important digital services, including the Farmers Listing Management System, Fertilizer Management System, and Agromet Advisory Bulletin.
The Ministry of Forests and Environment similarly does not include a biography of Minister Gita Chaudhary, while its English-language version remains weak. However, the ministry performs comparatively well in digital updates, with both the photo gallery and notices section maintained regularly. Its Facebook page and X account are also actively updated. The homepage features several key services, including the Forest Fire Detection and Monitoring System in Nepal, Air Quality Monitoring, and the Environmental Impact Assessment Portal.
The Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies does not feature a biography of Minister Gauri Yadav, while its English-language version remains poor. Although the notices section is updated regularly, the photo gallery is not. Facebook is not integrated into the website, though an X account is linked. However, the account has not been updated since 12 Sept 2024.
Likewise, the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security does not provide a biography of Minister Ramji Yadav, while the English-language version of its website remains weak. Despite this, both the notices section and photo gallery are updated regularly, and the ministry’s Facebook page and X account are actively maintained.
Taken together, the emerging picture is one of a government that has embraced the language and framework of digital governance but has yet to translate it into a coherent and functional ecosystem. Websites exist, but many are poorly maintained. Social media accounts are created, but often left inactive or underutilized. Digital tools are introduced, but not consistently updated or integrated into a broader service-delivery framework.
For an administration that has made digital transformation a defining feature of its governance agenda, these shortcomings carry broader implications. Digital presence is not merely about communication; it reflects transparency, efficiency, and institutional seriousness. A poorly maintained website, an inactive social media account, or the absence of basic public information such as a minister’s biography may appear minor in isolation, but together they reveal a persistent gap between policy ambition and administrative execution.
