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 September 20, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
20 Sep '26
India-Nepal Relations in Focus at Delhi Seminar Amid Flood Relief
International Relations
24 Mar '26
Nepal's RSP Electoral Landslide and the Strategic Window for India
International Relations
See it in today’s brief.
Daily current affairs with every static concept explained in place.
Read the daily brief