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India on Thursday handed over the third tranche of election-related assistance to Nepal. 

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava presented the assistance  to Minister for Home Affairs of Nepal Om Prakash Aryal at a ceremony held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kathmandu. 

The latest tranche includes more than 270 vehicles and other logistical supplies, among them 50 trucks designated for the Nepal Army, in line with Kathmandu’s request to support election preparedness.

Chief of Army Staff General Ashok Raj Sigdel formally received the trucks on behalf of the Nepal Army.

Speaking at the program, Home Minister Aryal thanked the Indian side for the timely and significant nature of assistance provided to Nepal. He also conveyed his appreciation for the mutually beneficial and comprehensive nature of cooperation between the two countries, which is marked by mutual trust, friendship, and a shared adherence to democratic values.

The first two tranches of such election-related assistance, comprising over 310 vehicles and other supplies from the Government of India, have already been handed over to Nepal on January 20 and 29  respectively. Some additional deliveries are expected to take place in batches in the coming days, according to the statement. 

House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on South and Central Asia Chairman Bill Huizenga has said that recent elections in Bangladesh and Nepal present new opportunities for U.S. engagement in South Asia.

In his opening remarks at a subcommittee hearing titled “South Asia: U.S. Foreign Policy in the Region,” Huizenga described South and Central Asia as a dynamic region where young and growing populations are increasingly drawn to Western cultures and values rather than to what he called China’s “authoritarian alternative.”

Bordering India, both Nepal and Bangladesh are undergoing significant political transformations. Bangladesh held general elections on February 12, following the July 2024 revolution that led to the ouster of an authoritarian government in September 2025. Meanwhile, Nepal is set to hold democratic elections on March 5 after youth-led protests overthrew the previous government.

Huizenga said these developments mark “new chapters for engagement” in South Asia and provide an opportunity to redefine U.S. relations with the new governments.

Emphasizing the strategic importance of the region, he reiterated that South and Central Asia remain vital to U.S. foreign policy interests, particularly as their young populations shape the political and economic future of the region.

Here is the full-text of his speech: 

Our strategy there is key to the United States national security and economic strength and our global presence. South and Central Asia is home to nearly 2 billion people, dynamic economies and strategic waterways that shape the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific.

 Throughout the region, the President has successfully negotiated deals that open markets and advance U.S. Economic interests. Now we are going to engage and how we engage will define America's role in Asia for decades to come.

 China has come to the same conclusion, no surprise. Through its belt and road initiative, China engages in predatory lending to further its security interests and force smaller nations into debt traps. Furthermore, China has hardened its border with India, Nepal, and Bhutan, building infrastructure to support its military aspirations.

 Despite its distance from our shores, maintaining a free and open Indian Ocean is a priority for our national and our economic security. The Indian Ocean is one of the busiest maritime corridors on the Earth, carrying the lifeblood of global commerce and energy, including more than 80% of global seaborne oil trade.

Safeguarding these sea lanes through enhanced naval cooperation with partners and allies will only serve to counter China's growing influence and limit its malign behavior in the region. Alongside President Trump, I too see the importance of our naval base on Diego Garcia in the middle of the Indian ocean. 

I echo this sentiment that preserving America's military fortitude in the region will deter Chinese coercion, prevent piracy, and ensure the free flow of American and world trade. Directly north of Diego Garcia, India, the largest democracy in the world and one of the fastest growing economies, remains a vital strategic partner. Just last week, President Trump brokered a historic trade deal with India, completely revamping US engagement with the country. The US-India trade deal sets India's tariff rate at 18%, one of the lowest regionally. Moreover, Delhi has agreed to buy more American energy. This deal will strengthen US-India relations, support American workers through manufacturing and joint technology ventures, and boost our exports.

Strengthening ties with New Delhi through defense cooperation, trade and technology partnerships advances our shared interests. I look forward to increasing cooperation, co-production and investment, especially under the new framework negotiated by the President. Bordering India, Nepal and Bangladesh are undergoing political transformations. 

