Latest news with #India-Nepal
Mint
13-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
MP minister bats for strengthening Indo-Nepal bond to boost economic cooperation
Bhopal, Jul 13 (PTI) Madhya Pradesh minister Narendra Shivaji Patel has said MP and Nepal share unique and special cultural ties which will be bolstered, and efforts will be made to enhance bilateral economic cooperation between India and the neighbouring country. The minister of state for public health and medical education was speaking at the 'India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Meet 2025' hosted by the Embassy of Nepal in India and the PHDCCI India-Nepal Centre here on Saturday evening. "Madhya Pradesh and Nepal share unique and special cultural ties and we will do all possible for further enhancing them," he said. "To further enhance the bilateral economic cooperation and strengthen the base of Nepalese businesses in India (with focus on Madhya Pradesh and Central India at large), the meet is historically important. It will, indeed, help in further improving the 'Ease of Doing Business' between two friendly countries - India and Nepal," he added. The event was attended by senior diplomats from Nepal, besides senior government officials and industry leaders from the neighbouring country. PHDCCI 's India-Nepal Centre secretary Atul K Thakur said, "Substantial progress has been achieved in recent years in key areas of India-Nepal bilateral cooperation, especially in the areas of connectivity - physical, digital, energy and people-to-people linkages." This is manifested in the steady implementation of infrastructure projects related to roads, bridges, cross-border railways, Integrated Check Posts and petroleum pipelines, he said. "Some of the major outcomes of recent high-level visits include landmark connectivity initiatives such as progress in the Integrated Check Posts at Nepalgunj, Bhairahawa and Dodhra-Chandni," he added.
India Gazette
13-07-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
MP: Nepal Embassy and PHDCCI India-Nepal Centre organised 'Economic Cooperation Meet' in Bhopal
Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh) [India], July 13 (ANI): In association with the Embassy of Nepal in India, PHDCCI India-Nepal Centre organised the 'India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Meet 2025' in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. The meeting witnessed the presence of senior diplomats from Nepal, besides senior government officials and industry leaders from Nepal. Speaking on the occasion, Narendra Shivaji Patel, Minister of Public Health & Medical Education, Government of Madhya Pradesh said, 'To further enhance the bilateral economic cooperation and strengthening the base of Neplease businesses in India (with focus on Madhya Pradesh and Central India at large), the 'India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Meet 2025' is historically important this shall help in further improving the 'Ease of Doing Business' between two friendly countries - India and Nepal. Madhya Pradesh and Nepal share a unique and special cultural ties--and we will do all possible for further enhancing it.' Later, speaking with ANI, Narendra Shivaji Patel said such programs will strengthen India's ancient cultural relations and economic ties with Nepal. 'Today this program of economic cooperation between India and Nepal has been completed through PHDCCI, which is a 200-year-old organisation of traders. Today, a long discussion was held among the delegates of PHDCCI on how to deepen the economic relations between India and Nepal and how investors from both countries should invest in each other. Certainly, through such programs, our deep and ancient cultural relations with Nepal will be strengthened and those economic relations will also be deepened,' Patel said. Atul K Thakur, Secretary, India-Nepal Centre, PHDCCI, in his opening remarks, said, 'Substantial progress has been achieved in recent years in key areas of India-Nepal bilateral cooperation especially in the areas of connectivity--physical, digital, energy and people-to-people linkages. This is manifested in the steady implementation of infrastructure projects related to roads, bridges, cross-border railways, Integrated Check Posts and petroleum pipelines. He also highlighted the major outcomes of recent bilateral visits between both countries, emhsising on connectivity initiatives such as progress in the Integrated Check Posts at Nepalgunj, inauguration of a freight train service between India and Nepal and progress on the Kurtha-Bijalpura and Raxual-Kathmandu railway line. Atul K Thakur said, 'Some of the major outcomes of recent high level visits include landmark connectivity initiatives such as progress in the Integrated Check Posts at Nepalgunj, Bhairahawa and Dodhra-Chandni; inauguration of a freight train service between India and Nepal, progress on the Kurtha-Bijalpura and Raxual-Kathmandu railway line; momentum on the Motihari - Amelekhgunj pipeline phase-II and construction of a new petroleum pipeline from Siliguri to Jhapa and Amelekhgunj to Chitwan. 