India–Nepal Relations
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India–Nepal relations are the
bilateral relations Bilateralism is the conduct of political, economic, or cultural relations between two sovereign states. It is in contrast to unilateralism or multilateralism, which is activity by a single state or jointly by multiple states, respectively. When ...
between the
Republic of India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area; the most populous country since 2023; and, since its independence in 1947, the world's most populous democracy. Bounded by ...
and the
Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China ...
. Both countries initiated their relationship with the
1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship The 1950 India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship (official name: Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between the Government of India and Government of Nepal) is a bilateral treaty signed by the Kingdom of Nepal and the Republic of India to establ ...
and accompanying secret letters that defined security relations between the two countries, and an agreement governing both bilateral trade and trade transiting Indian territory. Both countries enjoy excellent bilateral ties. There are close linguistic, marital, religious and cultural ties at people-to-people level between Indians and Nepalese.


History


Independent political history


1950–1971

The foundation of relations between India and Nepal was laid with the Indo-Nepalese friendship Treaty in 1950. In the 1950s, the
Rana Rana may refer to: Astronomy * Rana (crater), a crater on Mars * Delta Eridani or Rana, a star Films * Rana (2012 film), an Indian Kannada-language action drama * Rana, a 1998 Telugu-language action film directed by A. Kodandarami Reddy * R ...
rulers of the
Kingdom of Nepal The Kingdom of Nepal was a Hindu monarchy in South Asia, founded in 1768 through the unification of Nepal, expansion of the Gorkha Kingdom. The kingdom was also known as the Gorkha Empire and was sometimes called History of Asal Hindustan, ...
welcomed close relations with the newly independent India, fearing a China-backed
communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...
overthrow of their autocratic regime after the success of Communist revolution in China and establishment of CCP government on October 1, 1949. Rana rule in Nepal however collapsed within three months of signing the
1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship The 1950 India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship (official name: Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between the Government of India and Government of Nepal) is a bilateral treaty signed by the Kingdom of Nepal and the Republic of India to establ ...
, to be replaced by the only pro-Indian party of the time –
Nepali Congress The Nepali Congress ( ; Abbreviation, abbr. NC), colloquially the Congress Party, or simply the Congress, is a Social democracy, social democratic List of political parties in Nepal, political party in Nepal and the largest party in the country ...
. As the number of Indians living and working in Nepal's Terai region increased and the involvement of India in Nepal's politics deepened in the 1960s and after, so too did Nepal's discomfort with the special relationship. India's influence over Nepal increased throughout the 1950s. The Nepalese Citizenship Act of 1952 granted Indians the right to immigrate to Nepal and acquire Nepalese citizenship without any difficulty, which caused resentment in Nepal. This policy remained in effect until 1962, when several restrictive clauses were added to the Nepalese constitution. Further, in 1952, an Indian military mission was established in Nepal, which consisted of a Major General and 20 other Indian army personnel, which was later extended to 197 in total. At the same time, Nepal's Royal family's dissatisfaction with India's growing influence began to emerge. As a consequence, overtures to China were initiated by Nepal as a counterweight to India. The Treaty of Trade and Commerce between the two countries was ratified in October 1950, wherein India acknowledged Nepal's right to import and export commodities through the Indian territories and ports. As per the treaty, customs duties could not be levied on commodities that were in transit through India. Following the 1962 Sino-Indian border war, the relationship between Nepal and India thawed significantly. India suspended its support to India-based Nepalese opposition forces, opposing the dissolution of democratic government by
King Mahendra Mahendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (; 11 June 1920 – 31 January 1972) was King of Nepal from 13 March 1955 until his death in 1972. He led the 1960 Nepal coup d'état, 1960 coup d'état, in which he dismissed the government, jailed other political ...
. The defeat of Indian forces in 1962 in a border war with China, provided Nepal with the much-needed breathing space and Nepal extracted several concessions in trade with India. In exchange, through a secret accord concluded in 1965, similar to an arrangement that had been suspended in 1963, India won a monopoly on arms sales to Nepal. In 1969, relations between both countries again became stressful as Nepal challenged the existing mutual security arrangement and asked that the Indian security checkposts and liaison group be withdrawn. Resentment also was expressed against the 1950s TPF. India withdrew its military check-posts and liaison group consisting of 23 military personnel in 1970 from all but Kalapani area of Nepal, although the treaty was not abrogated. Tensions further increased in the mid-1970s, when Nepal pressed for substantial changes in the trade and transit treaty and openly denounced
Sikkim Sikkim ( ; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Koshi Province of Nepal in the west, and West Bengal in the ...
's 1975 annexation by India. In 1975 King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev against the backdrop of Indian annexation of Nepal's close neighbor the
Kingdom of Sikkim The Kingdom of Sikkim (Classical Tibetan and , ''Drenjong'', , ''Sikimr Gyalkhab'') officially Dremoshong (Classical Tibetan and ) until the 1800s, was a hereditary monarchy in the Eastern Himalayas which existed from 1642 to 16 May 1975 ...
proposed Nepal to be recognized internationally as a 'Zone of Peace' where military competition would be off limits. Nepal's proposal immediately received support from
Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...
and
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, but not from
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
. In New Delhi's view, if the king's proposal did not contradict the 1950 treaty that the-then Indian government had signed with the Rana rulers of Nepal, it was unnecessary; if it was a repudiation of the special relationship, it represented a possible threat to India's security and could not be endorsed. In 1984 Nepal repeated the proposal, but there was no reaction from India. Nepal continually promoted the proposal in international forums and by 1990 it had won the support of 112 countries including the US, the UK, and France.


