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Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri has completed his two-day official visit to Nepal, during which he held extensive talks with top leaders of major parties, representatives of fringe parties, government officials, and the army chief.

While in Kathmandu, Misri met with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, President Ramchandra Paudel and Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba. He also interacted with Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, CPN (Maoist Center) Chair Pushpa Kamal Dahal and other senior leaders. Bilateral talks were also held with his Nepali counterpart Amrit Kumar Rai, though both sides have kept the details undisclosed.

Misri’s trip comes ahead of Prime Minister Oli’s planned visit to India, marking the first such high-level exchange in four months. The timing follows a brief but deadly war between India and Pakistan, US President Donald Trump’s tariff measures against India and other shifting regional dynamics. For much of the past year, New Delhi had appeared hesitant to extend an invitation to Oli. However, PM Oli and Modi met on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last year and on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC meeting this year which means there has been constant communication between two sides.  

The upcoming visit suggests a thaw in what has been a turbulent relationship between Oli and New Delhi over the past decade. His trip is expected to focus on longstanding issues, particularly the implementation of earlier agreements. Among the priorities is the stalled Pancheshwor Multipurpose Project, where efforts are underway to resolve remaining disputes.

From 2015 to 2022, Nepal-India relations were shaped by five major factors: the 2015 blockade, the map row, the still-unimplemented Eminent Persons Group (EPG) report, China’s growing influence and debates over reviving SAARC. A decade later, only the “China factor” remains a prominent feature in bilateral diplomacy; the other issues have largely faded. In the same period, several temporary irritants, mostly border-related, hampered normalization of ties.

 Yet, another quiet trend was taking root: development projects began reaching completion on schedule, India’s overt support to Madhes-based parties waned and economic cooperation advanced despite political mistrust. In recent years, energy cooperation, connectivity projects and regular political and bureaucratic exchanges have helped sustain a more cordial partnership.

Meanwhile, Nepali leaders have softened their positions on the map row and the EPG report. Today, the three major forces—Nepali Congress, CPN (Maoist Center), and Madhes-based parties—have all set aside these contentious agendas. Only CPN-UML raises them, and even then, only half-heartedly. Oli remains consistent, however, in asserting that Lord Ram was born in Nepal, a claim that continues to irritate India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. On the boundary dispute, both governments appear to share an understanding to address the issue quietly through established bilateral mechanisms rather than public confrontation. As for SAARC, the prospect of revival has receded further since the India-Pakistan clashes in May this year. 

Still, despite the delay in Oli’s visit, Nepal-India engagement has intensified. Cabinet ministers from both sides have been exchanging visits, political delegations between Kathmandu and New Delhi have grown more frequent and meetings of long-dormant bilateral mechanisms have resumed, showing tangible progress. The “China factor” remains central, with India frequently raising concerns about Beijing’s influence in Nepal in the context of its own security interests.

Regional dynamics have also nudged the two countries closer. During the India–Pakistan war of May 7–9, Nepal issued two statements condemning terrorism, implicitly siding with India. Indian Ambassador Naveen Srivastava personally met Prime Minister Oli to convey New Delhi’s appreciation. Since coming to power in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has prioritized neighboring countries in India’s foreign policy. Though critics argue these efforts have fallen short, the Modi government continues to push forward with economic and development packages as the backbone of its neighborhood engagement.

Defense cooperation, once strained, is also seeing renewed momentum. During Misri’s visit, India handed over light strike vehicles, critical care medical equipment and military animals to the Nepali Army. The Indian readout described this as reflecting “the close relationship between the two armies and our robust defense cooperation.” 

Collaboration between the two armies has grown in recent months, even as India closely monitors Nepal’s growing ties with the US and Chinese militaries.

Institutional mechanisms have also restarted. After a six-year hiatus, the Nepal-India Boundary Working Group met in New Delhi on July 28–29 for its seventh session. While contentious issues remain unresolved, the two sides agreed on updated modalities for inspecting and maintaining boundary pillars, finalized a three-year work plan, and committed to using advanced technologies for boundary management.

