Kathmandu, August 24:

A delegation of 17 senior government officers left for a two-week visit to India today to study federalism.

The visit is organised by the government of India through New Delhi-based Indian Institute of Public Administration — a premier institute engaged in training civil servants.

The delegation includes Dr Uday Raj Sharma, secretary of Nepal Trust, Shri Sushil Jang Bahadur Rana, secretary of the Election Commission, nine joint-secretaries and six under-secretaries of various ministries and departments.

The visit has been arranged in response to a request from the government of Nepal, Indian embassy said in a statement.

The delegation will visit New Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry and meet senior government leaders, parliamentarians and officials to get a closer look at India’s federal system along with its dimensions — ranging from legislative to judicial, administrative, financial and developmental federalism.

They will also visit the parliament and state legislatures, Supreme Court and High Courts and hold interaction with India’s Election Commission, Finance Commission, Planning Commission and Inter-State Council.

The government of India will expand opportunities for study and exposure visits to Nepali civil servants so as to reinforce friendly and close relations between the bureaucrats of two countries, the embassy said.