India offered 75 ambulances and 17 school buses to Nepal on Sunday as part of its continued efforts to strengthen the two countries’ “strong and longstanding” relationship and support the Himalayan nation in strengthening its infrastructure in the healthcare and education sectors. See here.
Naveen Srivastava, India’s newly appointed ambassador, was present to make it official. He handed over the keys to Devendra Paudel, Minister of Education, Science, and Technology in Nepal.
According to Srivastava, this gifting of ambulances and school buses is a component of the two nations’ “very robust and strong development partnership.”
According to him, the Indian government has a long history of supporting Nepal’s efforts to improve its infrastructure in the areas of health and education through initiatives like this one.
The Indian Embassy here noted that it also commemorates 75 years of India’s independence.
Nepali Minister Paudel admired the numerous ongoing development initiatives carried out by India in Nepal. He said that these programs would maintain the improvement of people-to-people ties and bilateral relations.
According to the Indian mission, these vehicles will be given to numerous government agencies and non-profit organizations (NGOs) operating in different districts throughout Nepal’s healthcare and education sectors.
India’s relationship with Nepal
Nepal is India’s neighboring country. India and Nepal have a special friendship and cooperative relationship that is characterized by open borders and enduring people-to-people kinship and cultural ties.
People have been able to move freely across borders for a very long time. 29 million people are living in Nepal, which has a land area of 147,181 square kilometers. Over 1850 kilometers of its border are shared with five Indian States: Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand; in the north, it is bordered by the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People’s Republic of China.
The framework of the unique ties that exist between India and Nepal is the India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship of 1950. According to the terms of this agreement, Nepalese citizens have unparalleled benefits in India, including equal access to services and opportunities as Indian citizens.
Nepal’s disadvantages as a landlocked nation have been largely eliminated owing to the Treaty. Numerous Nepalese governments have brought up the need to update the treaty over the years. However, India has consistently stated that it is ready to review all bilateral agreements to improve our relations.
To support Kathmandu in its battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, India gave 39 ventilator-equipped ambulances to Nepal in 2021.
On the occasion of the 151st anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi’s birth, India offered 41 ambulances and six school buses to Nepal in 2020.
The long-running Kalapani dispute has deteriorated relations between India and Nepal. Near the Lipulekh Pass on the India-China border, which is one of the authorized crossing points for border trade and serves as the route for the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra in Tibet, is a small area of land known as Kalapani.
Since Nepal’s independence, the problem has been a sore point in relations with India.
The leaders of the two nations have frequently referred to their long-standing “Roti Beti” relationship, which makes Nepal significant to India in the context of its overall strategic interests in the region.
India provides Nepal with access to the sea, and Nepal imports a large portion of its needs from and through India.
It might be possible that India may stop viewing bilateral relations with Nepal solely through the lens of security and instead see them as a zero-sum game with China.
India may also concentrate on fostering relationships with multiple facets for the benefit of both countries.
