Kathmandu: Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Friday arrived in Nepal for a three-day official visit, becoming the first CJI to visit the Himalayan nation. He will meet his Nepalese counterpart during his stay and address a symposium on child rights.
Chandrachud was invited by Chief Justice of Nepal Bishwombhar Prasad Shrestha and received a warm welcome by the senior most justice at the Supreme Court of Nepal Dr Ananda Mohan Bhattarai upon his arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport. “This is for the first time in history that any sitting Chief Justice of India paid an official visit to Nepal on record,” according to Ved Prasad Upreti, spokesperson at the Supreme Court.
The CJI also visited the Pashupatinath Temple in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu and offered his prayers. Chief Justice of India and his wife Kalpana Das were seen leaving the temple with security personnel. He will hold talks later with the Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava.
Chandrachud will be the keynote speaker at a national symposium on child rights to be organised by the Central Child Justice Committee in Kathmandu on Saturday. The CJI India will hold a friendly meeting with CJI Nepal the same evening, according to Upreti, who added that CJ Shrestha will host a dinner reception in honour of his Indian counterpart.
India-Nepal MoU in public sector
Meanwhile, Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) Girish Chandra Murmu, who is also in Nepal, met with PM Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Nepal's finance minister Barshaman Pun and Auditor General of Nepal, said the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu on Thursday.
This came after Murmu signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Toyam Raya, Auditor General of Nepal, which aims to enhance collaboration and exchange of expertise in the field of auditing between the two countries' Supreme Audit Institutions (SAIs). The signing ceremony, held in the presence of dignitaries from both nations, marks a milestone in promoting closer ties and collaboration in auditing practices.
Through this MoU, a platform will be established for capacity development, knowledge exchange, and mutual assistance in conducting audits. Murmu asserted the importance of this agreement in developing and strengthening professional capacity, marking a new phase of collaborative engagement to improve work methodologies and exchange knowledge of public sector auditing.
A recent report revealed that India is the largest source of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) for Nepal, contributing significantly to the country's economic growth. The Nepal Rashtra Bank revealed that as of mid-July 2022, Nepal has received foreign investment from 57 different countries, with India leading the pack with an FDI stock of NPR 88.59 billion.
(with inputs from agencies)
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