India assures Nepal of evacuating its nationals from Iran
India's support in Nepal's evacuation efforts is a reflection of strength of Nepal- India ties. @IndiaInNepal @India_in_Iran
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News18
8 hours ago
- News18
Indian Embassy in Kathmandu marks 79th Independence Day with zeal, fervour
Kathmandu [Nepal], August 15 (ANI): The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu on Friday celebrated the 79th Independence Day of India with enthusiasm and patriotic spirit. The event featured a flag-hoisting ceremony, cultural performances, and tributes to shared India-Nepal Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Naveen Srivastava, hoisted the national flag of India at the embassy premises in a ceremonial gathering attended by embassy staff, Indian nationals, and members of the local his remarks, Ambassador Srivastava highlighted the deep-rooted and age-old ties between India and Nepal.'India and Nepal have an age-old relationship. This bond is reflected through our shared cultural values and civilisation. Our multi-sectoral economic cooperation further strengthens it. Being the closest neighbours, India and Nepal share a deep-rooted relationship, visible in the people-to-people connections between our countries. On this auspicious occasion, I would like to remember all those Nepali heroes who played their part and helped shape the history of our never-ending relationship," the Ambassador part of the celebrations, the address to the nation by Indian President Droupadi Murmu was played. In her speech, President Murmu reflected on India's progress in various sectors and paid tribute to the freedom fighters who sacrificed their lives for the country's the event, Ambassador Srivastava also felicitated widows and next of kin of deceased Gurkha soldiers of the Indian Armed Forces. He disbursed financial dues worth crores and presented a blanket to each family as a mark of respect and celebration also featured patriotic song and dance performances by students and teachers from the Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre and Kendriya Vidyalaya, Kathmandu, adding cultural vibrancy to the event served as a reminder of the shared history, values, and enduring friendship between India and the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, Arzu Rana Deuba, extended her greetings through a post on X, addressing External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and the people of emphasised the Himalayan Country's deep values in the 'longstanding and enduring partnership" with India, noting that India has been a 'shining example of democracy" around the world.'Extending my heartfelt congratulations to @DrSJaishankar and the people of India on the occasion of India's 79th Independence Day. Nepal deeply values its longstanding and enduring partnership with India. On this Independence Day, we wish the people of India continued prosperity, unity, and harmony. May India remain a shining example of democracy, inspiring countries around the world," she year, the celebrations carry the theme 'Naya Bharat', reflecting the government's vision of achieving 'Viksit Bharat' by 2047. (ANI)
Scroll.in
3 days ago
- Scroll.in
Private hydropower players await Nepal Supreme Court ruling on infrastructure in protected areas
Nepal's private hydropower developers are keeping a watchful eye on the Supreme Court as it prepares to issue the full judgement on a historic case related to the development of infrastructure such as hydropower, hotels and cable cars inside protected areas. As the Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court prepares to issue the full text of the summary verdict passed in January, private developers, who contribute around 63% of the 2,991 MW of installed hydroelectric capacity, continue to rally support from political parties calling for concessions for hydropower plants inside protected areas. 'We have concluded that the summary order issued as per the majority decision of the Constitutional Bench on January 15, 2025 has nullified a law duly enacted by the Parliament in exercise of the sovereign authority of the Nepali people, and is pushing the work and proceedings of hydropower projects – promoted over the past 15 years – towards complexity,' the Independent Power Producers' Association, Nepal, a group of private producers, said in a statement on January 26 . The verdict by the constitutional bench scrapped a controversial 2024 law that permitted infrastructure projects in protected areas if they fell outside vaguely defined 'highly sensitive zones.' The court held that the amendment to the National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act was against the constitutionally defined state policy of environment-friendly development and the principle of intergenerational equity, among others. Penstock pipes at the Sunkoshi Hydropower station in Nepal. Credit: Nirmal Raj Joshi, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. The verdict came in response to a petition filed by lawyers led by Dilraj Khanal , who argued that the 2024 amendment to the parks and conservation act violated Article 30 of the Constitution , which guarantees the right to a clean and healthy environment, and contradicted Nepal's obligations under international treaties such as the Convention on Biological Diversity. The petitioners said the law's vague zoning provisions could open the floodgates for infrastructure development within protected areas, threatening the country's hard-fought conservation gains. Since the initial verdict, association representatives have met with representatives of various