Kathmandu, July 23 -- Despite the constitutional guarantee of free education up to the secondary level, the government continues to charge students thousands of rupees in mandatory fees under various headings, generating more than Rs2.5 billion in annual revenue from students alone.

Article 31 of the constitution guarantees every citizen the right to free and compulsory education up to the basic level (grade 8) and free education up to the secondary level (grade 12). To enforce this provision, Parliament enacted the Act Relating to Compulsory and Free Education in 2018, followed by the Compulsory and Free Education Regulations in 2020.

Yet students and their parents must bear more than a dozen government-imposed charges throughout secon...