'Major landmarks in the power sector include the finalisation of the Long-Term Power Trade Agreement; finalisation of the trilateral power trade agreement between India, Nepal, and Bangladesh; and signing of agreements with respect to the development of new hydropower Projects in Nepal by Indian developers, including the 480 MW Phukot Karnali and the 669 MW Lower Arun. In the field of digital financial connectivity, Nepal started accepting UPI payments since March 2024 through interoperability with FonePay QR of Nepal. National Payments Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Nepal Clearing House Limited (NCHL) are working closely to facilitate cross-border digital payments in a smoother way, and this is opening a new chapter in the financial technology domain,' he added. Nepalese diplomats Ambika Joshi, Minister Counsellor, Embassy of Nepal in India and Rabindra Jung Thapa, Counsellor (Economic), Embassy of Nepal in India shared in the presentation, 'Indian firms are among the largest investors in Nepal, accounting for 35 per cent of the total FDI stock in Nepal, worth nearly USD 777 million. Nepal is India's 17th largest export destination, up from 28th position in comprises about 64.1 per cent of total trade of Nepal, equating to USD 7.87 billion USD (Indian FY 23-24)). This includes USD 7.041 billion USD of exports from India to Nepal and USD 829.71 million USD of exports from Nepal to India. India is Nepal's largest export destination, receiving an overwhelming 67.9 per cent of its total exports (as per annual data available from Nepal Rastra Bank (mid-August 2023-mid July, 2024). Nepal's other large export destinations are the United States, Germany, Turkey, France, the UK, Australia, Italy, Japan and Canada. Nepal's exports mainly constitute edible oil, coffee, tea and jute. Nepal's main imports from India are petroleum products, Iron & Steel, Cereals, Vehicles and Parts, Machinery parts.' He added, 'There are about 150 Indian ventures operating in Nepal engaged in manufacturing, services (banking, insurance, dry port, education and telecom), power sector and tourism industries. India-Nepal partnership will be further strengthened in all crucial areas including economy, culture and at people-to-people level. The famous Janki Temple in Janakpur was made by the queen of Tikamgadh (Madhya Pradesh) and this is one of the key examples of our shared past with Madhya Pradesh and India. The Embassy of Nepal in India is fully supportive of business and people engagements between Nepal and India--and it calls the businesses in Madhya Pradesh (and other parts of India) to explore investing and doing business in Nepal for promising outcomes.' Later, speaking with ANI, Ambika Joshi said, 'Today's program was focused on exploring opportunities for tourism and investment in Nepal. We had a very good interaction with Indian investors and the people from the Nepali community who are rising entrepreneurs in Bhopal about collaborating for investment and tourism. I'm happy to share that beyond tourism or economic issues, we also discussed on the possibility of collaboration in the cultural, medical and education sectors. So I am very much encouraged by this program.' For acelerating India-Nepal bilateral economic cooperation, the 'India-Nepal Economic Cooperation Meet 2025' had detailed discussions, among others, on: Promoting Sustainable Industrial Development in Nepal and India; Revisiting Bilateral Trade Policies; Expanding Bilateral, Regional and Sub-regional Cooperation; Improving Border Area Development and Connectivity (Road, Railway & Air). (ANI)
India.com
12-07-2025
- Politics
- India.com
Exposed: Pakistan, Lashkar, Jaish's dangerous plan to launch attack in India through...., shocking details revealed by...
Security personnel undertake a cordon and search operation after getting specific input about the presence of terrorists, at Nader Tral area of Awantipora, in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir (Image for representational purpose only) Terrorist groups based in Pakistan are reportedly planning new attacks on India and two of the most dangerous groups involved are Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), led by Hafiz Saeed, and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), headed by Masood Azhar. Both these groups, who have been involved in past attacks, are now working on a new plan to target India once again. According to various reports, instead of crossing the India-Pakistan border directly, these groups may try to enter India through Nepal. The warning came from Sunil Bahadur Thapa, an advisor to Nepal's President. Speaking at a high-level seminar in Kathmandu on July 9, he said that terrorists might use Nepal as a transit route to reach India. Thapa pointed out that India and Nepal share a long, open border, which makes movement easier. He also mentioned that in recent times, there have been increased signs of terrorist activity in Nepal. Stronger India-Nepal cooperation needed The recent seminar held in Kathmandu focused on the growing threat of terrorism in South Asia. Experts and officials discussed how terrorist attacks in India can also affect Nepal and the peace and stability of the entire region. Speakers at the event stressed that terrorism getting support and shelter in Pakistan is a big obstacle for regional unity, including efforts to strengthen SAARC and broader cooperation across South Asia. There was a clear call for stronger cooperation between India and Nepal to fight terrorism which included: Taking strict action against money laundering, Sharing intelligence and information between both countries, And conducting joint border patrols to stop cross-border threats. India-Nepal border a security concern amid terror threats India and Nepal share a 1,751-kilometre-long open border, which operates with very little security checking. While this allows for smooth movement of people, it also creates a serious risk. Terrorists find it easier to enter India through this route, often using fake Nepali documents to hide their identity. Over the past few years, several terrorists from LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed have been caught trying to enter India via Nepal. These terror groups have been linked to major past attacks, including: The 2001 Indian Parliament attack The 26/11 Mumbai attacks in 2008 The Pathankot airbase attack in 2016 And the deadly Pulwama attack in 2019 Given this history, and the easy access through the Nepal route, Indian security agencies are on high alert for any possible retaliation.