political parties to draw their attention to the issue. Following the meetings, Ganesh Karki, president of the Independent Power Producers' Association, Nepal, told reporters the court's decision not only blocks new projects, but also risks wasting electricity from existing ones if transmission lines can't be built. The organisation's senior vice president Mohan Kumar Dangi warned that even if projects lie outside protected areas, transmission lines often pass through them, and without those lines, current projects can't supply electricity, leaving no room for future development. However, conservationists argue that transmission lines cutting through protected areas have potentially lethal ecological impacts, including habitat fragmentation, increased wildlife mortality and disruption of migration corridors . In addition to that, the move would further add to the historical injustices local communities faced in the form of displacement and restrictions on the use of resources to keep the protected areas pristine. A porter walks on a foot trail in Mustang, part of the Annapurna Conservation area in Nepal. Most of the hydropower projects stalled due to the court order are based in the Annapurna region, according to IPPAN. Credit: Abhaya Raj Joshi/ Mongabay. Nepal has designated 12 national parks, a wildlife reserve, a hunting reserve, six conservation areas and 13 buffer zones. They are dotted around the country from the lowland Terai Arc to the high Himalayas, covering nearly a quarter of the country's total land area, according to the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation. While local people were relocated to establish national parks in the lowlands, people continue to live, with restrictions on resource use, inside some national parks and conservation areas, such as Sagarmatha (Everest), Langtang and Annapurna. Indigenous rights campaigners argue that infrastructure inside conservation areas is often developed without meaningful consultation with local communities, many of whom depend on natural resources for their survival. According to estimates by the Independent Power Producers' Association, Nepal, not verified independently, around 267 projects with installed capacity of 25,000 MW have been stalled in different stages of development, and an additional 15,000 MW of projects under 'desk study' also face uncertainty. The association said that of the 267 projects that are already rolling, the greatest number of projects fall under the world-famous Annapurna Conservation Area with an installed capacity of roughly 2,555 MW. Among these, dozens of projects have already been constructed, according to the association. A list published by the Ministry of Forest and Environment shows that the environmental impact assessment reports of 19 hydropower projects, being financed by the government as well as the private sector, are on hold. 'We haven't decided on them as the court is yet to issue the full text of the verdict,' said Dhirendra Pradhan, joint secretary at the Biodiversity and Environment Division at the Ministry of Forest and Environment. Nepal, a landlocked country at the seat of the Himalayas, is rich in water resources and poor in fossil fuels. For decades, policymakers have looked to hydropower as the country's best shot at energy independence, economic growth and regional electricity trade. The government recently approved the Energy Development Roadmap and Working Guideline aiming to generate 28,500 MW of electricity in the next decade by securing an investment of $44.3 billion. While hydropower development has gathered momentum in the past decade, developers have been criticised for ignoring environmental concerns over profits. Electricity lines in Mustang in the Annapurna Conservation Area in Nepal. Credit: Abhaya Raj Joshi/ Mongabay. Having said that, the private sector has played a crucial role in the development of hydropower in the country, hence it wields significant political sway. A recent development in Nepal's politics demonstrates this. In its annual budget, the government introduced a shift from the long-standing 'Take or Pay' model, under which the state utility Nepal Electricity Authority guarantees payment for electricity even if unused, to a ' Take and Pay' model , which only pays for electricity it actually purchases. This change alarmed hydropower developers, who rely on guaranteed purchase agreements to secure loans and justify investments in run-of-the-river projects with fluctuating seasonal output. Fearing the collapse of market certainty and massive financial losses, developers lobbied political leaders, leading Nepali Congress Party President Sher Bahadur Deuba to threaten to withdraw support to the coalition government. Under mounting pressure, the provision had to be softened. Three prominent conservationists Mongabay talked to said that the Supreme Court could provide some concession to hydropower, especially in the protected areas of the hills and mountains. The restrictions could stay for projects in the Terai plains, they said, asking not to be named as the issue is sub judice. Regardless of the stance the verdict takes on hydropower, it is certain that it will leave a lasting impact on the future of hydropower generation and the governance of protected areas. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court said a draft of the verdict has been prepared. Information officer Nirajan Pandey told Mongabay that Chief Justice Prakash Man Singh Raut wants to issue the verdict at the earliest but there has been a delay, as he was undergoing treatment for an eye ailment. This article was first published on Mongabay .
