India’s Relations with Myanmar, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Sri Lanka

India shares a 1,643 km border with Myanmar. It runs through four states: Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh.

What was the Free Movement Regime?

The Free Movement Regime, or FMR, let people living near the border enter the other country without a visa. They could go up to 16 km inside. Families and tribes live on both sides, so the rule helped daily life.

What did the government decide?

On 20 January 2024, Home Minister Amit Shah said India would fence the whole border, as it has done with Bangladesh. He also said free movement would end. On 8 February 2024, the Ministry of Home Affairs scrapped the FMR with immediate effect.

Why did it act?

The ministry gave two reasons. They were the internal security of the country and the demographic structure of the North Eastern states next to Myanmar. Mizoram’s Chief Minister linked the idea to cross-border trafficking.

Who opposed it?

Mizoram’s Chief Minister, Lalduhoma, opposed the fencing. He said Mizos share ethnic ties with the Chin people of Myanmar. He said the British imposed the border. He also said his state had no power to stop the Centre.

The Eastern Naga People’s Organisation and the NSCN (I-M) also opposed the move. The ENPO said fencing would split families and hurt livelihoods.

What is the memory hook?

FMR means 16 km in, no visa. In 2024 came the fence and the end of the FMR.

The Kaladan project is a transit route. It joins Kolkata with Mizoram through Myanmar’s Sittwe port. It uses sea, river and road in turn.

Why does India want it?

The northeast reaches the rest of India through the Siliguri Corridor. People call it the Chicken’s Neck. It is about 33 km wide at the eastern end and 21 km at the western end.

Kaladan gives the northeast a second route. It is expected to ease pressure on the corridor. It is also expected to cut the cost and time of moving goods to Agartala and Aizawl by more than half.

What is the route?

• Kolkata to Sittwe port in Myanmar: 539 km by sea.
• Sittwe to Paletwa along the Kaladan River: 158 km by river.
• Paletwa to the Indo-Myanmar border: 110 km by road.
• Border to NH-54 at Lawngtlai in India: 100 km by road.

How did it begin?

India and Myanmar signed a Framework Agreement on 2 April 2008. It covers a multi-modal transit facility on the Kaladan River. In October 2015, India approved a revised cost of Rs 2,904.04 crore. On 9 May 2023, the first Indian cargo ship reached Sittwe from Kolkata.

What has gone wrong?

The Arakan Army captured Paletwa township in January 2024. Paletwa sits on the Kaladan route, near the Mizoram border. The civil war in Myanmar still puts the project at risk.

What is the memory hook?

Kolkata, Sittwe, Paletwa, Mizoram. Sea first, then river, then road.

The Taliban took power in Afghanistan in 2021 after the US-led forces left. India’s embassy in Kabul closed that year. India kept a limited mission for trade, medical and humanitarian work.

What changed in October 2025?

On 10 October 2025, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar met Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in New Delhi. Jaishankar announced that India would upgrade its technical mission in Kabul to a full embassy.

It was India’s first high-level diplomatic engagement with the Taliban administration since 2021. On 21 October 2025, the Ministry of External Affairs restored the embassy’s status with immediate effect.

What did each side say?

Jaishankar said India was fully committed to Afghanistan’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence. Muttaqi invited Indian companies to explore mining in Afghanistan. He also said the Taliban would not let anyone use Afghan soil to target other nations.

Does an embassy mean recognition?

No. Only Russia has formally recognised the Taliban government. About a dozen countries, including China, Iran and Pakistan, run embassies in Kabul. An embassy shows engagement. Recognition is a separate step.

What are the concerns?

The Taliban have cracked down on the rights of women and girls since 2021. Female journalists were not allowed into the news briefing in New Delhi. In July 2025, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for two top Taliban leaders. The charge was gender-based persecution.

What is the memory hook?

Talk, trade and embassy, but no recognition.

India and Bangladesh share 54 rivers. The Ganges Water Treaty is the best-known deal on them. It decides how the dry-season flow of the Ganges is shared.

When was it signed and when does it end?

The two countries signed it on 12 December 1996. It expires in December 2026. That makes it a 30-year treaty. As of August 2026, talks on renewal had not begun.

Who will handle the talks?

India’s Ministry of External Affairs said renewal talks will use the existing bilateral mechanisms. The main one is the Joint Rivers Commission. Several technical-level groups also support water talks between the two sides.

