Governance of the State-Based Social Protection System of Persons with Disability: A Case from Tarakeshwor and Dakshinkali Municipality, Kathmandu, Nepal

The state-based social protection system encompasses policies, programs, and institutional mechanisms. However, the social protection study in Nepal primarily encompasses social security allowance and has missed the anthropological lens. This article examines the operational mechanisms of the disability social protection system, their perpetuation of government policies, institutional frameworks, and stakeholder collaborations based on intersectionality through Foucault’s concepts of governmentality and biopolitics in the realm of social protection for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). Grounded in the interpretive philosophical perspective, this exploratory study discusses the governance of the state-based social protection model using ethnographic data—coupled with qualitative and quantitative data collected within the timeframe of April-October 2023 in Tarakeshwor and Dakshinkali, Kathmandu Nepal. Largely, governance is analyzed from the perspective of policy provision, accessibility, accountability mechanism and institutional framework. The study assesses the significance of the relationship between various categories and the perceived role of the state in terms of social protection. This concludes that no significant association between the state and the ethnicity affiliation while the perceived role of the state is a significant association between the types of family, disability by birth or later, education of PwD, type of residence, income source, and equity quintile. The data reveals significant disparities in the prevalence of disabilities across various ethnic, educational, and socio-economic groups, indicating the need for tailored policies and interventions. This analysis of intersectionality underscores the importance of addressing intersectional factors to effectively support individuals with disabilities.