---
title: "NEC duties; ethics vs moral behaviour"
subject: "Engineering Professional Practice"
chapter: 3
key: "semester_8/engineering_professional_practice:nec-duties-ethics-vs-moral"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/engineering_professional_practice/nec-duties-ethics-vs-moral
site: BCT Engineering
---

# NEC duties; ethics vs moral behaviour

Engineering Professional Practice · Chapter 3: Professional Practices in Nepal

- Asked in: 2071 Magh, 4 marks
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_8/engineering_professional_practice/nec-duties-ethics-vs-moral
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_8/engineering_professional_practice/chapter-3

## Question

What are the detail duties and responsibilities of Nepal Engineering Council (NEC)? How do you differentiate professional ethics with moral behavior?

## Short answer

NEC registers engineers, sets qualifications, enforces the Code of Conduct, takes disciplinary action, and advises government. Professional ethics are written, profession-specific rules enforced by the Council, while moral behavior is personal, unwritten, and based on family, culture, religion, or conscience.

## Answer

#### Duties and responsibilities of Nepal Engineering Council (NEC)
NEC is a statutory autonomous body formed under the Nepal Engineering Council Act 2055. Its main functions are:
1. Decide the **minimum academic qualification** for registration and recognise degrees and institutions.
2. **Register engineers**, keep the register in different categories, issue registration and renewal certificates, and cancel it when needed.
3. Accredit/give **equivalence** to foreign or Nepalese qualifications.
4. Prepare and enforce the **Code of Conduct**; take **disciplinary action** (warning, suspension, deregistration) on complaints.
5. Advise the government on engineering education, practice and policy; monitor quality of education.
6. Give **registration to foreign engineers** and regulate their work in Nepal.
7. Encourage professional development, training and exams for the profession.

#### Professional ethics vs moral behaviour
| Basis | Professional ethics | Moral behaviour |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Rules for conduct in a profession | Personal sense of right and wrong |
| Source | Code of the profession, law | Family, culture, religion, conscience |
| Scope | Applies to members at work | Applies to everyone, everywhere |
| Enforcement | Council can punish | Mainly social/individual opinion |
| Nature | Written, specific | Often unwritten, general |
| Example | Not disclosing client data | Being honest with friends |

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. Which is an NEC function?
   A. Awarding construction contracts
   B. Registering engineers and issuing and renewing certificates
   C. Collecting taxes
   D. Publishing NEA journals
   Answer: B. Registration, equivalence and code enforcement are NEC functions. (Key point: Registration function)

2. How are professional ethics enforced compared with morals?
   A. Morals are enforced by the Council
   B. Both only by courts
   C. Council can punish ethics violations; morals mostly rely on social opinion
   D. Neither is enforced
   Answer: C. Ethics are written and enforceable by the profession. (Key point: Enforcement difference)

3. Which statement on scope is correct?
   A. Ethics apply to everyone everywhere
   B. Morals apply only at work
   C. Both apply only to engineers
   D. Ethics apply to members at work; morals apply to everyone everywhere
   Answer: D. Professional ethics are profession-specific. (Key point: Scope)

## Related in Engineering Professional Practice

- [Scope and jurisdiction of Nepal Engineering Council](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Anec-scope-jurisdiction) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 3, asked 4×
- [Ethics, moral action, perspectives](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Aethics-moral-nonmoral-perspectives) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 2
- [NEC code of conduct and Council Act 2055](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Anec-code-conduct-act-2055) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 5
- [Engineering morals, ethics, professionalism](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Aengineering-morals-ethics-professionalism) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 2
- [Ethics and code of ethics for engineers](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Acode-of-ethics-engineers) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 2, asked 2×
- [Moral dilemma and its resolution](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Fengineering_professional_practice%3Amoral-dilemma-solving) — Engineering Professional Practice, chapter 2, asked 2×

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