Neighbourhood Studies
Others
BBIN: Paradigm Change in South Asia

Introduction: In a bid to emulate the European Economic Cooperation (EEC, later EC and then EU), and the promise of success in the ASEAN models, South Asian countries got together in December 1985 to form their own South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Click here to read full paper

Visit by a Nepalese Delegation

A five-member delegation from Nepal, led by Abdul Razzak, Member of Parliament (Nepali Congress Party) and comprising Dr Jagat Bahadur Pathak, Dr C B Pun, Gopi Prasad and Hira KC as members of the delegation, visited the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) on 29 Apr 2016 for a discussion on India-Nepal relations in the present context. It may be recalled that bilateral ties between India and Nepal have been on a roller coaster in recent times, especially since the breakout of protests by Madhesi people in the lower regions of Nepal.

VIF Delegation’s Visit to Bangladesh

At the invitation of Bangladesh Enterprises Institute, a Dhaka based premier think-tank, a VIF delegation headed by Director, Gen. N C Vij, visited Dhaka from April 20-22, 2016. The VIF delegation included Vice Admiral K K Nayar, Lt. Gen. (R) R K Sawhney, Mr. C D Sahay, Amb. Rajiv Sikri and two high level representatives from trade sponsored by CII.

Interaction with Hon’ble Jayampathy Wikramaratne, Member of Parliament, Sri Lanka

The VIF on 14 April 2016 hosted hon’ble Jayampathy Wickramaratne, Member of Parliament (Sri Lanka) and Chairman of the Committee on Constitution Reforms for an interaction on the Constitution-making process in Sri Lanka, a process that got underway in January 2016 with Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe setting up a committee of experts in his office to assist legislators in drafting a new Constitution.

Interaction with a Nepalese Business and Trade Delegation

Leading a twelve-member business and trade delegation from Nepal, Mr. Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal, the Chief Whip of CPN-UML (the second largest political party in Nepal’s consensus government) visited the Vivekananda International Foundation on 22 Feb 2016 for an interaction on the broader dynamics of Indo-Nepal relations against the backdrop of Nepal’s recent political crisis. The delegation, part of the visiting Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s entourage, comprised, among other elected representatives, Chief whips of other political parties and Mr. Sushil Gyawali and Mr.

Interaction with a Nepalese Civil Society Delegation

Leading a six-member Nepalese Civil society delegation, Mr. Daman Nath Dhungana, a legal luminary in Nepal and former Speaker of the House of Representative, visited the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) on 27 January 2016 for an interaction, focusing on the ongoing Madhesi uprising in Nepal. Mr Padma Ratna Tuladhar, Mr Vijay K Karna, Mr Tula Narayan Shah, Mr Dipendra Jha, and Mr Krishna Chaudhary were other members of the delegation.

India- Bangladesh Relations: An Enduring Economic Partnership

India and Bangladesh share a long history of enduring economic partnership and bi-lateral development. The relationship between the two countries has been one based on mutual trust and cooperation. Our multi-faceted economic relations encompass trade, credit arrangements, soft transit facilities and joint ventures in energy and connectivity. Click here to read full Paper

Interaction with Prof Hari Bansh Jha on the Madhesi Uprising in Nepal

On 04 December 2015, the VIF invited Hari Bansh Jha, Professor of Economics, Nepal’s Tribhuvan’s University for an interaction on the current political uprising in Nepal and its implications, especially for India. Prof. Jha presented an insightful analysis of how systemically over the years the government of Nepal through a series of discriminatory measures has marginaslised the Madeshi population (people settled in the Terai region of Nepal), a problem of growing magnitude that has also strained India-Nepal bilateral relations to some extent in recent months.

Visit of VIF Delegation to Sri Lanka

1. A VIF-CII delegation headed by Gen. NC Vij and comprising of Lt. Gen Ravi Sawhney, Mr. CD Sahay, Ambassador Alok Prasad, Mr. Manish Mohan, Regional Director International for South and Central Asia of CII AND Mr. Pankaj Mohan, Vice president KEC Ltd. visited Sri Lanka from 7-10 December 2015. During the visit the delegation met a large number of experts, political and economic analysts invited by the Pathfinder Foundation, representatives of the Tamil community, and senior members of the Buddhist mahasangha.

Interaction with Afghanistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Hekmat Karzai

The Deputy Foreign Minister of Afghanistan H.E. Hekmat Karzai, as part of his recent visit to India, held a broad ranging interaction with members of the VIF faculty on 19 November 2015.

Contact Us