1970–1990

In 1978 India agreed to separate trade and transit treaties, satisfying a long-term Nepalese demand. However, much to the annoyance of Nepalese Royal Palace and in continued violation of the 1950s PFT, India consistently allowed the opposition parties of Nepal to use Indian soil to launch agitation against the Nepalese government and refused to endorse Nepal as a Zone of Peace. In 1988, when the two treaties were up for renewal, Nepal refused to accommodate India's wishes for a single trade and transit treaty stating that 'it violates the principle of freedom to trade'. Thereafter, both India and Nepal took a hard-line position that led to a serious crisis in bilateral relations. Nepalese leaders asserted the position that as per the UN charter, transit privileges were "a fundamental and a permanent right of a land-locked country" and thus India's demand for a single treaty was unacceptable. After two extensions, the two treaties expired on 23 March 1989, resulting in a virtual Indian economic blockade of Nepal that lasted until late April 1990. Over the years, Indian economic sanctions over Nepal steadily widened. For example, preferential customs and transit duties on Nepalese goods entering or passing through India (whether imports or exports) were discontinued. Thereafter India let agreements relating to oil processing and warehouse space in Calcutta for goods destined for Nepal expire. Aside from these sanctions, India cancelled all trade credits it had previously extended to Nepal on a routine basis. To withstand the renewed pressure from India, Nepal undertook a major diplomatic initiative and presented its case on trade and transit matters to the world community. In 1989, Nepal decoupled its rupee from the Indian rupee which had been circulating in Nepal freely. This further strained the relationship between the two countries. India retaliated by denying port facilities in Calcutta to Nepal, thereby preventing delivery of oil supplies from Singapore and other source countries. In historian Enayetur Rahim's view, "the economic consequences of the dispute... were enormous. Nepal's GDP growth rate plummeted from 9.7% in 1988 to 1.5% in 1989. This had a lot to do with the decreased availability of goods. Shortly after the imposition of sanctions, Nepal experienced serious deficiencies of important goods such as coal, fuel, oil, medicine and spare parts. Nepal also suffered economically from higher tariffs, the closure of border points and the tense political atmosphere. From one of the most thriving economies in Asia, Nepal was now quickly finding itself in the league of World's poorest nation." Although economic issues were a major factor in the two countries' confrontation, Indian dissatisfaction with Nepal's decision to impose work permits over Indians living in Nepal and Nepal government's attempt to acquire Chinese weaponry in 1988 played an important role. India linked security with economic relations and insisted on reviewing India–Nepal relations as a whole. After failing to receive support from wider international community, Nepalese government backed down from its position to avoid the worsening economic conditions. Indian government, with the help of Nepalese opposition parties operating from India, managed to bring a change in Nepal's political system, in which the king was forced to institute a parliamentary democracy. The new government, led by pro-India parties, sought quick restoration of amicable relations with India.


