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Talk on "Nepal-India Relations" by Ambassador of Nepal H.E. Dr. Shankar P. Sharma

By Khusmita Dhabhi & Rishi Gupta The Vivekananda International Foundation organised a talk by H.E. Dr. Shankar P. Sharma, Ambassador of Nepal on "Nepal-India Relations" on 1st June 2022 at 1100. The session was chaired by Dr. Arvind Gupta, Director, VIF, and moderated by Brig. Vinod Anand. In his welcome remarks, Dr. Gupta said that in the past seven decades, the bilateral ties between the two countries have deepened manifold. His remarks were seconded by H.E. Amb Shankar Sharma.

PAKISTAN INSIGHTS 2021-22: A Granular Look At Key Issues in Pakistan

PAKISTAN INSIGHTS 2021-22 is the third in the ‘Pakistan Insights’ series brought out by the Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) to deepen the understanding of Pakistan. Ideas for the various chapters are based on the discussions held in the Pakistan Study Group (PSG) that was set up in February 2018 in the VIF. The previous two editions- Pakistan Insights 2019 and Pakistan Insights 2020 received widespread acclaim and it is hoped that this edition too would be well received.

Discussion on "Implications of Political & Economic Crisis in Sri Lanka"

On the 20th of May, 2022, the Vivekananda International Foundation organized a discussion on the 'Implications of the Political and Economic Crisis in Sri Lanka'. The session began with Dr Ganesh Wignaraja, Senior Research Associate at the Overseas Development Institute in London, presenting the causes and consequences of Sri Lanka's current economic predicament. This was followed by a series of remarks by discussants Ambassador Ashok K. Kantha, Director at the Institute of Chinese Studies at Delhi, and Shri PM Hebilkar, Former Special Secretary at the Government of India.

Developments in Sri Lanka and Its Implications

Vivekananda International Foundation organized a virtual meeting on 11 April 2022 in the episode of the Strategic Discussion Series with the theme "Development in Sri Lanka and its implementation". The welcome address was given by Lt General R K Sawhney. During this discussion, keynote speakers were Mr Nitin Gokhale, Amb. Ashok Kantha, Mr PM Heblikar, Akshay Mathur and a few other speakers were present.

Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) in Nepal: Facts, Disputes, and the US-China Contest

In the past two months, Nepal’s political space had been marred by upheavals and doubts over the future of the ruling alliance between the Nepali Congress, Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Center)/Maoist Party, and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) [CPN-US], over ratification of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) which is USD 500 million grant offered by the United States (US) to Nepal for a period of five years. The MCC agreement had been awaiting its ratification by the Parliament of Nepal since 2017. Finally, it was ratified on February 27, 2022.

Bangladesh War: Report from Ground Zero, MANASH GHOSH, Niyogi Books Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, INR-695, ISBN No- 978-93-91125-37-0, 2021, Pages- 220

Manash Ghosh’s Bangladesh War: Report From Ground Zero offers a gripping narrative of the events that occurred during the liberation war of Bangladesh or Muktijuddho in 1971. The book written in lucid language is one of its kinds when it comes to providing first hand information of the liberation war from the frontlines in East Pakistan. The author, a cub reporter at the time of the war in Statesman a renowned English daily, showed immense courage and determination to go deep inside East Pakistan for covering the battle being fought by the Muktijoddhas against the Pakistan Army.

Book Launch of “India Bangladesh Bonhomie at 50: 1971 and the Present” 31 March 2022, Dhaka, Bangladesh

The edited “India Bangladesh Bonhomie at 50: 1971 and the Present” by Sreeradha Datta was launched in the presence of Mr. Shariar Alam Minister of State, Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh, Amb. Kazi Imtiaz Hossain, Chairman Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), Bangladesh, Major Shamsul Arefin, Chairman, Bangladesh Foundation for Strategic Studies, Bangladesh, Dr Arvind Gupta, Director , Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF), Lt Gen Ravi K Sawhney, Centre Head and Senior Fellow, Vivekananda International Foundation at BIISS, Dhaka.

VIF Delegation Dhaka Visit 29 March-2nd April 2022

A Vivekananda International Foundation (VIF) delegation led by Director, Dr Arvind Gupta, comprising Lt Gen Ravi Sawhney, Dr Sreeradha Datta and Mr EB Rajesh, CII visited Dhaka during 29 March-2nd April 2022 at the invitation of Bangladesh Foundation for Regional Studies, led by Maj (Retd)ASM Shamsul Arefin. Major Arefin arranged an intensive schedule of interaction and engagement with a variety of domain experts, officials, political leaders, activists and scholar.

Book Discussion on India’s Economic Miracle and Nepal

On the 23rd of March, the Vivekananda International Foundation organized a virtual book discussion on “India’s Economic Miracle and Nepal”. The session began with a series of introductory remarks by Mr. Prakash Man Singh, Member of Parliament and Senior Leader of Nepali Congress, and Professor Hari Bansh Jha, author and executive director Center for Economic and Technical Studies, Nepal. These remarks were then followed by comments on the nature of India-Nepal relations by Ambassador Deep Kumar Upadhyay, Ambassador Ranji Rae, Mr. Atul K Thakur and Mr. Ganesh Kumar Mandal.

Col (Dr) Guru SadayBatabyal (Retd), Politico-Military Strategy of the Bangladesh Liberation War, 1971 Routledge, 2021, PP 314, ISBN: 978-0-367-32268-7 (hbk), INR – 1210/-

Fifty years of the Bangladesh Liberation War has been celebrated this year. It is appropriate that a path-breaking book be published during the Liberation War celebration. This book should be of immense interest to the defence and strategic community in the Indian subcontinent.

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