Kathmandu, May 1 -- Nepal's new government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah has moved swiftly to enforce long-ignored diplomatic protocol rules and has tightened control over how officials and ministers interact with foreign diplomats.

On April 8, the prime minister met with 17 ambassadors and diplomats jointly, breaking with the tradition of meeting ambassadors individually and received a rousing welcome from different fraternities. Previously, newly appointed prime ministers met ambassadors individually at their office or residence within days of assuming office, a practice that had drawn criticism from public intellectuals and sections of the public.

Surprised by the decision to meet ambassadors jointly, some ambassadors from infl...