1990s

The special security relationship between New Delhi and Kathmandu was re-established during the June 1990 New Delhi meeting of Nepal's prime minister
Krishna Prasad Bhattarai Krishna Prasad Bhattarai ( Nepali: कृष्णप्रसाद भट्टराई; 13 December 19244 March 2011) also known as Kishunji was a Nepalese political leader. He was one of the main leaders involved in transitioning Nepal from ...
and Indian prime minister
V.P. Singh Vishwanath Pratap Singh (25 June 1931 – 27 November 2008) was an Indian politician who served as the prime minister of India from 1989 to 1990 and the Raja Bahadur of Manda. He was educated at Allahabad University and Fergusson College in ...
, after India ended its 13-month-long economic blockade of Nepal. During the December 1991 visit to India by Nepalese prime minister
Girija Prasad Koirala Nepal Ratna Girija Prasad Koirala ( ; 4 July 1924 – 20 March 2010), affectionately known as Girija Babu, was a Nepalese politician. He headed the Nepali Congress and served as the Prime Minister of Nepal on four occasions: from 1991 to 1994, ...
, the two countries signed new, separate trade and transit treaties and other economic agreements designed to accord Nepal additional economic benefits. Indian-Nepali relations appeared to be undergoing still more reassessment when Nepal's prime minister
Man Mohan Adhikary Man Mohan Adhikari (Magi) (; 9 June 1920 – 26 April 1999) was the 31st Prime Minister of Nepal from 1994 to 1995, representing the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist). He was the first communist Prime Minister in Nepal and ...
visited New Delhi in April 1995 and insisted on a major review of the 1950 peace and friendship treaty which Nepal believed was enabling an ongoing demographic shift in Nepal's Terai region. In the face of benign statements by his Indian hosts relating to the treaty, Adhikary sought greater economic independence for his landlocked nation while simultaneously striving to improve ties with China. In June 1990, a joint Kathmandu-New Delhi communique was issued pending the finalisation of a comprehensive arrangement covering all aspects of bilateral relations, restoring trade relations, reopening transit routes for Nepal's imports, and formalising respect of each other's security concerns. The communiqué announced the restoration of the status quo ante along with the reopening of all border points. Nepal agreed to various concessions regarding India's commercial privileges. Kathmandu announced that it factored in the lower cost while purchasing arms and personnel carriers from China. Nepal was advising China to withhold delivery of the last shipment. As per the declaration made by the communiqué, both countries would cooperate in the industrial development and waters coming from their common rivers would be harnessed for mutual benefit for both the countries, while also protecting and managing the environment.


2000s

In 2005, after
King Gyanendra Gyanendra Shah (born 7 July 1947) is the final monarch of Nepal, ruled from 2001 until 2008, when the monarchy was overthrown. He briefly held the throne as a child between 1950 and 1951, when his grandfather Tribhuvan and his family fled to In ...
took over, Nepalese relations with India soured. However, even after the restoration of democracy, in 2008,
Prachanda Pushpa Kamal Dahal (; born Ghanashyam Dahal, 11 December 1954), alias ''Prachanda'' (, , "fierce"), is a Nepalese politician, currently serving as the Leader of the Opposition, since July 2024. He has served as the Prime Minister of Nepal ...
, the
Prime Minister of Nepal The prime minister of Nepal (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of government of Nepal. The prime minister leads the Council of Ministers of Nepal, Council of Ministers and holds the chief executive authority in the country. They must maintain ...
, visited
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
, in September 2008 only after visiting
China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
, breaking the long-held tradition of Nepalese PM making India as their first port-of-call. When in India, he spoke about a new dawn, in the bilateral relations, between the two countries. He said, "I am going back to Nepal as a satisfied person. I will tell Nepali citizens back home that a new era has dawned. Time has come to effect a revolutionary change in bilateral relations. On behalf of the new government, I assure you that we are committed to make a fresh start." In 2006, the newly formed democratic parliament of Nepal passed the controversial citizenship bill that led to distribution of Nepalese citizenship to nearly 4 million stateless immigrants in Nepal's
Terai The Terai or Tarai is a lowland region in parts of southern Nepal and northern India that lies to the south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This lowland belt is characterised by ...
by virtue of naturalisation. While the Indian government welcomed the reformed citizenship law, certain section of Nepalese people expressed deep concerns regarding the new citizenship act and feared that the new citizenship law might be a threat to Nepalese sovereignty. The citizenship bill passed by the Nepalese parliament in 2006 was the same bill that was rejected by
King Birendra Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev (; 29 December 1945 – 1 June 2001) was King of Nepal from 1972 until his assassination in 2001. Early life and education Birendra was born at the Narayanhiti Royal Palace in Kathmandu as the eldest son of th ...
in 2000 before he along with his entire family was massacred and upon which Indian government had then formally expressed sorrow. In 2008, Indo-Nepal ties got a further boost with an agreement to resume water talks after a 4-year hiatus. The Nepalese Water Resources Secretary
Shanker Prasad Koirala Shanker is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Albert Shanker (1928–1997), president of the American Federation of Teachers * Baggy Shanker Bhagat Singh Shanker, known as Baggy Shanker, is a British Labour and Co-operative Par ...
said the Nepal-India Joint Committee on Water Resources meet decided to start the reconstruction of the breached Koshi embankment after the water level went down. During the Nepal Prime Minister's visit to
New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...
in September, the Prime Ministers of both the countries expressed satisfaction at the age-old close, cordial and extensive relationships between their states and expressed their support and co-operation to further consolidate the relationship. The two issued a 22-point statement highlighting the need to review, adjust and update the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, amongst other agreements. India would also provide a credit line of up to $15 million to Nepal to ensure uninterrupted supplies of petroleum products, as well as lift bans on the export of rice, wheat, maize, sugar and sucrose for quantities agreed to with Nepal. India would also provide $2 million as immediate flood relief. In return, Nepal will take measures for the promotion of investor friendly, enabling business environment to encourage Indian investments in Nepal.