What about the Teesta?

Reporters asked India about fresh talks on the Teesta water-sharing agreement. The ministry replied that all water cooperation goes through the Joint Rivers Commission and other structured dialogue.

How are political ties?

Ties have been strained since the Awami League government was ousted in 2024. In August 2026, the ministry said India wants a constructive, forward-looking relationship. It includes development cooperation, based on mutual interests and reciprocity.

A cordial invitation to Bangladesh’s Prime Minister, Tarique Rahman, to visit India still stands.

What is the memory hook?

Signed 1996, ends 2026. One commission handles the rivers.

Nepal and India share an open border. Part of it is disputed. The areas in question are Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani.

What does Nepal claim?

Nepal says the three areas lie east of the Mahakali River. It says the Sugauli Treaty of 1816 makes them part of Nepal. Nepal’s official map includes all three.

What happened in May 2026?

India prepared to open the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage route through Lipulekh. The trade point there had stayed closed for six years since the Covid-19 pandemic. On 3 May 2026, Nepal sent diplomatic notes to India and China.

Nepal also said China has been told that Lipulekh lies in Nepali territory.

How does Nepal want to settle it?

Nepal says it wants to settle the dispute by diplomacy. It wants to rely on historical treaties, facts, maps and evidence. It has asked India to avoid road building, border trade and pilgrimages in the area.

Does cooperation continue?

Yes. General Dhiraj Seth, India’s Army Chief, visited Nepal from 16 to 19 August 2026. Nepal’s President gave him the Honorary Rank of General of the Nepali Army. This is an age-old tradition.

He met the Nepali Army chief to discuss defence cooperation. He also handed over vehicles and medical equipment for disaster response.

What is the memory hook?

Sugauli 1816, Mahakali River, three areas: Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, Kalapani.

Hydropower means electricity made from flowing water. Bhutan has many fast rivers. Power is a main link between Bhutan and India.

What did the ministers discuss in February 2026?

On 3 February 2026, Bhutan’s Energy Minister, Gem Tshering, met India’s Power Minister, Manohar Lal, in New Delhi. They talked about the commercial use of power from the Punatsangchhu-II project. It has a capacity of 1,020 MW.

What other projects came up?

They stressed early commissioning of the Punatsangchhu-I project. They also discussed the way forward for the Sankosh hydropower project.

What about the power lines?

The two sides are planning transmission lines up to the year 2040. Detailed talks are under way. They also want faster approval for scheduling power, especially in Bhutan’s lean months.

What is the memory hook?

Punatsangchhu-II is 1,020 MW. Sankosh is next. Lines are planned to 2040.

The Palk Strait is a narrow strip of water. It separates Tamil Nadu from Sri Lanka. It is a rich fishing ground for fishermen from both countries.

What is the dispute?

Sri Lankan Navy personnel have seized Indian boats in the strait. They say the fishermen entered Sri Lankan waters. Indian fishermen also allege that the navy has fired at them.

What did the leaders say in 2024?

On 1 November 2024, Sri Lankan President Anura Kumara Dissanayake met India’s High Commissioner, Santosh Jha. They stressed a long-term solution to the fishing dispute. The solution should respect the needs of fishermen on both sides.

What else did they discuss?

They reviewed projects that India has helped to build in Sri Lanka. They also talked about cooperation in power, energy and digitalisation.

What is the memory hook?

Palk Strait: narrow water, rich fish, two navies.

Exams test numbers, dates and the names of treaties. They also test trade facts. Learn each one with its neighbour.

What does the exam ask?

One Prelims question tests trade with three neighbours. Read each statement and test it alone.

How do you answer it?

The official answer is (b). Only statement 2 is correct. Statements 1 and 3 are wrong. The words “consistently” and “largest” are the traps. Watch for such absolute words.

Which facts are easy to mix up?

• The Myanmar border is 1,643 km long. The FMR allowed travel up to 16 km.
• The Ganges Water Treaty was signed in 1996 and ends in 2026.
• Nepal cites the Sugauli Treaty of 1816.
• Punatsangchhu-II is a 1,020 MW project in Bhutan.
• Kaladan joins Kolkata and Mizoram through Sittwe.

What is the memory hook?

Check each number against its neighbour before you answer.