Nepal

Politics

Nepal's president appointed former Supreme Court Chief Justice Sushila Karki as the country's interim prime minister, and she will form a Cabinet over the coming days, The New York Times reported on Sept. 12.

Nepal: President Appoints Former Chief Justice as Interim Prime Minister, To Form Cabinet Soon

Military & Security

The Nepalese military remained on the streets of the capital Kathmandu and began preliminary talks with protesters on appointing an interim leader, with protest representatives split on a proposal to appoint former Chief Justice Sushila Karki to the position, AP reported on Sept. 11.

Nepal: Army Officials Meet With Protesters as Military and President Pursue Solution to Current Crisis

Thousands of Nepalese protested the government's recent access restrictions on around two dozen social media platforms, as well as public-sector corruption, fueling violence in the capital and elsewhere that has killed at least 19 people and injured hundreds of others, The New York Times reported on Sept. 8.

Nepal: Deadliest Protests in Years Pressure Government, Prompt Home Minister's Resignation

China

India

Economics

Nepal finalized a framework agreement with China under the Belt and Road Initiative, opening the door to collaboration on projects, Reuters reported on Dec. 4.

Nepal, China: Governments Sign Belt and Road Initiative Agreement

Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, chief of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist), was sworn in as prime minister, ushering in a new coalition government led by his party and its rival Nepali Congress party, The Kathmandu Post reported on July 15.

Nepal: Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli Appointed Prime Minister Again as New Government Forms

Nepal's Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal was ousted after 19 months in power following a vote of no confidence in which 194 lawmakers voted against him and only 63 lawmakers voted to support him, The Kathmandu Post reported on July 12.

Nepal: Prime Minister Ousted Following No-Confidence Vote

The Communist Party of Nepal - Unified Marxist Leninist (CPN-UML), one of the seven coalition partners in the government, threatened to withdraw support after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal backed an opposition candidate for the presidency, Reuters reported Feb. 27.

Nepal: Shifting Alliances Endanger Ruling Coalition 

Nepal's National Independent Party (NIP), the third-largest party in the ruling coalition, quit the government after Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal's administration refused to reinstate NIP chief Rabi Lamichhane as deputy prime minister and home minister, The Kathmandu Post reported Feb. 6.

Nepal: Coalition Partner Quits Government, Highlighting Political Volatility

Snapshots

Demonstrators carrying Nepal's national flag stage a protest outside the parliament building in Kathmandu on Sept. 8, 2025, against social media prohibitions and government corruption. 

Despite the prime minister's resignation and the lifting of a controversial social media ban, risks of violent unrest will likely persist as long-standing political instability deepens.

Nepal's Political Instability Deepens as Violent Protests Prompt Prime Minister's Resignation

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Nepal's election outcome will shape its relations with India and China.

Essential Geopolitics: Nepal's Geopolitical Dilemma

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A Scottish flag painted on the Union Jack. The British Supreme Court on Nov. 23 will rule on whether the Scottish Parliament has the power to pass a law organizing an independence referendum.

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Elections in Nepal, the U.K. Supreme Court Rules on a Scottish Independence Referendum

An aerial view of the Nepalese national flag formed by more than 35,000 people Aug. 23, 2014, in central Kathmandu, Nepal.

While voters might sometimes resent the two larger countries, Nepal has only a limited ability to maneuver between China and India.

After Its Elections, Nepal's Balancing Act Between China and India Will Continue

Bangladesh

Bhutan

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Sri Lanka

India is beating a path to its neighbors in an effort to ensure China doesn't muscle in on New Delhi's backyard.

The New Silk Road

India's Own Worst Enemy

Shoring up New Delhi's influence around South Asia is top on Narendra Modi's to-do list. Achieving success, however, will depend on fending off China and its Belt and Road Initiative.

Wary of China, Modi Courts India's Neighbors

Pakistan

With China ready to open the purse strings, the days when India could dominate South Asia exclusively are long gone.

The India-Pakistan Rivalry

New Delhi is eager to maintain its dominance over the smaller states of the subcontinent, but it'll have a hard time competing with Chinese money.

Why the Belt and Road Fuels India's Fears of Encirclement

Mauritius

Seychelles

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, will be preoccupied with elections in 2019 and Chinese President Xi Jinping with the United States, but each will continue his country's competition for advantage across South Asia and the Indian Ocean.

China in Transition

Beijing's economic and military expansion into South Asia challenges New Delhi's ability to maintain its influence over its neighbors.

