A 21-member delegation of elected local government representatives from Nepal has arrived in India for a capacity-building and study programme focused on urban governance and sustainable development.
The programme, being conducted by the National Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (NIRDPR) in Hyderabad, began on August 3 and will continue until August 12. It is being sponsored by India’s Ministry of External Affairs as part of the broader India-Nepal development cooperation programme.
The delegation includes mayors, acting mayors, chairpersons and municipal representatives from Ilam, Panchthar, Taplejung and Tehrathum districts in Nepal’s Koshi Province. The visit is designed to provide Nepal’s local representatives with an opportunity to study Indian experiences and best practices in managing urban areas.
The 10-day training programme covers a range of subjects connected with local governance and municipal development. These include sustainable urban development, agriculture and horticulture, waste management, eco-tourism and the use of technology in local administration.
Officials said the programme is aimed at strengthening the capacity of elected representatives and helping them understand practical approaches that can be adapted to their own municipalities. The delegates are expected to interact with Indian institutions and officials and examine how different development models are implemented at the local level.
The programme was inaugurated in Hyderabad on Monday. Saketa Raja Musinipalli, Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, highlighted the close and longstanding relationship between India and Nepal. He stressed the importance of capacity building and development cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.
As part of the study visit, the Nepalese delegation will also travel beyond Hyderabad to Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu. During these visits, the representatives are expected to observe successful urban governance initiatives and learn from models that could potentially be adapted in Nepal.
The programme comes against the backdrop of close people-to-people and institutional ties between India and Nepal. Both countries have increasingly focused on cooperation in areas such as local development, infrastructure, governance and capacity building.
For the visiting representatives, the study tour provides an opportunity to gain first-hand exposure to India’s local governance systems while also sharing experiences from Nepal. The exchange is expected to contribute to stronger institutional links between local governments in the two countries.
Officials involved in the programme said the emphasis will remain on practical learning and the exchange of ideas, with the ultimate objective of improving public services and local development.
The visit is another example of India’s efforts to support capacity building among local-level institutions in neighbouring countries through training, knowledge sharing and development cooperation.
