PODS by PEI

Note: This week’s episode of PxP:Conversations, between PEI’s Anurag Acharya and Ambassador Ranjit Rae, is a continuation of last week’s episode. Please listen to the earlier episode if you haven't already. Ep. Co#006 The geopolitical landscape of South Asia continues to evolve, with India forced to concede its traditionally uncontested influence to other superpowers, namely, China and the United States. While the US is more strategically allied with India, increasing Chinese influence has directly challenged Indian hegemony in the region. Considering all of these moving pieces, there arises the question of what this geopolitical shift means for recipient countries like Nepal, which has continued to rely on aid provided by developed countries to expand its infrastructures and spur economic growth. In this episode, Anurag asks Ambassador Rae to share intricate details about his engagement with Nepal and its messy politics, from his ring-side view of the 12-point agreement signed between Nepal’s political parties and the CPN-Maoist, to his challenging period in office as an Indian Ambassador to Nepal. The two then discuss Ambassador Rae’s proposition, detailed in his recent book  “Kathmandu Dilemma: Resetting India-Nepal Ties” on how the two countries can overcome the historic and recent tensions, and mutual suspicion, to reset bilateral ties that are grounded on new geopolitical realities. Ambassador Rae is a retired Indian diplomat. During his tenure of over 30 years in the Indian Foreign Service, he held various positions, including | the  Ambassador of India to Vietnam and Hungary; the First Secretary of the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations in New York, and the head of the Northern Division in the Ministry of External Affairs dealing with Nepal and Bhutan. From 2013 to 2017, Ambassador Rae served as the Indian Ambassador to Nepal. During these years, Nepal witnessed some historic events including the promulgation of the new constitution and the earthquake of 2015. This was also a tumultuous period in the Nepal-India relationship, which Ambassador Rae has discussed extensively in his book. ************************ Our theme music (Evening Session: The Hill) is courtesy of Rohit Shakya of Jindabaad. 

Ep. Co#005 The geopolitical landscape of South Asia continues to evolve, with India forced to concede its traditionally uncontested influence to other superpowers, namely, China and the United States. While the US is more strategically allied with India, increasing Chinese influence has directly challenged Indian hegemony in the region. Considering all of these moving pieces, there arises the question of what this geopolitical shift means for recipient countries like Nepal, which has continued to rely on aid provided by developed countries to expand its infrastructures and spur economic growth. In this episode of Conversations, which is the first of a two-part series, we have PEI’s own Anurag Acharya with our guest, the former Indian Ambassador to Nepal, Ranjit Rae. The two speakers examine India’s role in Nepal, in context of the recent domestic political developments that have shaped bilateral relationships and aid negotiations with New Delhi. Mr. Ranjit Rae is an Indian diplomat with over 30 years of experience in the Indian Foreign Service, which includes participation in complex negotiations both at bilateral and multilateral levels and extensive work in conflict areas. He has since held various positions in international and state organizations, including the Permanent Mission of India to the United Nations, the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), as well as Offices of the Minister of External Affairs and of the President of India, where Mr. Rae served as a Press Secretary to the President.