2010s

In 2010 India extended a line of credit worth US$50 million and 80,000 tonnes of food grains. Furthermore, a three-tier mechanism at the level of ministerial, secretary and technical levels will be built to push forward discussions on the development of water resources between the two sides. Politically, India acknowledged a willingness to promote efforts towards peace in Nepal. Indian External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee promised the
Nepali Prime Minister The prime minister of Nepal (ISO: ) is the head of government of Nepal. The prime minister leads the Council of Ministers and holds the chief executive authority in the country. They must maintain the confidence of the Pratinidhi Sabha to ...
Prachanda Pushpa Kamal Dahal (; born Ghanashyam Dahal, 11 December 1954), alias ''Prachanda'' (, , "fierce"), is a Nepalese politician, currently serving as the Leader of the Opposition, since July 2024. He has served as the Prime Minister of Nepal ...
that he would "extend all possible help for peace and development." In 2014, the Indian embassy in Kathmandu started an open house service which would hear grievances faced by the Indian nationals living in Nepal. However, in recent years, the increasing dominance of
Maoism Maoism, officially Mao Zedong Thought, is a variety of Marxism–Leninism that Mao Zedong developed while trying to realize a socialist revolution in the agricultural, pre-industrial society of the Republic of China (1912–1949), Republic o ...
in Nepal's domestic politics, along with the strengthening economic and political influence of the
People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...
has caused the Nepalese government to gradually distance its ties with India, though Nepal still does support India at the UN.
Prime Minister of India The prime minister of India (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the head of government of the Republic of India. Executive authority is vested in the prime minister and his chosen Union Council of Ministers, Council of Ministers, despite the president of ...
Narendra Modi Narendra Damodardas Modi (born 17 September 1950) is an Indian politician who has served as the Prime Minister of India, prime minister of India since 2014. Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat from 2001 to 2014 and is the Member of Par ...
visited
Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
in August 2014, marking the first official visit by an Indian prime minister in 17 years. During his visit, the Indian government agreed to provide Nepal with US$1 billion as concessional line of credit for various development purposes and a HIT formula, but he insisted that Indian immigrants in Nepal do not pose a threat to Nepal's sovereignty and therefore open border between Nepal and India should be a bridge and not a barrier. Nepal and India signed an agreement on 25 November 2014 as per which India will build a 900 MW hydropower plant at a cost of another US$1 billion. An amount of has been granted to Nepal as a part of the agreements signed on 22 February 2016 for post-earthquake reconstruction. A perpetual issue for many people of Nepali origin, the birthplace of
Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist lege ...
has long been a cultural and social issue devoid from the political landscape of both Nepal and India. However, since the souring of relations between the two countries, the issue has been used to undermine relations between the two countries both politically and socially. The two-day-long International Buddhist conference in
Kathmandu Kathmandu () is the capital and largest city of Nepal, situated in the central part of the country within the Kathmandu Valley. As per the 2021 Nepal census, it has a population of 845,767 residing in 105,649 households, with approximately 4 mi ...
which ran from 19 to 20 May 2016 marked
Vesak Vesak (; Sanskrit: '), also known as Buddha Jayanti, Buddha Purnima, Visak Bochea and Buddha Day, is a holiday traditionally observed by Buddhism, Buddhists in South Asia and Southeast Asia, as well as in Tibet and Mongolia. It is among the ...
and the 2,560th birthday of the Buddha was also used to promote the Buddha's birthplace which lies in modern-day Nepal. The decision of the Nepal Culture Ministry to change the theme, "Preservation and Development of Buddhist Heritage of Nepal" with the sub-theme "Lumbini – Birthplace of Buddha" under the name "Lumbini – Fountainhead of Buddhism" was met with criticism from India which subsequently boycotted the conference due to this and on the back of China's supposed monetary involvement in the conference. Nepali Prime Minister, K.P. Oli told the media that the conference, "should help us make clear to the world that Buddha was born in Nepal and that Buddhist philosophy is the product of Nepal". In early March 2017, the fatal shooting of a Nepali man who was protesting Indian-occupation on disputed territory between India and Nepal sparked protests in the capital Kathmandu. Indian troops had previously prevented a group of Nepalese farmers living along the border from completing a
culvert A culvert is a structure that channels water past an obstacle or to a subterranean waterway. Typically embedded so as to be surrounded by soil, a culvert may be made from a pipe (fluid conveyance), pipe, reinforced concrete or other materia ...
in the disputed area which ultimately led to protests. It was considered rare for India to retaliate with gunfire.


