By Sisir Dhakal
KATHMANDU: The first and second decades of the new millennium were among the most significant in Nepal’s history.
They marked a transformative period characterized by pivotal incidents and political events that reshaped the nation’s trajectory.
From the royal massacre and the spread of the Maoist insurgency, a state of emergency, the exercise of absolute monarchy, and the people’s uprising, to the signing of the peace accord, the abolition of the monarchy, and the establishment of a federal constitutional assembly, Nepal underwent profound changes that continue to define its governance and society.
This period of transformation also witnessed a substantial reordering of Nepal’s Order of Precedence, the official ranking system that determines the hierarchy of functionaries and officials based on their rank and office within the government.
With the abolition of the monarchy and Nepal’s transition to federalism, the government finalized a new Order of Precedence in April 2019, reflecting the changing political landscape.
The pro-democracy uprisings, which peaked in the nine-day street protests beginning on April 6, 2006, marked a turning point in Nepal’s history, leading to changes in the Order of Precedence.
These protests culminated in King Gyanendra Shah’s decision to reinstate parliament and step back from rule.
This victory for the people paved the way for sweeping changes, including the revision of the country’s Order of Precedence.
The top positions previously occupied by members of the royal family were reassigned to democratically elected leaders.
The promulgation of Nepal’s new constitution on September 16, 2015—effective from September 20, 2015—brought further reforms.
It solidified Nepal’s identity as a federal democratic republic and introduced provincial administrations, necessitating additional adjustments to the Order of Precedence.
Nepal’s Order of Precedence is crucial for determining protocol at state functions, official ceremonies, and other formal occasions.
It also ensures clarity in the ranking of VVIPs and VIPs for state management. Like many other nations, Nepal’s government has legally codified the hierarchy of top government positions within this framework.
This structured approach not only reflects the country’s evolving political system but also underscores its commitment to maintaining order and decorum in public life.
The revisions to Nepal’s Order of Precedence highlight the nation’s shift from a monarchy-dominated system to one that prioritizes the roles of elected representatives and provincial administrations.
This evolution underscores Nepal’s journey toward inclusive governance and its efforts to adapt to the needs of a modern federal republic.
In public forums in Nepal, the seating arrangement for guests is a long-standing practice.
However, disputes regarding seating arrangements occasionally arise among the guests.
To ensure proper protocol is followed during public programs, the Government of Nepal has established a detailed Order of Precedence.
This protocol consists of twenty-seven ranks, placing the President at the top and ensuring that people’s representatives are ranked above bureaucrats.
In 2017, the Government of Nepal revised the protocol for VVIPs and VIPs, which sparked controversy when local government representatives were ranked below a Nepal Army Captain.
Following concerns raised by local government representatives to the Prime Minister, a new protocol list was approved by the House in 2018.
At the top of the protocol hierarchy is the President, followed by the Vice President and the Prime Minister.
The Chief Justice, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Chairperson of the National Assembly occupy the fourth and fifth positions, respectively, while the former President is placed in the sixth position.
Provincial chiefs, provincial chief ministers, and federal government ministers share the seventh position alongside the leaders of the main opposition in both houses of the federal parliament.
Who stands where? Following Nepal’s hierarchy of ranks:
1. President
2. Vice President
3. Prime Minister
4. Chief Justice
5. Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR), Chairman of the National Assembly (NA)
6. Former President, Deputy Prime Minister
7. Provincial Chiefs (Governors), Federal Ministers, Opposition Leaders in HoR and NA, Former Vice President, Former Prime Minister, Former Chief Justice, Deputy Speaker of HoR, Deputy Speaker of NA, Chief Ministers of Provinces, Former Speaker of Parliament, Former Chairman of the Constituent Assembly
8. State Ministers, Chairpersons of Various Committees of HoR and NA, Vice-Chair of the National Planning Commission, Supreme Court Justices, Judicial Council Members, Chiefs of Constitutional Bodies, Attorney General, Assistant Ministers, Members of Parliament (HoR & NA), Former Deputy Prime Minister
9. Members and Commissioners of Constitutional Bodies, Chief Secretary, Chief of Army Staff, General Secretary of Federal Parliament, Supreme Court Chief Registrar, Chief Judges of High Courts, Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank, Vice-Chancellors of Universities
10. Speaker of Provincial Assemblies, Ministers of Provincial Governments, Members of the National Planning Commission
11. Government Secretaries, Special Class Officers, Supreme Court Registrar, Deputy Attorney General, Deputy Auditor General, Chief Secretary of Provincial Government, Vice Chancellor of Nepal Academy, Foreign Ambassadors in Nepal, Secretary General of SAARC, Nepal’s Ambassadors
12. Lt. General, Chief of Nepal Police, Chief of Armed Police Force, Chief of Department of National Intelligence, UN Resident Coordinator
13. Deputy Speakers of Provincial Assemblies, Provincial State Ministers, Chiefs of Various Committees of Provincial Assemblies, Judges of High Courts, Chief of Provincial Public Service Commission, Former Ministers
14. Assistant Ministers of Provincial Government, Members of Provincial Assemblies
15. Chief of Metropolitan City, Former State Ministers, Former Assistant Ministers, Former Lawmakers
16. Major Generals/Additional Inspector Generals of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and Deputy Chief Investigation Officers of Department of National Intelligence
17. Chiefs of District Coordination Committees, Members of Provincial Public Service Commission
18. Deputy Chiefs of Metropolitan City, Government Joint Secretaries, Director Generals, First Class Gazetted Officers, Secretaries of Provincial Government, District Judges
19. Brigadiers General/DIGs of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and Intelligence Department
20. Chiefs of Municipalities, Deputy Chiefs of Municipal Cities, Consulate Generals
21. Chairpersons of Rural Municipalities, Deputy Chiefs of Municipalities, Colonels/SSPs of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and Intelligence Department
22. Under-Secretaries of Nepal Government, All Second-Class Gazetted Officers, Lieutenants Colonels, and SPs of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and Intelligence Department
23. Majors, DSPs of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and Intelligence Department
24. Captains, Section Officers
25. Lieutenants of Nepal Army, Inspectors of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and Intelligence Department
26. Section Officers of Provincial Governments, Section Officers of Local Governments, All Third-Class Gazetted Officers
27. Second Lieutenants
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