Social protection and endangered Indigenous communities in Nepal ^{CEFR B1}

Nepal's Constitution (Article 43, 2015) guarantees the right to social protection, and the country has ratified several international instruments on social security. Despite these commitments, about 20.1 million people in Nepal remain without any form of social protection.

The government operates more than 85 social security programs that provide allowances to around 3,800,000 people, roughly 13 percent of the population. It has also committed to financial support for ten officially recognised endangered Indigenous communities, including Bankariya, Hayu, Kisan, Kusbadhiya, Kusunda, Lepcha, Meche, Raji, Raute and Surel.

Field interviews show mixed effects. A Bankariya member said the Endangered Community Social Security Allowance helps her family pay for education and healthcare; each person receives NPR 4,000 per month through the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration. A study of the Raji in Chaukune Rural Municipality, Surkhet District, linked allowances to small businesses, cooperative savings and cultural preservation.

Experts caution that cash transfers alone can create dependency and weaken traditional livelihoods; some Raute members now rely more on allowances, and allowance money has been linked to increased alcohol use and social problems. Barriers include fragmented programs, lack of data, discrimination, geographic isolation, missing citizenship documents and exclusion from formal labour markets. Advocates call for stronger local governance, targeted orientation, links to Indigenous enterprise, safe electronic payments and longer-term land, housing and education measures.