Table of Contents
What has happened?
- India and Nepal on Saturday launched several connectivity and energy cooperation initiatives, including a cross-border passenger train, Even as Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba urged his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to take steps to resolve a boundary dispute.
- The border issue had become a major irritant in bilateral ties under his predecessor, KP Sharma Oli.
- The previous Nepal government had issued a new political map and claimed the territories of Kalapani, Limpiyadhura and Lipulekh.
- The Indian side made it clear both countries need to address the boundary issue through dialogue and to avoid the politicisation of such issues.
- The focus of the meeting between the two prime ministers was on developmental cooperation,
- Including a joint vision statement for power cooperation that envisages joint development of projects and transmission infrastructure.
Cross-border Rail link
- Modi and Deuba launched the 35-km cross-border railway line linking Jaynagar in Bihar to Kurtha in Nepal and flagged off the inaugural run of a train with a capacity of 1,000 passengers.
- This is the first broad-gauge passenger rail link between the two sides and it will be extended to Bardibas in Nepal under a project supported by an Indian grant of ₹548 crore.
- The train will be operated by the Nepal Railway Company (NRC).
- For the convenience of passengers, 8 stations, 6 halt stations, and 47 road crossings have been constructed on this rail section connecting the two countries.
- A total of 127 minor and 15 major bridges have been constructed on the newly gauged converted Jaynagar-Kurtha rail section of 34.9 km.
- The rail service between Jayanagar and Bijalpura in Nepal had been introduced in 1937 by the British.
- It was suspended in 2001 after the Nepal floods.
- India has spent around ₹10 billion to rebuild the old railway track, and the Nepal government has purchased two train sets for around Rs1 billion.
- This will be the first Broad Gauge passenger rail service in Nepal.
- Prior to this till 2014 a narrow gauge service ran between Jayanagar and Janakpur operated by Nepal.
Solu corridor
- The Indian side handed over the Solu Corridor, a 90-km, 132 kV power transmission line built for ₹200 crore under an Indian line of credit.
- The line will help bring electricity to several remote districts in northeastern Nepal by connecting them to the country’s national grid.
Rupay card
- Modi and Deuba also launched India’s RuPay card in Nepal.
- The domestic variant of the RuPay card will now work at 1,400 point-of-sale machines in Nepal, and the move is expected to facilitate bilateral tourist flows.
- Nepal is the fourth country, after Bhutan, Singapore and the UAE, where RuPay is live.
Nepal joins ISA
- Nepal signed a framework agreement to join the India-led International Solar Alliance, and The two sides signed three more pacts – A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on enhancing technical cooperation in the railways sector, and
- Two agreements between Indian Oil Corporation and Nepal Oil Corporation for the supply of petroleum products for five years and for sharing of technical expertise.
Joint vision statement
- The joint vision statement on power cooperation committed the two sides to work for joint development of power generation projects in Nepal,
- Development of cross-border transmission infrastructure, bi-directional power trade based on market demand and coordinated operation of national grids.
- Nepal invited Indian firms to invest in development, construction and operation of renewable and hydropower projects.
Historical ties
- Deuba noted that Nepal’s relations with India are “highly important” and said his country is “eager to benefit from India’s progress through a mutually beneficial economic partnership”.
- He sought the enhancement of cooperation in civil aviation, including additional air routes, and the early delivery of 150,000 tonnes of chemical fertilisers by India.
Q) Which among the following rivers passes through Yang Yap Pass?
- Indus
- Sutlej
- Kosi
- Brahmaputra
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