India Guards Against China's Encroaching Shadow

Global Perspectives

Contributor Perspectives

For much of its history, Nepal marked the far edge of South Asia. But as China has reasserted itself as a global power, the country's remote location has become an advantage.

Globalization

The country is benefiting from a steady stream of foreign interest and investment -- not from the West, but from China.

In Nepal, Globalization Finds a New Venue

India fears that Chinese projects -- an international airport in Pokhara, nine roads and railways, two special economic zones and three hydropower facilities -- could ensnare Nepal in a debt trap like the one that entangled Sri Lanka.

New Delhi finds that the costs of arm-twisting can outweigh the benefits after voters in Nepal pick a candidate willing to work with China.


For India, Another Day, Another Geopolitical Snag

Pakistan: A Military With a Country

Pakistan is trying to increase its influence in three South Asian states, as power in the region shifts away from India.

 Pakistan: Islamabad Takes Advantage of Resentment of India

Nepal has taken an important step toward establishing democracy in the country with recent elections that suggest the country's foreign policy will become a major issue for voters.

Nepal: New Elections Mark a New Direction

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A rail link in China's New Silk Road

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The Politics of Pipelines

Southeast Asia: Burdened by Consensus

Instability in Central Asia

Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative has earned comparisons to the Marshall Plan for its ambitious, multinational scope. But the program is as much about developing the country's interior as it is forging ties beyond its borders.

China Paves the Way for a New Silk Road

China's Belt and Road Initiative

Nestled against the Himalayas, landlocked Nepal lies between India and China, south of Tibet.    Nepal is divided into three geographic subregions: a mountainous northern border region, a central hilly area and the Terai, a fertile, low-lying marshy plain. The Terai is irrigated by tributaries of the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers and supports over 90 percent of Nepal's 27 million people. Only 17 percent of the population lives in urban areas, the largest being the capital in the Kathmandu Valley, Nepal's core.    Following decades of civil strife, Nepal transformed from a monarchy into a modern republic in 2006. The territory of modern Nepal was unified under ethnic Gurkha rule in the mid-18th century. Colonial Britain relied on the military support of elite Gurkha mercenaries to maintain influence on the subcontinent.    After centuries of isolation, Nepal's geographic challenge is its struggle to remain independent and maintain a distinct identity from surrounding global powers. This is complicated by Nepal's dependence on Indian ports and constant Chinese attention on its northern border with Tibet.    Nepal has transitioned from an isolated agrarian society toward greater economic integration with its neighbors, especially India. While agriculture still plays a large role, it is matched by the services sector fueled by foreign tourism to religious sites and Mt. Everest.              Although the geography and inhospitable climate of the northern border prevent any large-scale military posturing by outside powers, Nepal's location along the Tibetan plateau can serve as a launch pad for greater Indian influence northward or an expansion of Chinese influence, denying New Delhi inroads into Tibet.    Following decades of civil strife, Nepal transformed from a monarchy into a modern republic in 2006. The territory of modern Nepal was unified under ethnic Gurkha rule in the mid-18th century. Colonial Britain relied on the military support of elite Gurkha mercenaries to maintain influence on the subcontinent.    After centuries of isolation, Nepal's geographic challenge is its struggle to remain independent and maintain a distinct identity from surrounding global powers. This is complicated by Nepal's dependence on Indian ports and constant Chinese attention on its northern border with Tibet.    Nepal has transitioned from an isolated agrarian society toward greater economic integration with its neighbors, especially India. While agriculture still plays a large role, it is matched by the services sector fueled by foreign tourism to religious sites and Mt. Everest.              Although the geography and inhospitable climate of the northern border prevent any large-scale military posturing by outside powers, Nepal's location along the Tibetan plateau can serve as a launch pad for greater Indian influence northward or an expansion of Chinese influence, denying New Delhi inroads into Tibet.  

SITUATION REPORTS

Nepal: President Appoints Former Chief Justice as Interim Prime Minister, To Form Cabinet Soon

Nepal: Army Officials Meet With Protesters as Military and President Pursue Solution to Current Crisis

Nepal: Deadliest Protests in Years Pressure Government, Prompt Home Minister's Resignation

Nepal, China: Governments Sign Belt and Road Initiative Agreement

Nepal: Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli Appointed Prime Minister Again as New Government Forms

Nepal: Prime Minister Ousted Following No-Confidence Vote

Nepal: Shifting Alliances Endanger Ruling Coalition

Nepal: Coalition Partner Quits Government, Highlighting Political Volatility

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