Ep. Di#001 आजको भागमा, हामी पी. ई. आई द्वारा हालै आयोजित ‘नेपालमा मिडिया, सर्वाजनिक बहस, र वैदेशिक सहायताको कुटनीति’ शिर्षकको प्यानल छलफलको लाइभ रेकर्डिङ साझा गर्दैछौं । यस सत्रको संचालन खोज पत्रकारिता केन्द्र नेपालकी कार्यक्रम प्रबन्धक अवस्ना पाण्डेले गर्नुभएको थियो । उहाँ यसअघि द काठमाडौं पोस्टमा सम्पादकीय पृष्ठको सम्पादकको रूपमा काम समेत गर्नुभएको छ। उहाँ संग अन्य तीन वक्ताहरू प्यानलमा सामेल हुनुहुन्थ्यो। हाम्रो पहिलो वक्ता प्रमिला देवकोटा हुनुहुन्थ्यो, जो संग मिडियामा काम गरेको १५ वर्षभन्दा बढीको अनुभव छ र नेपालको परराष्ट्र नीतिका विषयमा नियमित रूपमा लेखिरहनु भएको हुन्छ। उहाँ हाल वुहानको सेन्ट्रल चाइना नर्मल युनिभर्सिटीबाट अन्तर्राष्ट्रिय सम्बन्धमा पीएचडी गरिरहनुभएको छ। हाम्रो दोस्रो वक्ता सुधीर शर्मा हुनुहुन्थ्यो, नेपालको सबैभन्दा ठूलो दैनिक पत्रिका - कान्तिपुरका प्रधान सम्पादक। उहाँ नेपालकै सर्वाधिक बिक्रि भएको पुस्तक ‘प्रयोगशालाः नेपाली सङ्क्रमणमा दिल्ली, दरबार र माओवादी’ का लेखक पनि हुनुहुन्छ। हाम्रो अन्तिम वक्ता कृष्ण ज्ञवाली हुनुहुन्थ्यो, जसले वातावरण मन्त्रालय र स्थानीय विकास मन्त्रालयमा सचिव र अर्थ मन्त्रालयमा सहसचिवको रूपमा काम गरिसक्नुभएको छ, जहाँ उहाँले वैदेशिक सहायता समन्वय महाशाखाको नेतृत्व गर्नुभएको थियो । सन् २०१४ मा नेपाल सरकारले मिलेनियम च्यालेन्ज कर्पोरेशनको राष्ट्रिय संयोजकको भूमिकामा ज्ञवालीलाई नियुक्त गरेको थियो । प्यानलले नेपालको लागि वैदेशिक सहायता, पूर्वाधार र कूटनीतिको विकसित परिदृश्य र एम. सि. सि. बहस वरपरको विवाद सहित, बैदेशिक सहायताको कूटनीति सम्बन्धि कथा स्थापित गर्न परम्परागत र सामाजिक संचार माध्यमको भूमिकाको बारेमा छलफल गरेको छ |

Ep. Co#004 Nepal’s hydropower narrative has always had the export of electricity to India as one of the key components. In this episode of PxP:Conversations, Saumitra Neupane and Sagar Prasai discuss how the Indian electricity market gets featured in Nepal’s hydropower imagination, the impact that this has had on Nepal’s ability to exploit its hydropower potential, and what differentiates the Nepali model from that of other bilateral arrangements such as those between India and Bhutan. They also examine India’s policy positions in the last ten years on cross-border electricity trade and how regional rivalry between India and China is complicating energy markets in South Asia. They also discuss the future market opportunities for Nepali hydropower and whether there are longer-term trends that support supply signals and investor confidence for Nepali hydropower. They end their conversation with a discussion on the possibilities of markets beyond India, primarily Bangladesh but also China, and evaluate whether there are realistic opportunities on these fronts. Sagar Prasai is a development professional with over two decades of experience working in the areas of water, energy, climate issues, and regional cooperation in South Asia. He is currently based in Nepal and provides advisory services to various organizations, including The Asia Foundation and the Australian Government’s DFAT. Previously, he served as The Asia Foundation’s country representative in India. He has a Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. To catch the latest from us on Nepal’s policy and politics, please follow us on Twitter at Tweet2PEI, that’s TWEET, followed by the number 2, and PEI. You can also follow us on Facebook at policyentrepreneursinc, or visit our website: www.pei.center to learn more about our work.

Ep. Co#003 Countries in the Asia Pacific region are increasing investments in their physical infrastructures to stimulate growth and economic recovery, especially in the aftermath of COVID-19 pandemic. Three of the world’s largest economies – the US, China and Japan – are actively maneuvering for economic and geopolitical influence in the emerging Asian markets. But how should governments and markets that sit within targeted countries handle this newfound attention? How can they turn competing interests of big powers into advantage for their people? In this episode of Conversations, the two speakers explore the rise of China as a superpower and its impact on the evolution of aid as a foreign policy tool. This episode features PEI’s own Anurag Acharya and our guest Anthea Mulakala, the Senior Director of International Development Cooperation at The Asia Foundation. Over the last decade, she has worked in Asian development cooperation, particularly understanding how rising powers, such as China and India, are transforming the 21st century aid and development landscape. This episode examines China’s Belt and Road Initiative, its increasing use of infrastructure diplomacy in the Asia Pacific, and how the West is trying to counter its set of infrastructure-oriented development financing. The speakers also discuss the implications of the Great Power Rivalry in South Asia, how India is maneuvering to maintain its influence over the region, and the opportunities and challenges this holds for aid-recipient countries like Nepal.