Treaty

The 1950 treaty and letters exchanged between the then Indian government and Rana rulers of Nepal, stated that "neither government shall tolerate any threat to the security of the other by a foreign aggressor" and obligated both sides "to inform each other of any serious friction or misunderstanding with any neighboring state likely to cause any breach in the friendly relations subsisting between the two governments." These accords cemented a "special relationship" between India and Nepal. The treaty also granted citizens of Nepal, the same economic and educational opportunities as Indian citizens in India, while accounting for preferential treatment to Indian citizens and businesses compared to other nationalities in Nepal. The Indo-Nepal border is open; Nepalese and Indian nationals may move freely across the border without passports or visas and may live and work in either country. However, Indians are not allowed to own land-properties or work in government institutions in Nepal, while Nepalese nationals in India are allowed to work in some Indian government institutions ( except in some states and some civil services (the IFS, IAS, and IPS)) notably the Indian military. The Election commission of Nepal has published a figure of 562,456 Nepali citizens in India as of 2021, eligible to vote in the upcoming Federal elections of 2022 in Nepal. The number of Indian immigrants in Nepal who haven't registered their paperwork with the Indian embassy in Kathmandu isn't known as of 2021, while Indian embassy in Kathmandu published a figured of 600,000 Indian citizens as currently residing in Nepal. After years of dissatisfaction by the Nepalese government,
India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...
in 2014, agreed to revise and adjust the
1950 Indo-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship The 1950 India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship (official name: Treaty of Peace and Friendship Between the Government of India and Government of Nepal) is a bilateral treaty signed by the Kingdom of Nepal and the Republic of India to establ ...
to reflect the current realities. However, the modality of adjustment hasn't been made clear by either side. The Nepali side is reported to have submitted an EPG report to the PM of Nepal while the Indian foreign ministry hasn't made any announcements in regards to the submission of the same EPG report to the Indian PM.


Infrastructural and financial support

Since the early 1950s, India has made a considerable contribution to Nepal's socioeconomic development. Along with crucial social sector areas like health, education, and human resource development, other areas of relations include infrastructure like airports, irrigation, agriculture, roads, bridges, power projects, industrial estates, communication, surveys, forestry, and building construction. In 1951, Nepal and India began working together to build a modern infrastructure, and as Nepal's major development partner, India built Kathmandu's Gauchar Airport, also known as
Tribhuvan International Airport Tribhuvan International Airport (, , colloquially referred to as TIA) is an international airport located in Kathmandu, Bagmati, Nepal. It has a tabletop runway, a domestic terminal and an international terminal. As the country's main internat ...
which was completed in 1954. In the same year the Indian Aid Mission in Nepal was also set up for developing projects in a number of areas including health, connectivity, education, power, and government departments. In 1976, India assisted Nepal in the construction of the 21 MW
Trishuli Hydropower Station Trishuli Hydropower Station is a peaking run-of-river hydropower station located at Trishuli bazaar of Nuwakot district in Nepal. The plant was constructed in 1967 with an installed capacity of 21 MW (6 units, 3.5 MW each). The plant was upgrade ...
with a grant of Rs 140 million. In 2014, the Nepal Bharat Maitri Emergency & Trauma Centre in Kathmandu at a cost of Rs 100 crore, and a new college block of
B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS) () popularly known as Ghopa Camp, is a Nepalese autonomous health sciences university. It is located in the sub-metropolitan city of Dharan in Sunsari District, Sunsari District. The Institute is ...
, Dharan at a cost of Rs 125 crore were inaugurated. In 2019, the Motihari-Amlekhgunj Petroleum Pipeline was installed at a cost of Rs 324 crore. After the
April 2015 Nepal earthquake The April 2015 Nepal earthquake (also known as the Gorkha earthquake) killed 8,962 people and injured 21,952 across the countries of Nepal, India, China and Bangladesh. It occurred at on Saturday 25 April 2015, with a magnitude of Moment magni ...
, the Government of India committed US$1 billion for post-earthquake reconstruction projects in Nepal. The reconstruction of 50,000 houses at a cost of US$100 million was completed in November 2021. Other projects include construction of 132 health facilities across 10 districts and the reconstruction of 71 educational institutes in 8 districts. Also, 28 cultural heritage projects in 7 districts are in the process of being restored. During the
coronavirus crisis Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the comm ...
, India sent 10 lakh (1 million) doses of vaccines to Nepal as a grant within a week of the roll-out in India. Under India's
Vaccine Maitri Vaccine Maitri ("Vaccine Friendship") is a humanitarian initiative undertaken by the Indian government to provide COVID-19 vaccines to countries around the world. The government started providing vaccines from 20 January 2021. As of 21February ...
initiative, it provided nearly 95 lakh (9.5 million) doses of vaccines to Nepal.


Military ties

Nepal and India have long-standing military ties and since 1950 have a custom of awarding the honorary rank of General to each other's Army Chiefs. India has been giving training and equipment to aid the
Nepali Army The Nepali Army (), also referred to as the Gorkhali Army (; see '' Gorkhas''), formally known as "Royal Nepal Army" is the land service branch of the Nepali Armed Forces. After the Gorkha Kingdom was founded in 1559, its army was establis ...
(NA) in modernising. Other facets of India's defence cooperation with Nepal include assistance during disasters, joint military exercises, adventure activities, and bilateral visits. Many Nepal Army personnel attend training courses at various Indian Army training facilities. The Indian Army's Gorkha battalions are raised in part through recruiting in the Nepalese hill districts. Presently, the Indian Army employs roughly 32,000 Gorkha soldiers from Nepal.


