Kathmandu, May 13: The server of the Department of National ID and Civil Registration has remained offline for 10 days, leaving millions of people unable to access key public services across Nepal. Because naturally, the one system tied to half the bureaucracy had to collapse all at once.
The disruption began on May 4 and has affected services connected to the national identity database. These include correction of citizenship details on national ID cards, issuance of personal ID numbers during birth registration, biometric verification for social security allowance renewal, and several other linked government services.
Department director Sanubabu Adhikari said the outage was caused by a technical problem and that technicians were working to restore the system, though no timeline has been given.
Public frustration has grown as the shutdown continues. On Tuesday, tension rose at the department’s office after service seekers failed to complete their work. Some reportedly tried to confront staff, prompting temporary police deployment after employees said they were threatened.
The failure has also disrupted passport services. Newly issued national identity numbers cannot be verified, affecting work at the Department of Passports and district administration offices.
People seeking corrections to national ID details have been turned away from local ward offices. Senior citizens and others dependent on social security payments have also faced delays because biometric verification for renewing allowance cards has stopped.
The department had issued a notice on May 6 saying maintenance was underway. Officials have discussed temporary alternatives with the Ministry of Home Affairs, including using the old system, but no immediate fix has been put in place.
People’s News Monitoring Service
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