Progress has also been noted in legal and development cooperation. Negotiations continue on a revised extradition treaty and a mutual legal assistance agreement in criminal matters. Small-scale development projects under the High Impact Community Development scheme are advancing steadily. Integrated Check Posts (ICPs), first agreed upon in 2005, have also moved forward. Three of the five ICPs were completed and operationalized in 2018, 2020, and 2024, with work underway on the remaining two.

“During the various engagements, both sides noted with satisfaction the concrete progress in recent years in diverse areas of bilateral cooperation, including physical connectivity, digital connectivity, defence and security and energy cooperation,” said the press release issued by Indian Embassy in Nepal. 

“Nepal is a priority partner of India under its Neighbourhood First policy. The Foreign Secretary’s visit continued the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between the two countries and helped in advancing our bilateral ties further.”

The Supreme Court has issued a mandamus order  to proceed with an investigation against Janata Samajbadi Party Chairman Upendra Yadav in the Gaur massacre case.

A joint bench of Justices Til Prasad Shrestha and Nityanand Pandey on Monday ordered the District Police Office, Rautahat to carry out an investigation against Yadav in the Gaur mass killing.

On June 4, 2023, Tribhuvan Sah on behalf of the victims' family filed a writ petition at the Supreme Court, alleging that the state has failed to take action against the culprits even after years of the incident.

Hearing the same case, the apex court issued an order to proceed with the investigation against Yadav after 19 years.

The District Police Office, Rautahat and the District Government Attorney's Office, Rautahat were made defendants in the case.

On March 21, 2007, as many as 27 cadres of the then CPN (Maoist) were killed in the clash with the cadres of the then Madhesi Janadhikar Forum Nepal. Upendra Yadav was the Chairman of the Madhesi Janadhikar Forum then.

More than 50 Maoist cadres were injured in the incident.

After investigating the incident, the National Human Rights Commission concluded that the attack targeting Maoist cadres was premeditated. 

Ambassador Dr Sarmila Parajuli Dhakal, President of the International Relations and Global Diplomacy Dialogue (IRGDD), together with co-founder Bimal Dhakal, held a meeting with Munu Mahawar, Additional Secretary at the Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India in Kathmandu on Monday.

The meeting also highlighted the scope for future collaborations between IRGDD and Indian institutions in areas of diplomacy, economic growth, technology, youth engagement, and people-to-people exchanges, underscoring the spirit of friendship that has long defined Nepal–India relations.

President Ram Chandra Paudel has said that all sides must fulfill the commitments made in the Paris Agreement relating to climate change and the measures to contain global temperature rise.

Inaugurating the conference of parliamentarians from Hindu Kush region today, President Paudel urged all countries- developed and developing, poor and industrial- to adhere to the Paris Agreement to contain temperature rise to 1.5 Degree Celsius since pre-industrial age.

He expressed worry over the rise of temperature above average range in the Hindu Kush Himalaya in recent years, which is further exacerbated by the fast snow melt, causing floods and erosion downstream. 

"Climate change, loss of biodiversity and air pollution are not limited to scientific reports, but become harsh realities of our lives," President Paudel lamented, adding that the conference is a historic opportunity to shape a roadmap for a common and sustainable future. 

The Head of the State further reminded, "It is also the moment to make a firm commitment towards the future of geography, mountain, forest, rivers and environment of the Hindu Kush Himalaya." 

More than two billion people are sustained by the water emanated from mountains of this region, but growing adversity downstream is a severe challenge, he said.

Paudel further shared that this region is rich in biodiversity. 

The protection of biodiversity helps enrich the eco system, otherwise causing serious impacts on food, culture and economy, he argued. 

The President also expressed gratitude to the member countries of Hindu Kush region for their continued efforts to face climate change, control air pollution and protect biodiversity. 

Nepal has also made significant initiatives like early warning relating to disaster caused by climate change, collaboration on hydropower development and use, promotion of solar power, and participatory community forest conservation, he explained in his address. 

Also featured in his statement were expansion of reserve area, monitoring of wildlife, improvement in public transport, promotion of electric vehicles and curb on industrial emission.

However, adequate efforts for climate adaptation and resilience were yet to be in place with effective policy.

The President expected that such an event would institutionalize parliamentary dialogue and foster sustainable cooperation to tackle common challenges.