Border disputes

The territorial disputes of India and Nepal include Kalapani 400 km2 at India-Nepal-China tri-junction in Western Nepal and Susta 140 km2 in Southern Nepal. Nepal claims that the river to the west of Kalapani is the main Kali river; hence the area should belong to Nepal. But India claims that the river to the west of Kalapani is not the main Kali river, and owing to this new Indian claim, Indian government led by Narendra Modi, for the first time removed the full delineation of Kali river from official Indian map in the newly released map of India in 2018. The river borders the Nepalese province of Sudurpashchim and the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The Sugauli Treaty signed by Nepal and British India on 4 March 1816 locates the Kali River as Nepal's western boundary with India. Subsequent maps drawn by British surveyors show the source of the boundary river at different places. This discrepancy in locating the source of the river led to boundary disputes between India and Nepal, with each country producing maps supporting their own claims. The Kali River runs through an area that includes a disputed area of about 400 km2 around the source of the river although the exact size of the disputed area varies from source to source. The dispute intensified in 1997 as the Nepali parliament considered a treaty on hydro-electric development of the river. India and Nepal differ as to which stream constitutes the source of the river. Nepal has reportedly tabled an 1856 map from the British India Office to support its position. Kalapani has been controlled by India's Indo-Tibetan border security forces since the
Sino-Indian War The Sino–Indian War, also known as the China–India War or the Indo–China War, was an armed conflict between China and India that took place from October to November 1962. It was a military escalation of the Sino–Indian border dispu ...
with China in 1962. In 2015, the Nepalese parliament objected an agreement between India and China to trade through
Lipulekh Pass The Lipulekh Pass () is a Himalayan pass on the border between Uttarakhand, India and the Tibet region of China, near their trijunction with Nepal. Nepal has had ongoing claims to the southern side of the pass, called Kalapani territory, ...
, a mountainous pass in the disputed Kalapani area, stating that the agreement between India and China to trade through Kalapani violates Nepal's sovereign rights over the territory. Nepal has called for the withdrawal of the Indian border forces from Kalapani area. As the first step for demarcating Indo-Nepal border, survey teams from both countries located and identified missing pillars along the border, and, an agreement was reached to construct new pillars in some places. India and Nepal share more than 1,770-kilometer border. According to the Nepalese government estimates, of the 8000 boundary pillars along the border, 1,240 pillars are missing, 2,500 require restoration, and, 400 more need to be constructed. The survey teams conducted survey of the border pillars based on the strip maps prepared by the Joint Technical Level Nepal-India Boundary Committee (JTLNIBC). The JTLNIBC was set up in 1981 to demarcate the India-Nepal border and after years of surveying, deliberations and extensions, the committee had delineated 98 per cent of the India-Nepal boundary, excluding Kalapani and Susta, on 182 strip maps which was finally submitted in 2007 for ratification by both the countries. Unfortunately neither country ratified the maps. Nepal maintained that it cannot ratify the maps without the resolution of outstanding boundary disputes, i.e. Kalapani and Susta. India, on the other hand, awaited Nepal's ratification while at the same time urging it to endorse the maps as a confidence building measure for solving the Kalapani and Susta disputes. In absence of a ratification, the process of completely demarcating the India-Nepal boundary could not be undertaken and completed. In 2020, the relation between the two countries came under strain after the inauguration of an 80 km long road which connected the Lipulekh pass with Dharchula in Uttarakhand. The strategically crucial road was inaugurated by India's Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh on 8 May 2020. Nepal reacted to this inauguration and claimed that the road passed through Nepalese territory. India later rejected Nepal's claim and stated that the road was within the Indian territory.