Time of India
3 days ago
- Time of India
15 August: 5 countries that celebrate Independence Day alongside India
Korea (North and South): Liberation From Japan iStock In both North and South Korea, August 15 is celebrated as Gwangbokjeol or Liberation Day. — nodutdol (@nodutdol) You Might Also Like: 'People in Korea speak half Tamil,' says Madhavan as he questions NCERT for ignoring southern India history Bahrain: Independence Without the Festivities iStock Bahrain formally declared independence from Britain on August 15, 1971. Republic of the Congo: A French Exit — DrSJaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) Liechtenstein: A Royal Celebration iStock For Liechtenstein, August 15 is country's official National Day As India gears up to mark its 79th Independence Day on August 15, 2025, the tricolour will once again soar high over Red Fort and across the country. The date holds deep emotional significance for Indians, commemorating the end of nearly two centuries of British colonial rule in 1947 and the birth of a sovereign India is not alone in cherishing August 15. Beyond our borders, a handful of nations also recognize this date as a turning point in their histories — each story shaped by unique struggles, political shifts, and moments of are five countries that, in their own ways, share this special date with both North and South Korea, August 15 is celebrated as Gwangbokjeol or Liberation Day — the day in 1945 when Japanese occupation came to an end after 35 years. While liberation brought hope, it also marked the beginning of division. A temporary arrangement between the Soviet Union and the United States to manage the Korean Peninsula led to its split along the 38th parallel. Three years later, this political divide solidified into two separate states, eventually sparking the Korean War in 1950. Yet, despite decades of separation, both nations still commemorate August 15 as the moment they reclaimed their formally declared independence from Britain on August 15, 1971, following a United Nations survey confirming the will of its people. However, unlike India, the day is not widely celebrated. Instead, Bahrain's National Day falls on December 16, marking the late Emir Isa bin Salman Al Khalifa's ascension to the throne. While August 15 is not a public holiday, it remains an important milestone in Bahrain's Republic of the Congo, once part of French Equatorial Africa, became independent from France on August 15, 1960. The capital, Brazzaville, comes alive each year with parades, music, and community gatherings to celebrate Congolese National Day. It is worth noting that this is not the same as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which marks its independence from Belgium on June Democratic Republic of the Congo's independence from Belgium took effect on June 30, 1960, but the official ceremony for the Republic of Congo (its western neighbour) on August 15, 1960, often creates confusion between the two. While the DRC observes its own date, this shared mid-August history reflects a wider wave of decolonisation that swept Africa in the Liechtenstein, August 15 is not an independence day in the traditional sense but the country's official National Day. The date was chosen in 1940 to combine two significant events — the Feast of the Assumption of Mary, a major Catholic holiday, and the birthday of Prince Franz Josef II, who was born on August 16. Citizens gather in Vaduz, the capital, to attend festivities near the royal castle, and the day ends with fireworks lighting up the alpine India, August 15 is a day of pride, remembrance, and unity. For others, it represents liberation, nationhood, or a symbolic national moment. Whether marked with grand parades, religious observances, or quiet historical reflection, the date remains a shared chapter in the world's calendar of freedom.
