Time to rewrite the constitution
“It is time to move beyond the idea of political stability to the idea of constitutional stability.” Prime Minister KP Oli’s move to dissolve Parliament has unleashed a phase of political uncertainty which could devour more than the legislative body. Oli’s political endgame is not clear; it has brought into play internal political conflict, foreign…
Why are the Nepali politicians afraid of Sarita Giri?
Who is Sarita Giri? Sarita Giri has been in political talks over the past couple of weeks. In an effort to retaliate India’s unilateral construction of trade link road via Lipulekh, the Oli government issued a new political map and decided to amend the constitution, and since then, Sarita Giri has been expressing controversial statements.…
Continue Reading Why are the Nepali politicians afraid of Sarita Giri?
Realignment, Post COVID-19
The world must understand that the virus is the sole enemy as of now. Instead of increasing complications, it will be in the best interest of each country to work together and develop an antidote.
Nepali and Chinese Perspectives on Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Nepal
A. Nepali Perspective: With the current visit of a Chinese delegation led by its foreign minister Wang Yi, Nepal’s hope of seeing Xi Jinping in Nepal has heightened. Wang’s visit gave a positive impression to Nepal for the long-awaited visit of the Chinese president. After meeting Wang, Nepali leaders said that China has been using…
End of the ‘tacking’ strategy
With deeper integration, Nepal may no longer be able to swing freely between India and China as in the past. Since 1951, when the people overthrew the Ranas, Nepal has used the strategy of ‘tacking’ to sail through the influence exerted by China and India. For example, in 1956, King Mahendra appointed Tanka Prasad Acharya…
News Digest – International Relations & Foreign Affairs (February 18 – February 24, 2021)
Photo: RSS Baburam Bhattarai to visit India: Former Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattari of Janata Samajwadi Party is in India for a week; he left on February 21. During his visit, he will be visiting a few politicians and officials. According to the media reports, he will be engaged with political meetings for only a…
News Digest – International Relations & Foreign Affairs (February 11 – February 17)
Indian politician’s controversial statement: Biplab Kumar Deb, chief minister of Tripura state of India quoted Indian Home Minister Amit Shah stating that BJP would build a government in Nepal. Amit Shah, during a meeting, stated that after forming governments in most states of India, BJP is looking at forming governments in Nepal and Sri Lanka—…
Continue Reading News Digest – International Relations & Foreign Affairs (February 11 – February 17)
News Digest – International Relations & Foreign Affairs (January 28 – February 3)
Photo: AP India’s grant to Nepal increased: During the Indian budget presentation by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, it was revealed that India’s annual grant to Nepal has increased by 12.72% standing at INR 9.92 billion. However, this figure is less compared to the grant Nepal had received in 2019-2020. The grant committed by India…
Continue Reading News Digest – International Relations & Foreign Affairs (January 28 – February 3)
News Digest – International Relations & Foreign Affairs (January 21 – January 27)
Image: RSS India builds embankment despite hostilities: The Indians are building an embankment on the international border despite objections from the local authorities in the Darchula district. The river changed its course in the 2013 floods, and the local authorities alleged that the embankment on the river bank is being built by encroaching on the…
Continue Reading News Digest – International Relations & Foreign Affairs (January 21 – January 27)
News Digest – International Relations & Foreign Affairs (January 7 – January 13, 2021)
Oli’s interview: In an exclusive interview with Zee News of India, Nepali PM Oli prioritised Nepal’s non-aligned foreign policy and also stressed on maintaining and resolving border issues with India. Furthermore, some analysists have critiqued that since his rivals – Pushpa Kamal Dahal and Madhav Kumar Nepal, have secured China’s support, Oli has turned to…
COVID 19 and Vaccine Diplomacy
Image: RSS On January 15, Nepal received an approval for the emergency use of “Covishield”, developed by the University of Oxford and Pharmaceutical Company AstraZeneca, and manufactured in India. The news came amidst Foreign Minister Pradeep Gyawali’s high level visit to New Delhi. All eyes were on Gyawali as it was his first visit to…
