Over 4,100 education consultancies running without registration in Nepal

 Thousands of education consultancies operating illegally across Nepal, investigation reveals

A government investigation has uncovered that thousands of education consultancies across Nepal are operating without the proper licenses and registration. Many of these consultancies are charging students high fees without providing receipts, offering misleading advice, and failing to follow required legal procedures.

The Department of Commerce, Supplies, and Consumer Protection launched an inspection drive on July 16 (Shrawan 1) in response to a growing number of complaints from students. In just one week, the department inspected 55 consultancies. Of these, 10 were fined a total of Rs 605,000 on the spot, while 45 were given three days to submit valid business documents.

The situation is particularly alarming in the Kathmandu Valley, where out of an estimated 5,000 consultancies, only about 900 are officially registered with the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology. Most others are operating without any formal registration, licenses, or transparency in fee structures.

“Many of these consultancies were charging students large amounts without issuing receipts or keeping any records,” said Kumar Prasad Dahal, Director General of the department. “Some didn’t even have links with recognized foreign institutions.”

According to the Educational Consultancy and Language Teaching Directive 2073 BS, all consultancies must be registered with the Ministry’s Educational Counseling and Accreditation Section and must follow clear rules—such as using written agreements, hiring qualified staff, and avoiding false claims. However, most of the consultancies inspected had no contracts with students, no documentation of services, and no clarity on fee structures.

Under the Consumer Protection Act 2075 BS, the department has issued fines between Rs 50,000 to Rs 100,000 and warned repeat offenders. Some consultancies were even found illegally providing manpower services.

Consultancies penalized and under scrutiny
Among those fined were SS Education Solutions (Lalitpur), Oxbridge Foundation for Global Studies, Goreto Education Consultancy, and SSM Corporation. Others—such as IDP Education Nepal, The Next Education Consultancy, and Brighton Marketing Consultancy—were ordered to appear before the department with documents.

Several others, including The Lotus International Education Foundation, Nawa Dan Education, Wide Range Consultancy, Classic Educare, Bridge International Group, and Baba Nepal Education Consultancy, are also under investigation.

Pushback from ECAN
The Educational Consultancy Association of Nepal (ECAN) criticized the department's enforcement approach. ECAN President Shesh Raj Bhattarai said that while they support action against illegal operators, legitimate consultancies with Ministry approvals are being unnecessarily harassed.

“Many consultancies that are fully registered and compliant are being asked to resubmit documents, which is creating panic in the sector,” Bhattarai said. He added that consultancies are service providers, not commercial traders, and should be regulated with a more balanced approach.

ECAN claims to represent 700 officially registered consultancies that follow the Ministry’s guidelines and offer proper services to students.

Need for reform
Officials and education experts agree that the consultancy sector urgently needs stronger regulation, better transparency, and consistent enforcement. The department says inspections will continue to ensure students are protected and their rights as consumers are upheld.

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