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New Delhi did well to respond decisively when tragedy struck Nepal. While the media and cameras, which have now flooded Kathmandu, will soon leave Nepal, the world's attention will turn to the next crisis. But India must stick around for the long haul.

The quick succession of large-scale natural calamities has highlighted the shortcomings in our disaster management and rehabilitation strategies at the national and state levels. Quite often, women's role and potential in disaster management and disaster risk reduction is overlooked.

As Delhi waits for specific proposals from Kathmandu, it on its own must imagine and debate the contours of a new strategic partnership agreement with Nepal that is rooted in the principle of sovereign equality and deepens security and economic cooperation between the two countries on a pragmatic basis.

Nepal is upset that India did not whole-heartedly support the adoption of the new Constitution by the Constituent Assembly, according to Mr. Chandra Kumar Ghimire, Consul General of Nepal in Kolkata.

While the Chinese have kept us embroiled with their visa tactics in Arunachal, intrusions in Ladakh as part of an unsettled boundary issue, and nuclear plants to Pakistan, they have long endeavoured to seek access and presence south of the Himalayas. They appear to be succeeding in Nepal.

We are not in an easy situation in Nepal. The country is in a kind of turmoil. It is like a frozen ice cube that is melting and we do not know how we should refreeze it into the shape we want. The country has lots of energy and is ready with a new agenda for social change and progress. But how do we give it direction so that the sense of nationhood that is strongly taking root is reflected in the new constitution now being drafted by the Constit

Going by the latest economic status of the countries of the world, it looks like Nepal is joining the league of Sub-Saharan Africa. With a per capita income of $490.

In a surprising move that could have a far-reaching consequence on foreign policy, Nepal has entered into an agreement with Three Gorges Corporation (TGC) of China for the construction of the 750 MW West Seti Hydro Electricity Project.

There has been an overall decline in the freedom of press and right to information in Nepal. Although the political actors have long upheld the peoples' right to information, media is faced with harsh situations on ground with political party cadres, especially the Maoists, resorting to violence and other intimidation tactics against the journalists to suppress free press.

In Nepal, since the signing of the seven-point agreement on November 1, two significant developments have taken shape. First, the integration process of former Maoist combatants has begun in all seven cantonments despite strong reservations.

Nepal is still grieving the loss of life and property caused by the April 25 earthquake and its aftershocks. The epicentre of the devastating earthquake, measuring 7.9 on Richter scale, was Lamjung, around 77 km northwest of Kathmandu.

It is almost a year since fresh elections to the Constituent Assembly in Nepal took place for the formation of a new government and the writing of a new constitution that would, as was expected then, be a breath of fresh air for a country long engulfed in political and social unrest -- and political and constitutional instability afterward.

In Nepal, another fierce battle for the top executive post has begun, putting the much important issue of Constitution-drafting in the back burner. As usual, the federalism debate has evaporated from the mainstream,

In Nepal, with the dissolution of Constituent Assembly and legislature parliament, the Baburam Bhattarai government will continue under caretaker status. But a political confrontation is unavoidable in days ahead given the deep divisions among and within the political parties of Nepal.

With all political options shrinking before the nation's leaders, Nepal has landed in a political mess like never before in its recent history.

Nepal's Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai will make an important visit to New Delhi starting October 20. Given the strain in relationship between his own party, the UCPN (Maoist), and India on multiple issues during the tenure of his party President Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda as the premier.

Nepal and China celebrated 1 August as the anniversary day of 60 years of establishment of their diplomatic relations. President Ram Baran Yadav and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged congratulatory messages on the occasion of the 60th anniversary.

A recent study published in an American journal places Nepal at the 37th place in a list of 60 prospective failing states all over the world. The study must have been conducted a few months earlier. Today, Nepal must have moved up in the list.

India has been unequivocally telling all the senior leaders of Nepal who visited New Delhi since April this year that they should work together for the long-term peace, stability and development of the country.

The United Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), which heads the present coalition government, is currently faced with the most severe intra-party differences over key issues of national concern.

Nepal President Dr Ram Baran Yadav's India visit last week helped to bring some clarity on New Delhi's current position vis-a-vis the political developments in Nepal. Although the visit came at the height of political tensions back home,

The Nepalese revolution is only the latest manifestation of the power of the people in compelling dictatorial forces to yield. In February 1986, the Philippine people had brought down a dictatorship and restored democracy in their dramatic four-day People Power Revolution.

Nepal and China have agreed in principle to take up a joint project on infrastructure development of the Nepal-China Economic Belt. The decision was taken at the Foreign Ministers' level meeting held in Beijing recently to commemorate the 60th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the two neighbours.

