&w=3840&q=100)
After 6 years, India and Nepal resume boundary talks; working group to meet on July 27-29
Nepal and India are all set to resume boundary talks on July 27–29 in New Delhi after a six-year pause, with the seventh Boundary Working Group (BWG) meeting, the highest-level bilateral mechanism for border fieldwork, set to address the resumption of technical tasks, reported Kathmandu Post, citing sources.
'The meeting has been fixed,' said Lok Bahadur Chettri, spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 'It's a regular meeting which was halted due to Covid pandemic.'
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The BWG handles the construction, restoration, and repair of boundary pillars and clearing no-man's land, excluding disputed areas like Susta and Kalapani.
Back in 2014, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Nepal visit, both nations had agreed to establish the BWG. It was also decided that Susta and Kalapani disputes will be addressed by foreign secretaries with BWG support.
Prakash Joshi, director general of Nepal's Department of Survey, will lead the Nepali delegation, joined by representatives from foreign, home, defence, law, and land management ministries, plus experts and Armed Police Force members.
Last BWG meeting
The previous BWG meeting took place in Dehradun, India, in August 2019. It aimed to complete border tasks by 2022, but the Covid pandemic and a subsequent Nepal-India boundary dispute stalled progress.
The dispute intensified in 2019–20 after India's map included Kalapani, prompting Nepal to push for BWG resumption in every high-level meeting since the pandemic.
India, citing Covid, delayed BWG meetings but later assigned border tasks to security agencies. Nepal's Armed Police Force and India's Sashastra Seema Bal manage joint patrolling, intelligence, and local meetings to protect boundary pillars.
A Nepali official attending the upcoming meeting told the Post it will pick up from 2019, reviewing progress and resuming fieldwork, inspections, pillar maintenance, and new pillar installations per BWG terms. It will also conduct a cross-border inventory to identify properties held by citizens in each other's territory, using GPS to monitor and establish boundaries and pillars.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
The BWG is supported by the Survey Officials' Committee and Joint Field Survey Teams for technical input.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
RRU helps set tune in martial music's Indian homecoming
1 2 3 Ahmedabad: The next time you see the armed forces on a parade ground, chances are high that you might hear 'Kadam Kadam Badhaye Ja,' the anthem of the Indian National Army, instead of 'Colonel Bogey March' from 1914. Marking a cultural shift, the armed forces bands in 2022 embraced 'Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo' during the Beating Retreat ceremony at Kartavya Path instead of the traditional 'Abide with Me'. Aiming to take the initiative further is the newly inaugurated School of NCC and Police Martial Music Band (SNPMMB) at Rashtriya Raksha University (RRU). At the RRU school, officials aim to train the state police and central armed police forces (CAPFs) in newly created Indian tunes and compose new ones to 'Indianize martial music. ' This is the first such school in a university setting in the country. Until now, bands in uniformed services were traditionally trained at special colleges and training schools. Senior RRU officials say the inspiration is Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to make the music of India 'not merely entertainment, but a vehicle for expression, connection, and identity'. The initiatives started in 2016 with the use of Indian tunes on major occasions, they added. Major (Retd) Ashok Kumar, principal of the school and former director of music at the Joint Services Training Institute, AEC Training College & Centre, Pachmarhi — which trains musicians for the armed forces — says that military bands are traditionally taught tunes that have been part of military tradition for over a century. "We have over 200 such tunes which are used for different functions and ceremonies. In the past decade or so, Indian experts have been creating several notations and tunes that are rooted in our culture. Our aim would be to both create new tunes for the bands of CAPF and police forces and to teach the newly created Indian tunes to these bands," says Major Kumar. Some examples of such tunes include 'Veer Bharat' and 'Amar Senani', composed by Indian military musicians. These are now played regularly at various state and armed forces events. 