Urbanization pattern does not seem geographically uniform across Nepal. Natural expansion of urban areas due to population growth, planned growth of cities through infrastructural development and reclassification of urban centers has expanded the urban areas in Nepal. Nepal‟s urban centers have been facing several socio-economic and infrastructural problems due to lack of policy measures and institutional harmonization. In absence of a strong policy for the regulation and management of rapidly growing, uncontrolled and haphazard urban development has created numerous problems, including deficiencies in basic urban services, encroachment of public lands, slums and sprawling settlement. This paper tracks the patterns and trends of urbanization in Nepal and identifies some key issues related to unplanned urbanization. The paper also highlights mandates to local government in urban management. Some immediate actionable opportunities to contribute towards proper urban planning and governance are recommended. This research was carried out through in-depth literature review, expert consultation and key informant surveys. The paper recommends institutional cooperation among various actors through effective communication along with the multiple use of urban land, an inclusive urban planning policy, and timely investment in urban infrastructures. Furthermore a decentralized policy synchronizing the administrative and policy duties among the central and local level government authorities seems essential. Addressing urban poverty mainly around the slums through informal economy is needed.

Experts are technically sound individuals who can articulate fellow citizens’ need and are capable of providing evidence and analyzing policy options. Their ability to comprehend the issue comes from their strong theoretical base and the considerable amount of time they spend in gathering experience and knowledge. But there is no single universally accepted way for experts to engage in the democratic process. Finding out how experts can play an effective role in policy making can be a challenge to decision makers as well as researchers. Their capacity and commitment to properly understand the seriousness and far-reaching implication of issues in question shape the reliability and authenticity of their expert knowledge. However, this does not happen most of the time because there are several other factors that shape their expert opinion. Understanding why it does not happen the way it should and what makes their role significant in policy process are explored in this paper. Having a democratic institutional arrangement that provides a different sphere for experts are also important considerations to be made. Thus, the paper explores how proper positioning of experts can enhance their interactive role in the policy process.

The paper examines the existing prison policy of Nepal to diagnose critical problems emerging by neglecting the need of prison reform, despite several attempts and efforts. The punitive prison policy implemented back in 1963 has dilapidated triggering some of the most unanticipated problems possessing threat to an individual, community and country as a whole. The study focuses on the current situation of the prisons in Nepal and the problem associated with it, identifies the alternatives that can be implemented to mitigate the problems and recommends the most suitable alternative that would help to alleviate those problems. The study highlights overcrowding, accommodation, education, health, employment and discrimination as the critical problems. Subsequently, it scrutinizes these problems from sociological, economical and human rights perspective. Based on these arguments, the study emphasizes on either reforming the existing prison policy, implementing open prison policy or public private partnership policy. Case studies of prison policies practiced in different countries are taken in account to support the argument. In summation, the research takes into account the policy problem associated with the prison reform and makes a recommendation to fulfill the policy gap for reforming the prison sector of Nepal.