Capital and consumer goods, mineral fuels, and chemicals dominate imports. Nepal is a democratic constitutional monarchy. Except for those acts that fall exclusively within the King's right, the king must act only with the advice and consent of the Council of Ministers. The constitution can only be amended by a two-thirds majority in the lower house. The social-welfare system consists of village development programs that attempt to provide basic necessities.
Health facilities are inadequate and inaccessible to most of the rural population.
Overcrowding and poor sanitation, as well as shortages of medical personnel, are common. Gastrointestinal diseases are endemic, and hepatitis, cholera, tuberculosis, and typhoid are widespread. Most housing is made from materials such as mud, wattle, bamboo and other woods, and stone, with thatch or slate roofs. Extensive construction of government schools, however, has made education more widely available, and literacy is gradually increasing. Newspapers and periodicals are published in Nepali and English, and radio is the most important form of mass communication because of the extent of illiteracy.