Nepal will hold elections to the second constituent assembly (CA) on November 19, 2013. The first CA polls were held in 2008. The major political parties, currently represented in the High Level Political Committee (HLPC),

The United Communist Party of Nepal (UCPN-M or the Maoists), the single largest party in Nepal's Constituent Assembly, held its much-awaited sixth plenum at Palungtar in Gorkha district on November 21.

Ever since Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa-colleague, Tensing Norgay, set their foot on the summit of Mt. Everest 60 years ago, the desire of the alpinists the world over to scale the world's highest peak has grown vigorously.

As China exerts greater pressure on the Communists-led Government in Nepal to curb all anti-Chinese activities emanating from its soil, those Tibetan refugees wanting to transit Nepal or seeking refugee status are having rough days ahead.

As Nepal sees rising tensions on the political front, New Delhi cannot design temporary solutions which can hardly bring lasting peace in the country.

The road ahead in Nepal's fragile political landscape is becoming much bleaker with increasing power tussle. While Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai is insisting that he will hand over power only to an elected government.

Amid all political and economic impasses Nepal¿s incumbent Government under Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa, announced ¿amnesty¿ to the Maoist insurgents on December 18, 2003 and called them to surrender along with their weapons, relatives and friends before February 12, 2004.

After a long spell of mistrust among political actors, the peace process in Nepal has returned to a constructive and progressive stage. This week the Maoist-led government of Dr Baburam Bhattarai ordered the Nepal Army and the Armed Police Force to take total charge of Maoist cantonments, the former fighters and their weapons.

Among the many areas of cooperation and assistance between India and Nepal, a very important one is that of power. Nepal has a huge potential for generating hydropower but is constrained due to the lack of supporting infrastructure as well as its geography.

As Nepal is set to go to polls on 19 November, the political scenario in the country is turning increasingly foggy. Technically, the people of Nepal should be looking forward to the polls and the prospect of a new Constitution.

It is almost certain now that the proposed Constituent Assembly (CA) election in Nepal, slated for June 21, is a remote possibility, given the lack of cooperation from the opposition forces to the Interim Election Council headed by Chief Justice Khil Raj Rehmi and the delay caused in finalising election-related processes.

The recent arrests of some of India's top terrorists along the Indo-Nepal border indicate the vulnerability of the porous border between the two neighbours. More importantly, it reflects on the bilateral cooperation in intelligence-sharing and joint-operations,

The tussle for supremacy and one-showmanship between Maoist Chairman Prachanda and Prime Minister Babauram Bhattarai is indicative of the internal weakness of the United Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist).

The year 2013 ended on a note of strengthened confidence between Nepal and India. On 21-22 December 2013, the Inter-governmental Committee Meeting on Trade, Transit and Cooperation to Control Authorised Trade, between the two countries was held in Kathmandu.

The south Asian region has been a region of disjointed congruity for decades. Efforts at integrating the countries that make up the region have been in place through a variety of mechanisms such as diplomatic efforts, regional and sub-regional organisations.

Baburam Bhattarai's resignation from the post of vice-chairman of the Maoist party has brought intra-party rivalry to the fore once again, adding to the worries of the party chairman, Pushpa Kumar Dahal alias Prachanda.

Has paralysis struck Nepal? Or, would the country be paralysed next month? What awaits the 29-million people of the Himalayan kingdom? These are some of the questions which are being debated among knowledgeable circles and friends of the country.

Political parties in Nepal should preserve at any cost the newly-found consensus. All other contentious issues must be handed over to an independent body to deal with. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Disappearances Commission should be formed without delay to address the issues of grievances.

With the elections date to the Nepal Constituent Assembly now being announced, it is time for all political actors to unite for the larger cause. The poll announcement should be the beginning of a new rapprochement between the parties.

Despite former king Gyanendra's attempts to revive the golden days of monarchy in Nepal, it will not be an easy return given the monarchy's past role in muzzling the voice of democracy.

A well-known political scientist from Nepal, Prof. Lok Raj Baral, says that there is no convergence of ideology in Nepal now. He says that every political group has its own interpretation of liberal values and norms and the central leadership is unable to take its own decision.

Like the Arab Spring, the netizen revolt was against a "perceived" threat to their empowerment. In this case, cheap access to the internet, which ironically is also one of PM Modi's promises to the entire nation.

The rail connectivity schemes in the Northeast, if implemented in a timely manner, would possibly achieve what decades of politico-administrative soft power and military hard power struggled to - bring about peace and economic development in a region embroiled in protracted ethnic conflicts.

Bangladesh needs full closure of the war crimes aspect of her history and a move away from fundamentalism that threatens it today. Bangladesh has to see the fulfillment of its Shahbag moment. The recent hanging of Mollah, is a process in that closure.