KATHMANDU: The Medical Education Commission has approved the Scholarship Grant Procedure, 2026, paving the way for the distribution of grants to medical institutions providing free scholarships, including at postgraduate levels.

The decision was taken at a commission meeting chaired by Prime Minister Balendra Shah (Balen) at the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers on Monday. According to the Prime Minister’s Press and Research Expert Dipa Dahal, the procedure was endorsed less than 24 hours after receiving concurrence from the Ministry of Education and Sports and the Ministry of Finance.

The procedure addresses legal uncertainties that emerged after the commission’s earlier guidelines became invalid under the Legislation Act, 2025, creating a regulatory vacuum. The legal basis for the new framework was established through an amendment to the National Medical Education Act, 2019 under the Ordinance to Amend Some Nepal Acts, 2026.

The new mechanism enables grants to be provided to educational institutions in exchange for offering free scholarships at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, including DM and MCh programs.

The meeting was co-chaired by Health and Food Safety Minister Nisha Mehta and attended by Commission Vice-Chair Prof. Dr. Anjani Kumar Jha and other members.