Universal social protection in Nepal: What is (the) left to do?

In comparison to the immense progress made in the 2007-2012 era, there seems to be a stagnation in the Social Protection arena in Nepal beyond the completion of initiatives taken during that area. This research paper will explore the situation in Nepal through the framework of Franzoni & Sanchez-Ancochea (2016) where they look at the role of the state and social actors in the move towards universalism. Looking at the schemes introduced by Government of Nepal; their position, external actors, local actors and the interaction between them, there seems to be a move towards away from universalism. This has been due to priorities of the current government, the weakening of civil society and increasing influence of international actors who promote residual notions of social protection on the government.