KATHMANDU: In an informal interaction program organized by the Neeti Anusandhan Pratisthan Nepal (NeNAP) titled “Experience sharing of Arun III Hydro-Power Project Management the officials from the Indian Embassy as well as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) shared their insights.

In an afternoon interaction session organized at Hotel Tapas in Battisputali, CEO of the project Arun Dhiman along with the Chief of Deputy Mission (CDM) of the Indian Embassy Dr. Ajay Kumar spoke on the importance and the opportunity that were ahead after the completion of the project.

The program that was conducted by the Executive Director of NeNAP Dr. Deepak Adhikari also had an informal Q&A session where Nepali Engineers asked questions along with academicians and technocrats.

Speaking at the program CEO Dhiman said that “30% of the project has been completed. The project will take off by September 2022”. The CEO also informed that this project had enabled the local population to thrive along with creating employment for 300 people. The project life of Arun III is 100 years, and it will generate 900 Mega Watts (MW) of electricity which will add on to the national grid of Nepal as well as bring in revenue.

“I am extremely delighted to be here, and we stand shoulder to shoulder with the Government of Nepal,” said CDM Dr. Ajay Kumar at the program. “This will double the  production capacity that Nepal has and will earn foreign currency which will compensate for its increasing imports,” he said.

The Arun III project is an underground powerhouse project with the ability to withstand an earthquake of 8.5 Richter scale. This project is located in the Sankuwasabha district and 60 kilometers of blacktopped roads have been constructed to connect different sites in the region.

KATHMANDU: Neeti Anusandhan Pratisthan (NeNAP) and National Law College (NaLC) Nepal, jointly organized a program in Hotel Shangri-La in the capital on the 21st of December.  

The discussion program titled “The Constitution of India and its Democratic Traditions” had speakers from India as well as Nepal.  

The program was attended by the Ambassador of India Manjeev Singh Puri who is completing his three-year tenure in Nepal.  

Introducing the program Dr. Deepak Adhikari the Executive Director of NeNAP welcomed the guests and the eminent speakers on the occasion and laid stress on the continuity of the people to people relations between the two nations. He was hopeful that the bilateral relations between Nepal and India would further strengthen in the days ahead.  

Speaking on the occasion were Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri, Prof (Dr.) Guru Prakash, Prof (Dr.) Ram Krishna Timilsina, Prof (Dr.) Surya Dhungel, and Prof (Dr.) P.Puneeth from Jawaharlal Nehru University.  

The entire program was followed by a Q&A session which was participated by the audience including the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Indian Embassy Dr. Ajay Kumar. Closing remarks were given by the President of NeNAP Ms. Nalini Gyawali, and the vote of thanks by Mr. Harka Rawal. 

Reporters Club: In a discussion and interaction program jointly organized by the Neeti Anusandhan Prathisthan (NeNap) and the Institute of Crisis Management Studies (ICMS) in Kathmandu yesterday, various scholars spoke on the foreign policy of Nepal in the new context.

Speaking at the program Dr. Nihar Nayak said that it was his personal opinion and based on his research of over 13 years. He stressed on the need for Nepal to have a well-defined and decipherable foreign policy enabling a clear standing toward the international community. He said that the current foreign policy of the government was unclear and added to the confusion over pressing international issues including the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the Indo-Pacific Strategy (IPS).

(Dr. Nihar Nayak) 

While speaking at the same program Shrikrishna Anuruddh Gautam said that Nepal should first develop a clear mindset and follow the charter of what has been given in the constitution. He also added the importance of the geographical location of the country which was a key factor in determining what Nepal’s foreign policy should be.

Dr. Ram Thapaliya the Chair of ICMS said the leaders should work for the national interest or as history has it they will be voted out of power. He also spoke on the importance of diplomatic relations and the effect of personal decisions that make an enormous impact on the outcome. Dr. Thapliyal said there was a strong need to specify the actual needs of the nation and frame policies accordingly.

(Dr. Ram Thapaliya) 

Finally speaking at the program Dr. Ajay Kumar the Deputy Chief of Mission from the Indian Embassy stated that it is better not to indulge in unnecessary criticisms and value time to get working toward equitable partnership and development. He spoke of the newly inaugurated oil pipeline that had made it relatively easier for Nepal in terms of costs of transportation and at the same time being more efficient.

(Dr. Ajay Kumar DCM, Indian Embassy)

He said that further projects such as the Integrated Check Posts of Biratnagar, Bhairawa, and Nepalgunj would make an enormous impact on the way both countries do business.
The program was officiated by Deepak Adhikari the Director for NeNap, and the concluding remarks were made by Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Balananda Sharma the Principle of ICMS.

It was made clear that Nepal with its majority government had a tremendous opportunity to move forward with a concrete policy that would make its stances clear to the international community however there has been confusion over various issues with leaders in the government making differing statements toward policy and stance. A concrete policy of proximity toward its neighbors and other nations alike is essential for Nepal in the coming days.