India-Nepal Treaty of Peace and Friendship, 1950
The bedrock of India-Nepal relations is the Treaty of Peace and Friendship signed on July 31, 1950, which establishes a unique open-border arrangement and grants citizens of each country reciprocal rights in the other — a framework unparalleled in India's neighbourhood relationships.
- Articles 6 and 7: Nationals of each country have the right of residence, property ownership (with RBI permission for Indians in Nepal), trade, and freedom of movement in the other country — without passport or visa.
- Article 2: Both governments agree to inform each other of any "grave friction or misunderstanding" with a bordering state — Nepal has historically contested this as limiting its independent foreign policy, particularly regarding China.
- Defence Provision: Nepal must consult India before procuring arms from any third country (other than India) — a significant constraint Nepal has periodically resisted.
- Open Border: The approximately 1,850 km India-Nepal border is entirely open — the only such arrangement in South Asia.
- Controversy: Nepal's repeated calls to revise the 1950 treaty, viewing Articles 2, 6, and 7 as impinging on its sovereignty, especially as China's economic presence grows.
● Tracked since March 04, 2026 · last seen June 06, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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