From ‘Last villages’ to ‘first villages’: How the Vibrant Villages Programme is reshaping India’s border frontier

From ‘Last villages’ to ‘first villages’: How the Vibrant Villages Programme is reshaping India’s border frontier

India shares over 15,000 kilometres (km) of international land border with seven neighbouring countries. The longest stretch runs 4,096.7 km along the border with Bangladesh. China follows at 3,488 km and Pakistan at 3,323 km. Nepal, Myanmar, Bhutan and Afghanistan account for the remainder. For decades, many border villages remained isolated by difficult terrain, weak connectivity, limited infrastructure and few livelihood opportunities. These …