Nepal’s unrest began with a technical order on social-media registration, but it exposed wider anger over jobs, corruption and weak services. The government fell quickly, and a non-partisan interim prime minister, Ms Sushila Karki has promised calm, compensation and elections.

The effects reach beyond Nepal. On the open India-Nepal border, any wobble shows up first, with truck queues at Raxaul-Birgunj, fuel jitters and price swings. Stability also matters for energy and power as Delhi and Kathmandu aim to scale hydropower exports to India over the next decade; disorder slows financing and grid work, while predictable administration speeds up both. Tourism, remittances and credit sentiment will recover only when rules and routines are clear again.

Kathmandu’s next step on digital policy will be closely watched. A narrow, transparent, rights-aware code, clear scope, grievance contacts and public audits can deliver accountability without censorship. The China-India balance will adjust as well as Nepal can run a dual-track of quality investment and connectivity from all sides, while guarding sovereignty and transparency.

An important observation for the region, and the world remains by way of lessons from Sri Lanka and Bangladesh which stands – regime change is not system change. Nepal now needs steady administration, clean procurement, and a credible election calendar. India should keep politics low-key and fix the practicals namely, border facilitation, power timelines and the traditional roti-beti relationship. Nepal must turn protest energy into institutions. Do that, and the Himalayas become a bridge again, not a fault line.

This edition also carries several standout features, including two by Dr Amit Gupta—one on the IAF’s combat-aircraft dilemma and another on the all-important narrative wars. You’ll also find “Indo–Pak War, Part II”, the real war from 6 September 1965 onward, when India repulsed Pakistan’s offensive and signalled a post-1962 military revival. Happy reading.