'INS Vikrant,' 'Veer Bharat,' 'Desh Pukare,' 'Vayu Shakti,' 'Hindustan,' and 'Priyadarshini' are some more examples that reflect a rich Indian voice. Renjith G, senior instructor at SNPMMB, says the school is attempting to go a step further and create Indian raga and taal-based music in a global musical language. "Our initiative is to create original Indian tunes rooted in the country's rich musical heritage and legacy," he adds. Dr Gaurav Singh Kushwah, in-charge director of the school, calls Indianizing martial music tradition in India a major initiative. "Our aim is to teach Indian tunes primarily to CAPF and state police bands. We aim to provide trained musicians to security forces who will learn the Indian tunes and notations," he says. The first batch of 40 musicians from Rajasthan Police Central Band is already being trained at the university. RRU officials say that the courses are designed both for in-service musicians and aspiring candidates at multiple levels – from diploma to PhD. Students will be taught Indian and Western musical systems, orchestration, band drill protocols, ceremonial etiquette, and theoretical training. The first initiative for the overhaul will be the formation of the National Music Classification Forum that will attempt to find Indian alternatives for Western bugle calls like Reveille, Last Post, and Retreat.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
10 years, 375 Sundays: PM Modi praises Lucknow team's efforts to clean Gomti
Lucknow: Lauding the efforts by the public at the grassroots level to make cities and towns clean, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his 'Mann Ki Baat' radio programme on Sunday, acknowledged a team's tireless commitment to cleaning the Gomti river every Sunday for the past 10 years. Without naming individuals, he said, "Every Sunday for the last 10 years, tirelessly, without stopping, the members of this team are engaged in the cleanliness work." The team referred to is led by Ranjit Singh, corporator of Mankameshwar Ward, who, along with dozens of dedicated volunteers, has been conducting the weekly cleanliness drive under the 'Swachh Paryavaran Andolan Sena'. On Sunday, marking the 375th consecutive week of the campaign, around 5 quintals of waste were removed from the riverbed at Jhulelal Ghat. About 60 volunteers participated in the drive, which lasted two hours in the morning. "This is not about publicity. We don't do it for photos. It's about real work, real impact," said a volunteer. Expressing gratitude over the PM's words, the corporator said, "It is an honour that our small but consistent efforts reached the ears of the Prime Minister. This recognition boosted our morale and inspired us to keep serving the river selflessly." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Adam Lambert, 43, Takes off His Makeup and Leaves Us Without Words The Noodle Box Undo Irrespective of the weather conditions, the cleanliness activity is carried out round the year, he highlighted. Mayor Sushma Kharakwal also appreciated the consistent efforts of Singh. She mentioned that the team remained active not only during special occasions like the chief minister's birthday or River Yoga events, but has been working for years without any NGO association. 'A tribute to cleanliness movement' In a post on X in Hindi, CM Yogi Adityanath said, "The mention by Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji in today's @mannkibaat about the team dedicated for years to the cleanliness of the Gomti river, the lifeline of Lucknow, is not only a tribute to the people's movement of ' Swachh Bharat ', but also a nationwide inspiration for the spirit of service, hard work and dedication that comes alive every Sunday on the riverbank." "Under the successful guidance of the Prime Minister, the excellent performance of the districts of Uttar Pradesh in the Swachh Survey is strengthening the achievement of 'Swachh Uttar Pradesh'. Heartfelt thanks to the Prime Minister!" the CM said on X.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
CRPF personnel made a mark by their duty, courage, says PM on Raising Day
NEW DELHI: PM Narendra Modi on Sunday complimented the CRPF for playing a vital role in the national security apparatus, especially in challenging aspects relating to internal security. Wishing CRPF personnel on the force's 87th Raising Day, Prime Minister Modi on X said, "CRPF personnel have made a mark for their duty, courage and steadfast commitment in the most testing of situations." Home minister Amit Shah, in a message to CRPF on X, said, "Your selfless sacrifice has been the backbone of our nation's security and your unwavering courage to end Naxalism is truly commendable". Home secretary Govind Mohan, while addressing CRPF Raising Day celebrations here, assured the force of the ministry of home affairs' commitment to arming it with modern weapons and latest technology to meet the increasing security challenges India faces. The secretary emphasised that the MHA would deploy technology to minimise the risk of injury in risky operations. "In the coming days, we will have drones that can see through thick foliage in the mountains etc, weapons that can be fired from a safe range and technology to remotely detect and defuse IEDs," he said. Personnel who lose a limb in operations would be retained in the force, possibly in an alternative role, and limb replacement facilitated wherever there is scope, he said at the event with CRPF DG G P Singh by his side. Mohan underlined that the MHA was working with CRPF to ensure that personnel, particularly women, have access to all basic facilities in camps set up in operational areas. tnn
