All staff at NOC branch replaced following corruption reports

 

The entire staff at the No Objection Certificate (NOC) branch in Sanothimi under the Ministry of Education has been replaced.

Permanent employees who had been working there for 7–8 years were transferred, and contract staff were removed. From August, only new permanent staff have been assigned to the branch.

The ministry took this step after repeated complaints of irregularities. An investigation committee confirmed that staff had been involved in misconduct, including preparing fake documents in collusion with consultancies, uploading fake academic certificates, and issuing NOCs in exchange for bribes.

Students reported being charged between Rs 30,000 and Rs 100,000 for NOCs, depending on the destination country. Those going to the U.S., Australia, Canada, and Europe faced the highest bribes.

NOC is mandatory for students going abroad to exchange Nepali rupees for U.S. dollars. It should only be issued after verifying a student’s academic background, study plans, and the legitimacy of the foreign institution. But staff were bypassing these rules to make money.

Despite official transfers, some staff had refused to leave the branch and continued operating there. This turned the NOC office into a hub of corruption.

Now, the ministry says a “clean” team of staff, not linked to controversies, has been deployed. “This will end irregularities, and students won’t have to face problems anymore,” a ministry official said.

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