Border crossings

Integrated check posts with immigration and customs facilities are: *
Jogbani Jogbani is a municipal council area, in Araria District of Bihar state, India. It lies on the Indo-Nepal border with Morang District, Koshi Zone and is a gateway to Biratnagar city. There is a customs checkpoint for goods at the border. ...
,
Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
* Bhitthamore,
Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
*
Sonauli Sonauli is a town, near city of Mahrajganj, Uttar Pradesh, Maharajganj in Maharajganj district in Uttar Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, India. It located on the Indo-Nepal Border and is a well-known and most famous transit point between India and Nepal. ...
,
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
*
Rupaidiha Rupaidiha is a small town in Bahraich district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, near the India–Nepal border across from Nepalgunj. The Rupaidiha border is a significant trade route, with annual trade worth Rs 8,500 crore between India ...
,
Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh ( ; UP) is a States and union territories of India, state in North India, northern India. With over 241 million inhabitants, it is the List of states and union territories of India by population, most populated state in In ...
*
Taulihawa Kapilvastu, formerly known by name of Taulihawa, is a municipality and administrative center of Kapilvastu District in Lumbini Province of southern Nepal. The municipality is located roughly to the south-west of Lumbini, a UNESCO World Heritag ...
- Siddharthnagar (only for India and Nepalese citizens) * Jathi,
Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
*
Laukaha Laukaha is a very old border town and a Community development block in the district of Madhubani district, Madhubani in the Indian state of Bihar. It is close to the border with Nepal and the Nepalese town of Thadi. The population of Laukaha i ...
in
Bihar Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
-
Thadi Thadi () or Thadi Viswaspatti is a very old border town and a market place of Nepal in Siraha District bordering Indian town of Laukaha. It is currently part of Bhagwanpur Rural municipality. It is located nearly 370 kilometers or 107 miles east ...
Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
. In 2014, to enhance the collaborative relations between the two nations, Nepal and India started a Trans-border bus service from New Delhi to Kathmandu connecting the nation's capital of both countries. The direct bus service with multiple routes improves connectivity between the capitals of both countries. The service is in operation by Delhi Bus Corporation (DTC), India and several other private Travel companies. At present (2019), Kathmandu to Delhi bus service, Kathmandu to
Siliguri Siliguri (, ; ), also known as Shiliguri, is a major Tier ii cities in india, tier-II city in West Bengal. It forms the twin cities, Twin Cities with the neighbouring city of Jalpaiguri. The city spans areas of the Darjeeling district, Darjeel ...
Bus service, Kathmandu to
Varanasi Varanasi (, also Benares, Banaras ) or Kashi, is a city on the Ganges river in northern India that has a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage, death, and mourning in the Hindu world.* * * * The city has a syncretic tradition of I ...
, Delhi to
Janakpur Janakpurdham or Janakpur (), is the capital city of Madhesh Province. This sub-metropolitan city is a central hub for the Maithili language, as well as for religious and cultural tourism in Nepal. The city was founded in the early 18th centur ...
bus service are in operation. According to an official statement issued by the Ministry of Railways, from February 2023, Indian Railways will run its Bharat Gaurav Tourist Train on a route which will connect pilgrimage sites of Ayodhya in India and Janakpur in Nepal. The train service will connect the two most significant pilgrimage sites of both the nations. This initiative aims at strengthening the bilateral ties between the two countries while also boosting religious tourism.


Cultural relations


Sports

India and Nepal play many of the same traditional South Asian games. India beat Nepal in the finals of the inaugural
2025 Kho Kho World Cup The 2025 Kho Kho World Cup was the first edition of the Kho Kho World Cup. It was held at the Indira Gandhi Arena in New Delhi, India from 13 to 19 January 2025. The tournament was organized by the Kho Kho Federation of India and the Internat ...
.


Trade

India is Nepal's largest trade partner and the largest source of total foreign investments (China has been the largest source of FDI in Nepal from 2015 onward), besides providing transit for almost entire third country trade of Nepal in accordance with Indo-Nepal Transit treaty. India accounts for over two-thirds of Nepal's merchandise trade, about one-third of trade in services, one-third of foreign direct investments, almost 100% of petroleum supplies, and a significant share of inward remittances on account of pensioners, professionals and workers working in India, with nearly $1.2 billion per year remitted by Nepalese citizens in India back to Nepal. India accounts for 30% FDI into Nepal, which makes it one of the primary investors for Nepal. Nepal is the 9th largest trading partner of India. Nepal is also the 7th largest source of remittance to India, with $3.2 billion a year remitted from Nepal to India per the World Bank. In the year 2017–2018, Nepal's total trade with India was about US$8.2 billion; Nepal's exports to India were US$446.5 million; while imports from India were upwards of US$7.7 billion. In percentage terms, Nepal's trade deficit with India is approximately 1724%. Nepal's main imports from India are petroleum products (28.6%), motor vehicles and spare parts (7.8%), M. S. billet (7%), medicines (3.7%), other machinery and spares (3.4%), coldrolled sheet in coil (3.1%), electrical equipment (2.7%), hotrolled sheet in coil (2%), M. S. wires, rods, coils and bars (1.9%), cement (1.5%), agriculture equipment and parts (1.2%), chemical fertilizer (1.1%), chemicals (1.1%) and thread (1%). Nepal's export basket to India mainly comprises jute goods (9.2%), zinc sheet (8.9%), textiles (8.6%), threads (7.7%), polyester yarn (6%), juice (5.4%), catechue (4.4%), Cardamom (4.4%), wire (3.7%), tooth paste (2.2%) and M. S. Pipe (2.1%). Based on the high quantity of petroleum import from India, the countries are in talks for setting up new additional pipelines. In 2020, Nepal incurred the highest trade deficit with India amounting to US$6.1 billion. In 2022, Nepal exported electricity worth Rs10.38 billion to India till mid-November 2022. In the recent years, electricity is one of Nepal's largest exports to India. In November 2021, India allowed Nepal for the first time to sell electricity in the Indian market through a bidding process. Nepal has been authorized to sell over 400MW of electricity to India.


