Modi's visit takes Nepal-India ties to new heights: Oli
Kathmandu, May 13: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Nepal was highly successful and has taken bilateral ties to new heights, Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli said on Sunday.
Oli made the remarks in Parliament while informing members about Modi's visit.
An environment was created to take forward Nepal-India relations based on mutual benefit, Oli said, while claiming that national interests were kept in mind while dealing with India and no compromise will be made.
"Once we had stressful relations with India, but that stage is now over," the Prime Minister said. "We have mended fences... There will be no more blockade from the Indian side in future."
On Saturday, Modi had tweeted: "My Nepal visit was historic. It gave me a great opportunity to connect with the wonderful people of Nepal."
Modi's latest visit was the third to Kathmandu in four years, coming in the backdrop of a six-month blockade on Nepal-India border as well as a Left victory in Nepal's elections.
The "stressed situation" that led to the blockade three years ago and hurt bilateral relations have now turned harmonious, Oli said.
Echoing Modi's statement that India respected the sovereignty and integrity of Nepal, Oli said that bilateral relations should be based on equality and India's support will be received as per Nepal's needs.
Oli told lawmakers that discussions and agreements inked will benefit both countries.
Oli said that projects on which both countries will cooperate were related to road and railways, waterways, integrated security checkposts, transmission lines and petroleum pipelines.
"The Prime Minister of India and I have agreed ... to address in a time-bound manner the outstanding issues between our two countries. This will further strengthen Nepal-India relations," Oli tweeted in English, a translation of his tweet in Gujarati.
Oli and Modi have agreed to resolve all outstanding issues by September 19, the day marking the promulgation of the new Constitution in Nepal.
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SC notice to Centre on plea to include ayurveda, yoga in Ayushman Bharat
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court sought the Centre's response on a plea seeking inclusion of ayurveda, yoga, and naturopathy in the national Ayushman Bharat scheme.
A bench of Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud and Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra issued the notice to the Centre and others on the petition filed by advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay.
The plea, which sought inclusion of the practices in PM-JAY, also known as Ayushman Bharat, said the inclusion would allow a significant portion of the country's population to avail affordable healthcare benefits and wellness in various serious diseases, apart from providing employment to many working in the field of Ayurveda.
Ayushman Bharat, which was launched in 2018, has two main components -- PM-JAY and Health and Wellness Centres.
The former provides for a cashless health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakh per BPL family every year.
The petitioner sought the scheme to be implemented in all states and the Indian healthcare systems.
"PM-JAY, that is, Ayushman Bharat predominantly covers and is limited to allopathic hospitals and dispensaries, while India boasts various indigenous medical systems, including ayurveda, yoga, naturopathy, siddha, unani, homeopathy, which are rooted in India's rich traditions and are highly effective in addressing the healthcare needs of the present time," it said.
The plea claimed due to various "policies created by foreign rulers" and "individuals with a colonial mindset" India's cultural and intellectual knowledge, besides scientific heritage, had systematically eroded.
"These foreigners, motivated by a profit-oriented approach, have thoughtfully implemented many laws and schemes during the time of our country's independence that have slowly undermined our rich heritage and history," it alleged.
