The present book is based on field study of Nepal-India open border arrangement and conduct of such unique and free border existing between the two countries since the signing of Sugauli Treaty in 1815-16. Its openness poses both challenges and opportunities for disturbing as well as making bilateral relations smooth and friendly. How such close relations which are incomparable to others have been managed and how the newer problems that arise with the pace of time and situation are being addressed are also the theme of study. The findings of study are no less significant as Nepal and India have developed mechanisms to deal with the day-to-day problems making significant improvements for streamlining the border. Yet, two types of problems have given rise to occasional controversy: infringement of border and humanitarian problems caused by the erosion of borderland and occupation of no-man's land by both Indian and Nepalis. The use and misuse of open border by elements indulged in illegal trade, criminal activities of all nature, have also made border management more complex. The concluding section of the book deals with the corrective measures for making open border more smooth, efficient and credible.

On the boundary issues of Nepal with India; a study.

'...unmatched in its meticulous and careful research into the wellsprings of a truly unique relationship between two neighbouring states.' SHYAM SARAN 'Ranjit Rae's portrayal of India-Nepal relations from the Indian perspective is meticulous, nuanced and insightful." S.D. MUNI 'Ranjit Rae breaks down the paradox of India's very intimate yet troubled relationship with Nepal.' C. RAJA MOHAN The first two decades of the new millennium have witnessed a dramatic socio-political transformation of Nepal. A violent Maoist insurgency ended peacefully, a new constitution abolished the monarchy and established a secular federal democratic republic. Nevertheless, political stability and a peace dividend have both remained elusive. Nepal is also buffeted by changing geopolitics, including the US-China contestation for influence and the uneasy relationship between India and China. As a close neighbour, India has been deeply associated with the seminal changes in Nepal, and the bilateral relationship has seen many twists and turns. Partly a memoir, this book examines India's perspective on these developments, in the context of the civilizational and economic underpinnings of the India-Nepal relationship, as well as issues that continue to prevent this relationship from exploiting its full potential. Though there are several Nepalese accounts that deal with this subject, there are few from an Indian point of view. Kathmandu Dilemma fills this gap.

Constrained by traditions restricting their movements and speech, the Maithil women of Nepal and India have long explored individual and collective life experiences by sharing stories with one another. Sometimes fantastical, sometimes including a kind of magical realism, these tales allow women to build community through a deeply personal and always evolving storytelling form. In Maithil Women’s Tales, Coralynn V. Davis examines how these storytellers weave together their own life experiences--the hardships and the pleasures--with age-old themes. In so doing, Davis demonstrates, they harness folk traditions to grapple personally as well as collectively with social values, behavioral mores, relationships, and cosmological questions. Each chapter includes stories and excerpts that reveal Maithil women’s gift for rich language, layered plots, and stunning allegory. In addition, Davis provides ethnographic and personal information that reveal the complexity of women’s own lives, and includes works painted by Maithil storytellers to illustrate their tales. The result is a fascinating study of being and becoming that will resonate for readers in women’s and Hindu studies, folklore, and anthropology.

Trans-boundary rivers between Nepal and India have long signified both cooperation and dispute. Though both countries are highly interested in mutual cooperation for the development of the shared rivers, their attempt to bring things to a successful solution has been hampered by debate. Several treaties and agreements have been signed over time by these countries, such as the Koshi Agreement, the Mahakali Treaty, the Gandak Agreement, etc. While some of these have generated positive outcomes, others are languishing, for reasons political rather than technical. Nepal is not able to harness its water resources, while India is seeking cooperation in order to utilise the shared water. Lack of trust, negotiations and compromise along with vested political interests have affected the degree of cooperation over shared rivers between India and Nepal. To make cooperation more fruitful, the two countries first need to build trust, identify the merits and demerits, compromise for the sake of the common good, share information with each other and implement the mutually agreed upon cooperation package. The essays in this volume bring together a spectrum of viewpoints on this issue. This volume is the outcome of an international conference on this subject organised by the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies, Kolkata (MAKAIAS) in collaboration with the B. P. Koirala India-Nepal Foundation, Embassy of India.

Since its establishment as a policy research institute in 1990, the Institute for In- grated Development Studies (IIDS) has been engaged in promoting public awa- ness and understanding of issues of national importance by undertaking studies and research on contemporary themes. It has been disseminating findings of its studies to policymakers in the public and private sectors and ultimately to the public at large. Water resources is one of the areas of strong public interest in Nepal. It is cons- ered a potent engine of economic growth. Its optimal use is dependent on, among other things, the cooperation among the riparian countries, especially India and Bangladesh. Water resources development is one of the subjects in which the Ins- tute has been engaged since its beginning by undertaking studies through national professionals and joint studies on the water resources of the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Meghna river basins with policy research institutes from India and Bangladesh. In order to help policymakers to develop long-term perspectives of the need for cooperation for optimal use of water available in the tributaries of the Ganges, the Institute was involved in a major track-two exercise for over five years during the 1990s. The Institute has been undertaking a series of exercises in the form of p- lication and dissemination of study findings in the field since the early 1990‘s. In that series, this book is the latest one and is published in collaboration with Springer Science + Business Media BV, Dordrecht, The Netherlands.