Nepal Proposes Mandatory Licensing for Diploma Engineers and Overseers

Diploma engineers, commonly known as overseers in Nepal, could be required to register with a new professional council and pass a licensing examination before practicing under a bill currently before Parliament.

The government has proposed establishing a separate Diploma Engineering Council to regulate the profession, including registration, examinations, professional conduct and disciplinary action.

The Ministry of Infrastructure Development registered the Diploma Engineering Council Bill, 2083, at the Federal Parliament Secretariat on September 22. The House of Representatives is scheduled to take up the bill on Tuesday, September 29.

The proposed legislation would create a regulatory framework for diploma-level engineering professionals, who currently do not have a separate statutory council equivalent to the Nepal Engineering Council, which regulates engineers with bachelor’s-level and higher qualifications.

License and registration would become mandatory

Under the proposed system, graduates of recognized diploma engineering programs would have to pass a registration examination and have their names entered in the council’s register before practicing as diploma engineering professionals.

The council would be required to conduct the examination at least once a year.

The bill proposes a transition period after the law comes into effect. After the specified period, a person would not be permitted to practice diploma engineering without registration.

Those who practice without the required registration could face a fine of up to Rs 30,000, imprisonment for up to three months, or both, under the proposed legislation.

The bill is currently only a proposal and would have to pass the parliamentary process and receive presidential authentication before becoming law.

Council would oversee professional conduct

The proposed council would be responsible for maintaining the professional register, conducting examinations, issuing certificates and enforcing professional standards.

It would also have authority to formulate and enforce a code of professional conduct and take disciplinary action against registered professionals.

According to the proposal, action could be taken against diploma engineers who act negligently or dishonestly, or who prepare false or inaccurate technical reports. Possible disciplinary measures include a warning, suspension of registration or cancellation of a professional certificate.

The government says the new framework is intended to make diploma engineering practice more organized, transparent and professionally regulated.

Foreign diploma engineers would also need registration

The proposed system would also apply to foreign diploma engineers working in Nepal.

Foreign professionals seeking to work on a particular project or for an organization in Nepal would have to obtain registration from the council. The proposal allows initial registration for up to two years, with the possibility of extensions under specified conditions. They would be restricted to the project or work for which they were registered.

Separate provision for pre-diploma technicians

The bill also proposes a separate registration system for technicians who have completed pre-diploma-level technical education, commonly associated with the former TSLC level.

A separate register would be maintained for such technical workers rather than placing them in the same category as diploma engineers.

The proposal also addresses professionals who later obtain higher qualifications. A person registered with the proposed Diploma Engineering Council who subsequently completes a bachelor’s degree and becomes registered with the Nepal Engineering Council would have their diploma-level registration removed.

Role of diploma engineers

The proposed framework distinguishes the responsibilities of diploma engineers from those of graduate engineers registered with the Nepal Engineering Council.

Diploma engineers would generally work on technical and assistant-level responsibilities under the direction of graduate engineers, while graduate engineers would retain responsibilities associated with professional engineering design and official certification according to their qualifications.

Diploma engineering education in Nepal covers a wide range of disciplines, including civil, electrical, electronics and communication, mechanical, surveying, computer, environmental, automobile, information technology and telecommunications, among others.

Bill still needs parliamentary approval

The proposal was prepared by the Ministry of Infrastructure Development as a separate legal framework for diploma engineering professionals. The ministry has argued that the existing Nepal Engineering Council Act does not adequately cover diploma-level engineering professionals, creating a need for a dedicated regulatory system.

The Federal Parliament’s official records show that the bill was registered as Bill No. 31 during the second session of Parliament and was at the stage of being distributed to lawmakers as of the latest parliamentary status.

The proposal will therefore not immediately change the licensing requirements for overseers. It must proceed through Parliament and, if approved by both houses, receive presidential authentication before becoming enforceable law.