Ep. Br#001 In the backdrop of Nepal’s status as the least developed country, one of Nepal's greatest challenges is to manage the natural resources and finance development interventions for Nepal’s sustainable future initiatives while navigating the risks associated with climate change. While a bulk of financing in Nepal is already happening on green infrastructure and green initiative – specifically on hydroelectricity and solar energy, there arises the question about the new opportunities and avenues that mainstreaming green financing could open for Nepal. Today’s episode of the Brief features PEI’s Saurab Lama's interview with Rastra Raj Bhandari on Nepal’s Green Financing Future. The two discuss Rastra’s latest report, “A Background Policy Paper on Green Financing in Nepal” and take an analytical look at Nepal’s green financing future, and what green financing looks like for a developing country like Nepal. The episode discusses the rationale for Rastra’s study within Nepal’s current socio-economic status and its historical dependence on foreign aid. The episode also informs listeners about the various green financing initiatives that are happening in Nepal, and the best way for Nepal to navigate green financing. It also focuses on the various roles regulatory agencies and banks and financial institutions, private and public entities can play in Nepal’s green financing strategy.

Ep. Co#002 For over half a century, Nepal has deeply held on to the established narrative of its immense hydropower potential. Proponents have long proclaimed hydropower as a source of clean and affordable energy and a means of achieving national prosperity through the export of electricity to markets in India and beyond. In reality, however, the country has realized only a fraction of its potential and the chronic power shortage has had a huge economic cost. Today, Nepal has emerged from its decade of darkness, primarily by being able to import electricity from India. But Nepal is also on its path towards producing "surplus" electricity and is now, finally, beginning to trade in the Indian electricity market. Despite this positive outlook, however, systemic challenges of access, quality, and reliability remain unresolved. In this episode of Conversations, the two speakers look into the past, the present, and the future of Nepal’s electricity sector narrative. This episode features PEI’s own Saumitra Neupane and our guest Satish Joshi from VRock & Company, who has worked in Nepal’s electricity sector for over a decade on issues ranging from institutional reforms to electricity trade. It will begin by dissecting the formation of Nepal’s hydro-centric energy narrative, the reasons behind the country’s failure to exploit the stated hydropower potential, and the impact that has had on Nepal’s energy sector and the overall economy. Putting all this in the context of the current global energy transition, we discuss a new narrative that is grounded on the concept of energy security and based on increased domestic consumption and efficient electricity trade with India.

Ep. Co#001 The geopolitical landscape of South Asia continues to evolve, with India forced to concede its traditionally uncontested influence to other superpowers, namely, China and the United States. While the US is more strategically allied with India, increasing Chinese influence has directly challenged Indian hegemony in the region. Considering all of these moving pieces, there arises the question about what this geopolitical shift means for recipient countries like Nepal, which has continued to rely on aid provided by developed countries to expand its infrastructures and spur economic growth. In this episode of Conversations, the two speakers examine China’s role in Nepal, with some historical context as well as the recent domestic political developments that have shaped bilateral relationships and aid negotiations with Beijing. This episode features PEI’s own Anurag Acharya and our guest Amish Mulmi, a noted columnist with The Kathmandu Post and a regular commentator on Nepal and the broader South Asia region, and the author of the critically-acclaimed book “All Roads Lead North”. The episode delves into some of the key topics within the Nepal-China bilateral relationship, including Nepal’s historical ties with its northern neighbor, the flourishing trade between the two countries until the earlier part of the 20th century, and its reinvigoration and evolution in modern times. The episode further discusses Amish’s examination of the underlying conditions that foster the Nepal-China relationship. These include, among others, the rise in anti-India sentiments in Nepal and the weakening of the Indo-Nepal relationship. The episode further dissects the challenges to Nepal’s pursuit of a non-aligned foreign policy with India, China and the US, and how Nepal could leverage its geo-political location to further its interest.

Trailer Saumitra Neupane, PEI's Executive Director, introduces PODS by PEI. PODS by PEI is a podcast initiative of Policy Entrepreneurs Inc., a policy research center based in Kathmandu, that examines the state of Nepali politics, economy, and development and seeks to inform and enrich Nepal’s policy discourse. Every Tuesday, PODS by PEI brings to you thoughtful and in-depth discussions that will take you deep into the most pertinent issues in Nepal.