Hans India
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
India brings back three more Nepali nationals from conflict-hit Iran
New Delhi: The Nepal Embassy in New Delhi on Thursday received the third group of Nepali citizens evacuated by the Indian government from Iran as part of India's ongoing Operation Sindhu. This brought the total number of evacuated Nepali citizens to nine, underscoring the strong India-Nepal friendship and India's commitment to the 'Neighbourhood First' policy. "Embassy officials and representatives of the Ministry of External Affairs received the third group of three Nepali youths evacuated by the Government of India from Massad, Iran at Delhi airport this morning. They are planning to leave Delhi for Butwal, Nepal today," the Embassy of Nepal in New Delhi posted on X. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also confirmed that a total of 275 people -- 272 Indian nationals and three Nepalese citizens -- arrived safely in New Delhi from Mashhad, Iran, on Thursday. "272 Indian and 3 Nepalese nationals were evacuated from Iran on a special flight that arrived in New Delhi from Mashhad at 00:01 hrs on 26th June. 3426 Indian nationals have been brought home from Iran as part of Operation Sindhu," MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X. On Wednesday, a second group of four Nepali citizens - Gayatri, Utsab, Sagar, and Buddhi - who were evacuated by India arrived in New Delhi from Massad. The Nepal Embassy officials and MEA representatives received them at the New Delhi airport, as they departed for Butwal in Nepal. Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Tuesday confirmed that two other Nepali nationals, Ganesh Prasad Pokharel and Suman Gaire, working in Iran were safely evacuated from Mashhad to New Delhi with the support of the Government of India. Reports suggest that many of the Nepali nationals had been working in Tehran's diplomatic missions and restaurants for periods spanning from eight to 24 years. The Indian Embassy in Tehran coordinated and assisted in the latest evacuation as part of a broader rescue operation following an appeal from Nepal. Nepal's Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba recently took to her social media expressing gratitude to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for India's support in evacuation efforts, "Thank you S Jaishankar for India's swift assistance in helping to evacuate Nepali nationals from Iran. India's support in Nepal's evacuation efforts is a reflection of the strength of Nepal-India ties," she posted on X.
Straits Times
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
Sikkim locals fume as India-Nepal climbers ‘defile' sacred Kangchenjunga, world's third-highest peak
Members of the joint India-Nepal mountaineering expedition that successfully summited Kangchenjunga in May. PHOTO: ADGPI/X - It was in May 1955 that a British mountaineering team successfully climbed Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain at 8,586m, for the first time. But members of this expedition did not step onto the peak of the mountain on the border of Nepal and India. They instead stopped about 1.5m short of the summit, in deference to the wishes of locals in the region, who venerate this Himalayan mountain and did not want the climbers to sully its sacred peak by stepping onto it. More than 70 years later, locals in the small Indian state of Sikkim, which lies in the heart of the Himalayas between Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet, are fuming over a mountaineering team having done just that. A team comprising representatives from the Indian and Nepalese armies scaled Kangchenjunga's peak in two waves on May 19 and 20, as part of the Indian government's Har Shikhar Tiranga (Hindi for 'A Tricolour Atop Every Peak') initiative aimed at hoisting the Indian national flag on the highest point in all 28 Indian states. The expedition, which flagged off on March 26, was organised by the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (Nimas), which functions under India's Ministry of Defence and is based in the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. As the Indian side of the mountain remains closed to climbers, the team approached it from Nepal. Nevertheless, the ascent to the top of Kangchenjunga has angered locals in Sikkim, particularly members of the Bhutia and Lepcha communities, most of whom are Buddhists and consider the mountain as a guardian deity who has watched over them and their land for generations. 'They have defiled the sanctity of our Kangchenjunga,' said Mr Tseten Tashi Bhutia, the convenor of Sikkim Bhutia Lepcha Apex Committee (Siblac) – an organisation that represents the rights and interests of these two communities – and a former minister with a previous state government in Sikkim. The controversy has ignited concerns that the centuries-old religious and cultural traditions of indigenous Buddhist communities in Sikkim, India's second-smallest state with a population of around 632,000, were disregarded to generate patriotic fervour. It also highlighted the power dynamics between the central government, which organised the climb, and the state government, which expressly prohibits any climb atop Kangchenjunga . A view of Kangchenjunga, one of the five highest peaks in the world, taken from Sandakphu, the highest point in India's West Bengal. PHOTO: ST FILE Sikkim has maintained a formal climbing ban atop Kangchenjunga since 2001, one that followed another controversy in 2000 when the state government allowed an Austrian team to attempt the near-vertical trek up the peak in exchange for US$20,000. The team failed to make it to the summit. 