Bangladesh will hold free elections tomorrow following its 2024 July revolution, which ousted an authoritarian government in September of 2025, Nepalese youth overthrew the government and Nepal will hold democratic elections next month. Both of these instances offer new chapters for engagement in South Asia, defining US relations with these new governments. South and Central Asia is a dynamic region, young growing populations are more often drawn to western cultures and values than to China's authoritarian alternative.

Strategic US led diplomacy will make a difference in building alliances and achieving our mutual beneficial goals throughout the region. Our strategy in South Asia must be comprehensive, anchored in strong partnerships, economic engagement, and a commitment to democratic values. Our engagement in the region must advance American interests, but also continue to contribute to a more secure, prosperous and free Indian Ocean. I look forward to hearing from Assistant Secretary Kapur regarding the administration's South and Central Asia strategy.

Nepal, landlocked between the two giant neighbors—China, the world’s second largest economy, to the north across the Himalayas and India, the fourth largest economy, wrapping around its eastern, western and southern borders—is still struggling with inadequate physical infrastructure, limited connectivity and remains starved of sustained economic prosperity, despite the glorious history and epochs of rich and vibrant civilization of its own.

Since gaining independence from the 104-year autocratic Rana regime in 1951, Nepal has attained almost all the major political achievements it needs to accomplish up to the present day. Although the implementation of these achievements has often remained weak, Nepali citizens have, through constitution, already secured a broad range of rights, freedoms and access to the state. Today, no Nepali citizen, regardless of any race, religion, language, gender or region, has to be marginalized by the state system. In this context, continuing to advocate for various political issues and keeping the nation entangled in a prolonged state of transition even at present no longer appears to be relevant. Instead, the Nepali people are increasingly demanding development and prosperity. They aspire to become prosperous citizens of a prosperous nation and seek a decisive breakthrough in physical infrastructure, internal and external connectivity and economic transformation comparable to that achieved by other developed and emerging economies of the world. They wish to see Nepal moving fast on a development and growth trajectory.

On the same note, a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the construction of the Trans-Himalayan Railway, also known as China-Nepal cross border Railway, the planned extension of the very famous 1956 kilometer Qinghai-Tibet Railway, was signed by the President of the People’s Republic of China, Xi Jinping, and then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in June 2018 under the overarching framework of the Trans-Himalayan Multidimensional Connectivity Network, a component of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). As per the underscored plan, the Trans-Himalayan Railway is designed to link Kathmandu, the capital city of Nepal, with China’s vast rail network via the 527.2-km Jilong/Keyrung-Xigaze/Shigatse rail corridor, which subsequently connects with the Qinghai-Tibet Railway network, operational since 2006.

The Trans-Himalayan Railway corridor isn’t just a railway, it’s a 600-km engineering marvel designed to pierce straight through the world’s tallest mountain range, connecting Nepal directly with China. Beyond its monumental scale, the railway will confront one of the most geologically volatile and environmentally hostile regions on Earth, where the Indian plate continues its inexorable collision with the Eurasian plate, making the region a hotspot of intense seismic activity. This ongoing tectonic activity causes frequent earthquakes, from minor tremors to catastrophic events capable of reshaping the landscape. Adding to this extraordinary challenge is the railway's dramatic vertical journey, descending from approximately 4,500 meters on the Tibetan Plateau, cutting through the Himalayan massif, and arriving in Kathmandu at around 1,400 meters. This represents an elevation differential of nearly 3,000 meters, an engineering feat of exceptional rarity in the history of railway construction. Reflecting the extreme terrain, the 2018 pre-feasibility study reveals that about 98.8 percent of the 72.2-km Nepal section of the railway would consist of tunnels and bridges.

