BY DWAIPAYAN REGMI, TON, NEPAL

There had been different understandings and deals that turns into an agreement after formal procedure followed by signature signings. At the time when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Lumbini, the birthplace of Gautam Buddha, there were different agreements signed and exchanged too. Following is the list of such MoUs that were signed at that time.

1. Memorandum of Understanding between Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Lumbini Buddhist University on the establishment of Dr. Ambedkar Chair for Buddhist Studies

Lumbini Buddhist University (LBU) is an autonomous institution aiming to educate the people of Nepal and the global community on core Buddhist values for the promotion of World Peace it was established by the Government of Nepal with the Parliament Act of 2004 through the concept that was presented for First World Buddhist Summit held in Lumbini with constituent campuses of the University with Central Administration Offices. Currently, it has been offering the facility of Buddhist Studies, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Development Studies and Applied Sciences There was a deal among them for the establishment of Dr. Ambedkar Chair for Buddhist Studies. It has been believed that this will be an example of cooperation between two nations. There were talks about construction tasks that will be done by one International Buddhist Confederation (IBC).

2. Memorandum of Understanding between Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and CNAS, Tribhuvan University on the establishment of ICCR Chair of Indian Studies

ICCR Chair is established in Indian Studies along with Indian languages through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a foreign university. The chairs where will be deputed from approved panels of ICCR which would consist of experts in respective subjects. ICCR has established Chairs of Indian Studies (Political Science, Economics, History, Sociology, Philosophy) and Hindi with the global university. For Nepal, it seems that Tribhuvan University for Nepal. Previously, there had not been any chairs for Nepal under this provision here. It is the council who would be deputing chairs based on the suggestion for such a host-based University.

3. Memorandum of Understanding between Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) and Kathmandu University (KU) on the establishment of the ICCR Chair of Indian Studies

Kathmandu University, which has often been regarded as an advanced and modern approach to university teaching an advanced form of education has been offering different faculties under science, medical, management, humanities, and arts section. The ICCR Chair of Indian studies will be opened at this university too. It helps in promoting Indian culture and various other aspects among Nepalese students. They would somewhere be working for supporting various academic activities like guidance-based research, conducting seminars and other coordination, delivering public lectures, and publications and ultimately generating scholarly interaction in academics of Nepal and university students here. This attempt will help in collaborative benefit as explained.

4. Memorandum of Understanding [in collaboration] between Kathmandu University (KU), Nepal, and Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M), India

There is a strong set of Memorandum of Understanding that was signed during this agreement under which Kathmandu University and IIT Madras will be collaborating through one aspect or the next. This university will be operating through any module there itself too. Be it in the academic sector uplifting or other dimensions, there will be tie-up seeking each other's benefit and coordination there. This will be immediately implied and there will be a long-term impact that would be seen too. They will somewhere work around for mutual benefit.

5. Letter of Agreement (LoA) between Kathmandu University (KU), Nepal, and Indian Institute of Technology (IITM), India [ For Joint degree program at Master’s level]

There was the next MoU with ICCR aiming to establish ICCR Chair at Kathmandu university it IIT-M for universities collaborations which would begin in 1998 there. There then exists a Letter of Agreement (LoA) between Kathmandu University and IIT-M to start a joint Master's Degree Program in Engineering starting from the very next semester. So, within the presence of both the Prime Minister and Indian Foreign Secretary the exchange task was done. This will help Nepalese students to acquire something that has been taught in an Indian reputed institute – the Indian Institute of Technology there itself. It thereby helps in promoting engineering education in any space there and then.

6. Agreement between SJVN Ltd and Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) for the Development and implementation of the Arun 4 Project

Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) is an Indian public sector that undertook involvement in hydroelectric power generation along with transmission. This was incorporated in 1988. Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) is the only electricity authority for generating electricity based in Nepal. There was agreement about power-sharing of this hydropower project which will be generating 2.14 billion units of hydroelectricity every year. It has been agreed that India will be building this project and then Nepal will get 21.9 percent of electricity monthly from the project. Apart, Nepal has reserved the right to purchase electricity generated from the project if it can afford it.

Chances of Indian Influences on Nepalese heritage, traditions, and culture

It is obvious for the smaller nation to be dominated by a bigger one. Be it in the case of Russia and Mongolia or India and Nepal. Although the two-nation thereby share a similar cultural base, through all the signings - it is obvious that there will be a greater influence of India on Nepalese resources. Although through academic agreements, there will be a kind of cultural influence among Nepalese minds; through the resource sharing agreement of Arun 4, the power of Arun 4 will be drastically divided with their increased power.

India has always dominated Nepal, which was seen during the blockade India imposed a few years back on Nepal. This influence will be on their track. There have been huge criticisms that are being done in the Indian aspect thereafter and then. This influence would then be seen in various aspects – from political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, environmental, and legal policies there. There will be a certain influence on various aspects thereby.

Politically, the supremacy of India will always be at a higher rank. They will always have an influencing aspect on Nepalese academics and resources politically. This will then be followed through the economic aspect where they will have influence there. India already has been creating a suspicious environment regarding where Buddha was born. So, their influence will certainly be high. Their influences on social practices and customs would always be around through which the influencing capacity that they have is certainly a higher level of scale. And, these agreements would somewhere subconsciously impact the scene.