KATHMANDU, Sept 3: The National Assembly on Tuesday unanimously endorsed the Federal Civil Service Bill, making several amendments and correcting errors related to the cooling-off period, before sending it back to the House of Representatives.
Ananda Dhungana, a member of the National Assembly and the Legislation Management Committee, said the Bill was approved after rectifying mistakes in the cooling-off provision and revising several other points. He noted that the House of Representatives retains the authority to make further corrections if deemed necessary.
According to Dhungana, the National Assembly made amendments to three major provisions: the creation of the Additional Secretary post, open competition for Joint Secretaries, and open recruitment for Section Officers (Nayab Subba).
The National Assembly also corrected an error related to the cooling-off period, ensuring that a clear provision was included for civil servants.
Bill bars local units from recruiting civil servants
The Civil Service Bill was first introduced in the House of Representatives on March 4, 2024 and passed on June 29, 2025, before being sent to the National Assembly. After detailed clause-by-clause discussions in the Legislation Committee, it was passed by the Assembly on Tuesday.
Under parliamentary rules, the National Assembly may correct errors in bills passed by the House of Representatives. The reinstatement of the cooling-off period was made under this authority.
While the House of Representatives had retained the post of Additional Secretary, the National Assembly scrapped it, arguing that the provision—introduced in the past but deemed ineffective—was unnecessary. Lawmakers also said retaining the position would place an extra financial burden on the state. Some senior Joint Secretaries, waiting for promotion to Secretary, had lobbied for the creation of the Additional Secretary post.
The National Assembly also reinstated the provision for filling 10 percent of Joint Secretary positions through open competition, which the House had earlier removed. The current Civil Service Act already includes such a quota. Likewise, the Assembly overturned the House’s decision to remove open recruitment for Section Non-Gazetted (Third Class) government employees, restoring the 10 percent quota for entry at that level as well.
Retirement age issue settled
On the matter of retirement age, the National Assembly endorsed the provision passed by the House of Representatives: increasing the retirement age from 58 to 60 years in three phases—58 years in the first year, 59 years in the second, and 60 years in the third.
Although the Legislation Committee of the National Assembly had initially attempted to revise this arrangement, disagreement among political parties delayed approval. Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Bhagwati Neupane, along with MPs from the Nepali Congress and CPN-UML, had pushed for an immediate increase to 59 years. Lawmakers from the Maoist Centre and Unified Socialist, however, insisted on the phased approach.
When consensus could not be reached on Monday, the Bill was stalled. On Tuesday, committee members agreed to keep the provision unchanged, allowing the bill to move forward.
