Politics of Reform: The Dual Dilemma within the Nepal Food Corporation

This study seeks to carry out a historical institutional analysis of the evolution of the Nepal Food Corporation, which is a welfare measure designed to ad-dress food insecurities in remote areas. The aim of the study is to examine the outcomes of two reforms, but by first, tracing the processes that have led to their development. The findings of this study show that, the politics of representation of the problem within the NFC is what has been the driving its institutional evo-lution, rather than measures to rectify the problems themselves. As such, the institution has been pushed into two paths: a social program that supplies sub-sidized grains to remote areas and a commercial aspect that seeks to offset the losses of the welfare program by selling grains at commercial prices in non-remote areas. This fragmentation has inevitably affected its operations and has led to failings on its part to provide assistance to its intended beneficiaries.