KATHMANDU: The government has approved and implemented the First Amendment to the Guidelines on the Management of Unidentified and Unclaimed Bodies, 2026, introducing clearer procedures for handling unidentified bodies and body parts found without claimants.

The amendment revises the previous Guidelines on the Management of Unidentified and Unclaimed Bodies, 2078, issued under Section 22(A) of the Nepal Police Act, 2012.

The revised guidelines broaden the definition of body management to include temporary arrangements made before final burial or cremation. They also clarify that the term “body” covers not only an entire human body but also any body part or remains.

Under the new provisions, the Information Centre must publish or broadcast details of unidentified bodies recorded on its portal through public media to facilitate identification.

The guidelines also revise terminology related to the handover and final disposal of bodies to make the procedures more practical and legally clear.

A new Section 14(A) introduces specific provisions for bodies or body parts recovered following disasters. If an initial investigation and police report establish that the death resulted from a disaster, only the minimum examinations necessary for identification will be conducted.

However, before the final disposal of an unidentified body or body part, authorities must collect and preserve DNA and other necessary samples that could help establish the person’s identity in the future.

Bodies and body parts recovered from disasters will be securely buried at locations designated by the District Disaster Management Committee, with identifiable markers placed at the burial sites.

If a legal heir or relative later comes forward and establishes the identity, the body or body part will be handed over to the claimant in accordance with the law.

The amendment has also revised the body-classification table in Schedule 2, adding “any body part or portion” as the sixth category.