Misri's Kathmandu visit deferred; India invites Nepal for International Big Cat Alliance summit

📌 Summary:

• Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri's proposed two-day visit to Kathmandu (at the invitation of Nepal counterpart Amrit Bahadur Rai) has been deferred for now — reasons not formally stated.

• India has extended an invitation to Nepal's leadership to visit New Delhi on June 1 for the International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) summit — likely Nepal FM Shishir Khanal to attend.

• The IBCA was launched by PM Modi on April 9, 2023 during the 50th anniversary of Project Tiger, to create an international platform for conservation of seven big cats: tiger, lion, leopard, cheetah, snow leopard, puma, and jaguar.

• Misri's visit was meant to understand priorities of Nepal's new Balen Shah government — and was a follow-up of EAM S. Jaishankar's meeting with Nepal PM Balen Shah.

• Despite the deferral, both sides are maintaining engagement through multilateral platforms — reflecting India's Neighbourhood First Policy approach.

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS2 — International Relations (India-Nepal bilateral ties, Neighbourhood First Policy); also GS3 Environment (IBCA and big cat conservation).

📝 Prelims Facts:

• IBCA launched: April 9, 2023; coinciding with 50 years of Project Tiger.
• 7 big cats under IBCA: tiger, lion, leopard, cheetah, snow leopard, puma, jaguar.
• Project Tiger launched: 1973; headquarters at New Delhi.
• Nepal PM: Balen Shah (since 2026); India's Foreign Secretary: Vikram Misri.
• Neighbourhood First Policy: India's foreign policy doctrine prioritising South Asian neighbours.

🔑 Key Term: International Big Cat Alliance (IBCA) — an intergovernmental organisation headquartered in India for conservation of big cats across their range countries; India is the host nation and a major tiger and leopard habitat country.