Kathmandu [Nepal], July 14 – Nepal’s Supreme Court on Tuesday struck down a government directive that barred state advertisements from being placed in privately owned media outlets ruling against a policy that had drawn criticism from the country’s media industry.
A joint bench of Justices Sharanga Subedi and Nripa Dhwoj Niraula issued a writ of certiorari, nullifying the directive issued by the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers.
The disputed decision made on March 31, 2026 required all federal, provincial and local government bodies to publish public notices and advertisements exclusively through state-owned media including Gorkhapatra Corporation, Radio Nepal and Nepal Television. The policy effectively excluded private newspapers, television stations, radio broadcasters and digital news platforms from receiving government advertising.
The directive was challenged by advocate Ananta Raj Luintel on behalf of the Nepal Media Society which argued that the measure unfairly discriminated against private media organizations and restricted their access to a key source of revenue.
With Tuesday’s ruling the supreme court invalidated the government’s decision clearing the way for public agencies to resume placing advertisements in private media outlets.
Government advertising is an important source of income for many media organizations in Nepal particularly regional and smaller news outlets that rely on public notices and official announcements. Media groups had warned that limiting such advertisements to state-owned organizations could undermine media plurality and place additional financial pressure on independent news organizations.
The Supreme Court’s decision is expected to restore the previous practice of distributing government advertisements across both public and private media reinforcing the role of private news organizations in disseminating official information while safeguarding competitive access to government advertising.