'Whatever has happened, has happened. Now damage control has to be done,' Mr Bhutia told The Straits Times, stressing the need for a 'purification ritual' to placate their guardian deity. He also called for an apology from the climbers as well as the central government that organised the climb and the state government that failed to stop it. 'This type of blunder should also not be repeated in the future,' he added. Neither the climbers nor the Indian government has issued any statement following the controversy. ST approached Nimas for a comment but did not receive a response. On June 12, Siblac issued a statement saying that the recent climb had 'deeply hurt the religious and cultural sentiments' of the Bhutias and Lepchas, and formally called for an apology. The Lepchas believe they are descendants of ancestors who were created out of the snow of the holy Kangchenjunga. Locals in the state also celebrate their unique relationship with the mountain during Pang Lhabsol, an annual festival that commemorates the consecration of Kangchenjunga as the guardian deity of Sikkim. Siblac will organise a Buddhist purification ritual on June 15 at the Kabi Lungchok sacred grove in North Sikkim to seek the deity's forgiveness and 'restore the spiritual harmony and sanctity of our land'. It was at this historic forest site that the Blood Brotherhood Treaty was signed between the Lepchas and Bhutias in the 13th century, marking the beginning of Sikkim's unified rule. Kangchenjunga was invoked as a witness to the signing of this key treaty. Locals fear angering their guardian deity could cause natural disasters, something the state has often been afflicted with. On June 1, a landslide hit the site of an army camp in Sikkim following days of heavy rains, killing at least six individuals. Anger following the ascent has been widespread in Sikkim. A video of Sikkimese children pleading with everyone not to climb their revered mountain has been circulating online and even Sikkim's Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, who heads the state government, expressed his concern. He wrote to India's Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah on May 24 describing the recent ascent as 'a violation of both the prevailing legal provisions and the deeply held religious beliefs of the people of Sikkim'. Sikkim has maintained a formal climbing ban atop not just Kangchenjunga but also eight other sacred peaks since 2001. However, ascents are made from time to time from the Nepalese side of Kangchenjunga. But Mr Bhutia said the expedition team, irrespective of their approach path, had violated the sacred peak. 'They have blown the law (preventing any ascent on Kangchenjunga) to smithereens,' he said. Anger following the ascent has been widespread in Sikkim. PHOTO: ADGPI/X In his letter, Mr Tamang also urged the Indian government to convince Nepal to ensure that no further expeditions are permitted on Kangchenjunga. The demand for such a climbing restriction is not unique. China, for instance, prevents any climbing activity on Mount Kailash in Tibet, given its deep religious significance for followers of not just Buddhism, but also Hinduism, Jainism and Bon, an indigenous religion practised in Tibet. Even Nepal, which has otherwise embraced mountain tourism enthusiastically, bans climbing on Machhapuchhare, an iconic 6,993m mountain whose name translates to 'fishtail' and which is revered by local Gurung people. Mr Jiwan Rai, a political commentator based in Sikkim's capital Gangtok, said it is important to view Kangchenjunga similarly through a 'time-honoured Sikkimese lens', one that does not consider the mountain as a 'trophy for adventurers' but a symbol of cultural heritage and 'the pinnacle of religious identity' for a significant section of the state's people. 'This centuries-old indigenous world view now stands desecrated for the sake of some thrill to be felt by army personnel. Isn't that a massive cultural cost?' Mr Rai told ST. Furthermore, the recent ascent of Kangchenjunga is being seen as an affront to not just Sikkimese cultural and religious values, but also their political rights. Mr Rai added that the Sikkim state government had failed to uphold its rights by not preventing the Indian government-led climb despite its official ban on any ascent atop Kangchenjunga. 'This lapse reveals the current government's inability to withstand pressure from the centre. The only way to disprove this perception is by firmly demanding recompense for the violation of law and redress for the cultural sacrilege,' he said. The state is currently governed by the Sikkim Krantikari Morcha (SKM), a regional party that Chief Minister Tamang leads as its president. The SKM is part of the National Democratic Alliance government at the centre, led by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Siblac had opposed the ascent publicly as early as April, with a letter sent to the state's Governor O.P. Mathur, requesting him to call off the expedition. The governor of an Indian state is appointed by the Indian president on the advice of the prime minister and serves as its constitutional head, taking decisions based on the advice of the chief minister and council of ministers. Said Mr Rai: 'A widespread perception is emerging that India is steering towards a uniform national identity, and a state with its distinct personality like Sikkim comes in the way. If Sikkim does not make its voice heard now, it risks losing its unique identity to India's broader and increasingly homogenised national narrative.' Debarshi Dasgupta is The Straits Times' India correspondent covering the country and other parts of South Asia. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
