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Indian Army and Nepal Army jointly conducted two-day battalion-level validation exercise as part of 19th edition of Exercise SURYAKIRAN in Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand.

The exercise highlighted seamless interoperability, synchronised mission planning and coordinated execution of combined tactical operations in a counter-terrorism environment.

During the exercise, the drills integrated a range of niche technologies including intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance and precision-targeting drones, advanced day and night weapon sights and AI-enabled surveillance feeds.

The Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO) of India Army, Lt. General Manish Luthra and the DGMO of Nepal Army, Anup Jung Thapa jointly planted a Tree of Friendship, reaffirming the timeless bonds and strategic cooperation between both the nations.

Nearly 11 years after the contract was first awarded, the expansion of the Bagmati Bridge at Tinkune–Suvidhanagar remains stalled. The project, initiated in 2014, saw early work halted after the Road Department found that the basement and pillars under construction did not meet design standards and used substandard materials.

Two incomplete pillars still stand as reminders of the abandoned effort. Although a new contract was issued on 26 July 2022, the project has since been stuck in the bridge design–approval process. The bridge was originally expected to be completed by February 2025, but construction has yet to begin.

A similar bridge expansion contract was also awarded in 2014 for the Kathmandu Bijuli Bazaar bridge, which was completed and brought into operation about three years ago. The government has prioritized bridge expansion in Kathmandu after rising traffic congestion made it clear that road widening alone was insufficient.

Senior Divisional Engineer Ashika Pokharel, head of the Kathmandu Ring Road Expansion Project, said construction could not start due to delays in approving the design submitted by the contractor. The design did not initially meet Road Department standards, she said, but has now been approved.

“There has been a delay because the design was not submitted as per the specified standards. Now the design has been approved, and preparations are underway to enter the construction phase,” she said.

The new bridge will follow an arch-style design similar to Bijuli Bazaar.

The project’s first major setback came when Pappu Construction, which received the contract on 20 Dec 2018 for around Rs 210m under the design-build method, began work and built three abutments, two of which were later found to be substandard. The department stopped the work, blacklisted Pappu in 2019, and restarted procurement.

YP Kiranteshwor JV was awarded a new contract on 29 July 2022 to build the 85-meter bridge expansion at a cost of Rs 240m, with a 42-month completion timeline. Originally overseen by the Kathmandu Valley Road Expansion Project in 2014, the project is now under the Kathmandu Ring Road Expansion Project. Three years after the new contract was issued, the bridge design has finally been approved, and Project Chief Pokharel said the contractor has been instructed to mobilize.

Since the project was supposed to be completed within this Magh, the contractor has already sought an extension. “If the delay is our fault, the time will be extended. If it is their fault, we will recover compensation,” said Pokharel. She added that approval processes have also moved forward because nearby branch roads must be closed and fenced before construction can begin.

After three years of waiting, YP Kiranteshwor JV is finally preparing to move to the site. Birbal Rai, a representative of Kiranteshwor Construction, said the company could not begin work earlier due to delays in design approval. He added that the first step will be demolishing the faulty structures built by the previous contractor.

“If the old structures can be demolished without local obstructions, we will start construction soon,” he said.

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on December 1 approved the Nepali authorities’ request for a four-month extension of the country’s Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement.

The extension, which runs until May 11, 2026, is to provide sufficient time for the completion of the seventh review of the program.

The IMF Executive Board approved the 38-month Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement for Nepal on January 12, 2022, providing access to SDR 282.42 million—equivalent to 180 percent of the country’s quota—reads a statement issued by the International Monetary Fund. 

The IMF Executive Board on May 1, 2023 approved an extension of the ECF arrangement until January 11, 2026, along with a rephasing of the program’s disbursements, according to IMF Country Report No. 23/158.

The Executive Board’s decision was taken on a lapse-of-time basis.

The Executive Board takes the decisions under its lapse-of-time procedure when a proposal can be considered without convening formal discussions.

On the occasion of the historic 40th anniversary of the SAARC Charter, the Secretary General Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar and Madam Taslima Sarwar hosted a Diplomatic Reception in Kathmandu today.

Rt. Hon'ble Ramsahay Prasad Yadav, Vice President of Nepal, graced the function with his presence as the Chief Guest.

The reception was attended by the high dignitaries of Nepal, Ambassadors and Representatives of the Embassies of the Member States, Observer States, Heads of Diplomatic Missions and International Organizations in Kathmandu, representatives of business community and civil society, editors and reporters of media houses and people from all walks of life​​​​​​​.

Heads of States/Governments as well as the Foreign Ministers of SAARC Member States issued dedicatory messages on 08 December 2025 to commemorate this momentous day.

In their special messages, the Heads of State/Government and Ministers of Foreign Affairs have underscored the importance of SAARC as a shared platform to foster mutual understanding, collaboration and solidarity in order to build a peaceful, prosperous and integrated South Asia.

Reaffirming their commitment to the ideals and founding objectives as articulated in the Charter, the Leaders also acknowledged the imperatives of concerted efforts and meaningful action to harness economic potentials, achieve sustained and equitable development, and to address the shared challenges confronting the region bound by history, culture and destiny.

Addressing today’s function, Ambassador Sarwar briefly reflected on the journey SAARC has made so far. With its focus on institutional strengthening and norm setting in priority areas to the implementation of programs in the first forty years, to now aiming for global outreach, SAARC has made tremendous progress in both scope and substance, he said.

It may be mentioned that the Heads of State/Government of seven South Asian countries launched SAARC by adopting its Charter at the First Summit held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 08 December 1985. Since then, 08 December is observed as the SAARC Charter Day every year across the South Asia.