Alternative Report Submitted to the 95th Session of the UN CERD

Nepal is a "multiethnic, multi-lingual, multi-religious, multi-cultural and diverse regional characteristics" country. The country is the homeland to 125 caste/ethnic groups, 123 languages and 10 religious groups. The total population of Nepal is 26,494,504. Among them, indigenous peoples (IPs) comprise 35.8 percent of the total population. Nepal has legally recognized 59 indigenous nationalities, referred to as Adivasi Janajati. The country has entered into a new State structure with promulgation of new Constitution in September 2015. IPs of Nepal were forcibly assimilated in third category of Hindu Caste hierarchical system, that was legally institutionalized with the codification of the Civil Code (Muluki Ain) 1854. Further the Act divided IPs into slaveable and enslaveable. The Civil Court is still in practice with some changes. The principles and the notion of the Civil Code reflected in several existing legal provisions.