Kathmandu, Sept. 2 -- 1. Administrative and bureaucratic hurdles block access

Thousands of children in Nepal are denied birth registration because officials insist on documents their parents never had. Even when communities and institutions are ready to verify identity, ward offices often refuse, citing legal technicalities. The law is applied narrowly, ignoring its constitutional spirit.

2. The problem is widespread and severe

Rights groups estimate that more than 5,000 children are currently waiting for certificates, while larger studies suggest millions of Nepalis remain undocumented. Not having birth registration means exclusion from citizenship. The U.S. State Department's 2023 human rights report highlights 6.7 million individual...