Human trafficking

Human trafficking in Nepal Human trafficking in Nepal is a growing criminal industry affecting multiple other countries beyond Nepal, primarily across Asia and the Middle East. Nepal is mainly a source country for men, women and children subjected to the forced labor and se ...
is a serious concern. An estimated 100,000–200,000 Nepalese in India are believed to have been trafficked. Sex trafficking is particularly rampant within Nepal and to India, with as many as 5,000–10,000 women and girls trafficked to India alone each year. The seriousness of trafficking of Nepalese girls to India was highlighted by
CNN Freedom Project The CNN Freedom Project is a year-long humanitarian news media campaign launched by CNN and CNN International in 2011 to "end modern-day slavery" and related illegal practices, including human trafficking. It was started on the initiative of CNN ...
's documentary: Nepal's Stolen Children.
Maiti Nepal Maiti Nepal () is a non-profit organization in Nepal dedicated to helping the victims of human trafficking. Currently, it operates a rehabilitation home in Kathmandu, transit homes at the Indo-Nepal border towns, preventive homes in the countrysi ...
has rescued more than 12,000 stolen Nepalese children from sex trafficking since 1993.


2015 Madhesi crisis and Nepal blockade

In 2015, Nepal promulgated its new
Constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organization or other type of entity, and commonly determines how that entity is to be governed. When these pri ...
but the Madheshis, some Janajatis and some
Tharus The Tharu people are an ethnic group living in the Terai in southern Nepal and northern India. They speak Tharu languages. They are recognized as an official ethnicity by the Government of Nepal. In the Indian Terai, they live foremost in Uttara ...
, felt they were marginalized and being left out in the new constitution. These groups, the Madheshis in particular, then organized small scale protests and blockaded a portion of border India-Nepal border near Biratnagar area in September 2015, shortly after the devastating
earthquake An earthquakealso called a quake, tremor, or tembloris the shaking of the Earth's surface resulting from a sudden release of energy in the lithosphere that creates seismic waves. Earthquakes can range in intensity, from those so weak they ...
which had mainly affected people of Hilly regions of Nepal. The Nepalese government accused India of deliberately blockading the entirety of the border by not allowing vehicles to pass from checkpoints where no protests were held (like borders along Sikkim, Gorkhaland, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh) questioning how the blockade of the long border was even possible given the strong kingship between Hill Nepalese people, Gorkhas of Gorkhaland, and Nepali-speaking citizens of Sikkim. Indian government, however, denied all allegations of any involvement in the blockade and also warned Nepal not to play with the emotions of Nepali-speaking Sikkimese, and not to call Sikkimese people 'oppressed people'.


See also

* Nepali Indians * Nepalese people of Indian ancestry * Nepal's relations with Northeast India *
Foreign relations of Nepal Though the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is the government agency responsible for conducting the foreign relations of Nepal, historically, it has been the Office of the Prime Minister (PMO) that has exercised the authority to formulate th ...
*
Foreign relations of India India, officially the Republic of India, has full diplomatic relations with 201 states, including Palestine, the Holy See, and Niue. The Ministry of External Affairs (India), Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is the government agency resp ...
* Territorial disputes of India and Nepal * India-Nepal border * Indo-Nepal Border Road *
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of states in South Asia. Its member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, ...
(SAARC) * Nepal Bharat Library


References


Further reading

* Bhattarai, Keshav, and Madhukar Pandey. "Disputed Territories between Nepal and India: The Cases of Kalapani, Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Susta." ''The Mega Journal.'
online
* * Karki, Karun Kishor, and K. C. Hari. "Nepal-India relations: beyond realist and liberal theoretical prisms." ''Journal of International Affairs'' 3.1 (2020): 84–102
online
* Malone, David M., C. Raja Mohan, and Srinath Raghavan, eds. ''The Oxford handbook of Indian foreign policy (2015)'
excerpt
pp 398–411. * Sanjay Upadhya (2021). ''Backfire in Nepal: How India Lost The Plot to China''. Vitasta Publishing * Shukla, Deeptima. "India-Nepal relations: Problems and prospects." ''The Indian Journal of Political Science'' (2006): 355–374
online
* Tripathi, Dhananjay. "Influence of Borders on Bilateral Ties in South Asia: A Study of Contemporary India–Nepal Relations." ''International Studies'' 56.2-3 (2019): 186–200. * Tripathi, Dhananjay. "What happened to India-Nepal Relations?." ''CSSAME'' (2020
online


External links


Indo Nepal Border Concept: A public view: A broader scope
{{DEFAULTSORT:India-Nepal relations
Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
Bilateral relations of Nepal