The heads of India’s and Nepal’s border guarding forces are set to meet in New Delhi from November 6 to 8 for their seventh annual coordination meeting. The meeting will bring together Rashmi Shukla, the director general of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and Raju Aryal, the inspector general of Nepal’s Armed Police Force (APF), to address critical border-related issues. These meetings serve as a vital platform for both forces to engage in discussions and strengthen coordination along the open and unfenced Indo-Nepal border.
The primary focus of this meeting will revolve around developing effective mechanisms for collaborative efforts in combating trans-border crimes and facilitating the swift exchange of crucial information between the SSB and APF. The ‘open’ border between India and Nepal was established under the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, granting equal rights to citizens of both countries in terms of residence, property acquisition, employment, and cross-border movement without passport and visa restrictions. These coordination meetings have been held annually since 2012, with the last one taking place in Kathmandu in September 2022. The India-Nepal border extends for 1,751 km, running through the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim. Both nations remain vigilant about preventing the misuse of their shared borders, frequently engaging in meetings and information exchange to address border security concerns.
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