Although discussion about linking China’s railway network to Nepal first came up in the year 1973 during a meeting between the President of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong, and Nepal’s King Birendra, it failed to gain meaningful momentum for decades until Nepal faced the unofficial Indian Blockade in 2015, which compelled Kathmandu to seek alternative corridors to the outside world. In this context, China’s railway emerged as an economic lifeline, offering Nepal a pathway to reduce its long-standing dependence on India as the sole gateway for trade and transit.

Since ancient times, Kathmandu has been a commercial bridge and logistical base, playing a key role in regional commerce between South Asia and China under the historic Silk Road connectivity, long before the advancement of modern way of road and water transportation. The city’s prosperity during this era was, to some extent, underpinned by its position as an intermediary between South Asian markets and Lhasa. By effectively utilizing the revitalized historic route through the Trans-Himalayan Railway, Nepal once again could position itself as a vital bridge between China, with 1.4bn people, and South Asia including India, the largest population on Earth, emerging as a regional trade hub and accelerating its economic advancement.

Whether in energy or innovation, space science or biology, human cognition or artificial intelligence, China’s trajectory of advancement is nothing short of astonishing. On a global scale, regardless of the benchmark cost at which any product is manufactured, if there is any country capable of producing the same goods at lower cost, with greater speed, on a far larger scale, or across a wide range of varieties, that country today is China alone—and achieving direct connectivity with such a nation, by significantly reducing transport time and trade costs, the Trans-Himalayan Railway would unlock a new horizon of possibilities for Nepal, transforming it from a landlocked into a land-linked one. Enhanced connectivity with China would open access to one of the world’s largest consumer markets, enabling Nepal to expand exports of high value goods such as medicinal herbs, agro products, handicrafts and niche manufactured items.

Beyond trade, the railway could attract substantial foreign direct investment across key sectors like logistics, manufacturing, agriculture, tourism, hydroelectricity and infrastructure, while improved rail connectivity would simultaneously boost tourism by making Nepal more accessible to Chinese and international travelers, thereby strengthening hospitality, transport and service industries. 

Prime Minister Sushila Karki has said that  voting in the mountainous and hilly districts will be held on March 5 under any circumstances.

The Prime Minister arrived in Solukhumbu today to assess election preparations, relevant security arrangements, and geographical challenges. 

On the occasion, she stated that there is no situation that would warrant postponing the election, emphasizing that the election must be held as scheduled.

“There is no alternative to holding the election on March 5 to free the country from the cycle of instability,” she said. Acknowledging the challenges of conducting elections in mountainous regions, she added that the government has already made necessary arrangements to address such adversities.

The Prime Minister urged voters, political parties, and candidates to remain confident that the election will be conducted in a fearless, peaceful, and impartial atmosphere. According to her, the government’s entire focus is now on ensuring the election is held in a cordial environment. She also called on all concerned bodies to concentrate their efforts on the polls.

During a briefing with the District Security Committee, the Prime Minister specifically directed authorities to create an environment where voters can cast their ballots without fear, pressure, or influence.

She instructed the concerned authorities to leave no stone unturned in guaranteeing security at remote polling stations in the mountainous areas, and directed them to mobilize additional security forces if necessary.

On the occasion, Chief District Officer Leela Kumari Pandey KC presented a detailed briefing to the Prime Minister, highlighting the district’s overall security situation, the physical status of polling centers, and their accessibility.

After reviewing the details, the Prime Minister directed the authorities to take special precautions regarding security, transportation of election materials, and the safety of ballot papers, according to CDO Pandey.

Solukhumbu, the part of Koshi Province, has 123 polling stations. The District Administration Office stated that alternative plans have been prepared in view of possible snowfall, climate conditions, and geographical challenges.

The Prime Minister said it is the constitutional responsibility of the government to ensure the voting rights of people in all areas, including mountainous regions. She assured that necessary arrangements would be made to enable the voters of Solukhumbu to cast their ballots in an easy and accessible manner.