Nepal and Geopolitics
Image: Xinhua The parliamentary dissolution of December 20, 2020, by Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Oli has had severe ramification in the domestic and international political scenario. At the national level, this has caused the Nepal Communist party (NCP) to split, and at the international level, this is viewed as major geopolitical loss for China, while…
China’s Engagements in Nepal
November Analysis Chinese State Councilor and Defence Minister Wei Fenghe made a short visit to Nepal on Sunday November 29. There were discussions about whether Chinese Defense Minister’s visit to Nepal was a counter to increased Indian diplomatic initiatives or a regular scheduled visit. Reports in Nepali and Indian media claimed that his visit was…
India-Nepal Relations Warming up
November Analysis Summary November has been significant for Nepal in terms of its foreign relations. Four significant events set the core for the new trends in the future of Nepal’s bilateral relations with its neighbours and other superpowers—Joe Biden’s win at the US Presidential elections, Indian Army Chief Naravane’s visit, Indian Foreign Secretary Harshvardhan Shringla’s…
Nepal and International Relations
October Analysis Nepal and India Border disputes with India remained the key stumbling block to reset political relations between the two countries. A task force formed by the Nepal government to identify/gather evidence and suggest a strategy on border dispute submitted its report after three months listing evidences and recommending that Nepal engage in talks…
News Digest (July 02– July 08, 2020)
The discrimination faced by transgender community in society is persistent and the government lacks in taking sufficient action to ensure their rights.
Monthly News Analysis – July 2019
Summary Federalism and democratization followed by credible transfer of power to the intermediate classes—people who provide support to the political elites in return for privileges and benefits—has helped Nepal attain relative peace and stability. The possibility of political and social stability depends on many factors including the relations between the state, political elites, and the…
Monthly News Analysis – June 2019
Summary The US has been tightening its grip in the South Asian region alluring the countries with additional financial assistance. Nepal as a country in South Asian region cannot remain unaffected of the US assertion and has already received a huge commitment under the MCC. However, Nepal should have a coherent foreign policy in projecting…
News Digest June 8-14, 2019
Ruling Party Policy, Programmes, and Budget Members of the National Assembly expressed doubt over effective implementation of the budget. The members in the discussion at the Assembly claimed that budget was estimated without any homework.[1] Likewise, Financial Comptroller General Office reported that the government spent only 46.22 percent of budget in the current fiscal year.…
News Digest (August 13 – August 19, 2020)
40 District Administration Offices (DOPs) have imposed partial or complete prohibition in different areas after a spike in the Coronavirus cases.
Nepal’s trade relations with its neighbors and the role of economic diplomacy
Photo: RSS Centre for Social Inclusion and Federalism (CESIF) organized a webinar on February 24, 2020, focusing on “Nepal’s trade relations with its neighbors and the role of economic diplomacy.” Speakers: Mr Purushottam Ojha – He served as the Secretary of Ministry of Industry, Commerce, and Supplies. He is currently a freelance consultant in the…
Continue Reading Nepal’s trade relations with its neighbors and the role of economic diplomacy
Disputes on the Northern Border of Nepal—The Case of Humla
Photo: RSS Centre for Social Inclusion and Federalism (CESIF) held an event on February 9, 2021, focusing on ‘Disputes on the Northern Border of Nepal – The Case of Humla’ at Hotel Summit, Sanepa, Lalitpur. Jiwan Bahadur Shahi, Karnali Province’s opposition Nepali Congress leader and lawmaker, was the chief presenter at the event. Former Director…
Continue Reading Disputes on the Northern Border of Nepal—The Case of Humla
BRI Summit Re-strengthening International Relations
International relations, being interdisciplinary in nature, connects nations from political, economic and cultural aspects. The practices and trends in global interstate system stimulate individual states to behave in the favor of its national interest. National policies and agendas are built to blend with the global trends within the boundaries of international laws. One state’s processes,…
Continue Reading BRI Summit Re-strengthening International Relations