Nepal as a Welfare State – Empty Ideal or a Tangible Goal?: A Comparative Look Based on Swedish and Austrian Experience

Abstract

This paper attempts to put forward a critique of the Nepalese socio-political situation and its future direction. The underlying premise is that Nepal, much like any other state, strives to achieve economic prosperity and development while maximizing its population’s welfare. The direction to achieve that is the question that is inquired upon in this paper. The paper compares Swedish and Austrian welfare models by understanding the political context behind the current Nepalese political situation. The Swedish and Austrian welfare models are notably different – yet widely considered successful worldwide. Specifically, I analyze the social security safety nets available to citizens. Swedish and Austrian systems have been known to have a high level of protection for their citizens in terms of social security. The paperanalyzes whether such protections are available for Nepalese citizens and the adequacy of such provisions based on their effectiveness in providing meaningful support to the people. Of course, at the outset, the difference in economic capacities of the three countries needs to be understood. Nepal’s GDP is considerably lower than Sweden or Austria. The difference is reflected in the analysis. Further, the weight of research among the countries is considered due to the differential political history and geographical locations. The article covers major social welfare schemes governments tend to offer their residents/ citizens. These schemes include health insurance, accidental insurance, old age allowances/ pensions, family benefits, unemployment alleviation schemes, and parental insurance.