Nepal, Jan. 7 -- In 2025, Nepal experienced perhaps the most turbulent year in press freedom after the decade-long conflict between the government and the Maoist forces. Nepal was already 16 places behind in the world press freedom index in the year, compared to the previous year's ranking of 74. The worsening scenario in Nepal's media landscape is likely to push the ranking further down, smearing its most free press status in South Asia.

Social Media Bill

The government introduced the controversial social media bill, called 'Bill on the Operation, Use, and Regulations of Social Media', to the National Assembly. The bill obliged all social media companies operating in Nepal to register with the government. Government officials argued th...