IFR Journal of Humanities, Social Science and Politics eISSN: 3078-7998 pISSN: 3078-798X Journal URL: https://ifrdiscovery.org/journal/IFRJHSSPS39 Publisher: International Federation of Research and Discovery Address: Building No. 7, Dahiat Al-Rasheed-Borda Street, Amman, Jordania, 11831 Copyright: © 2025 Adhikari, S., This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. 1 ARTICLE TYPE: Research Article An Evaluation of Military Effectiveness during the Time of National Security Crisis: A Case Study of the 2015 Economic Blockade Sudip Adhikari Central Department of History, Tribhuvan University, Nepal Corresponding Author: Sudip Adhikari How to cite: Adhikari, S. (2025). An evaluation of military effectiveness during the time of national security crisis: A case study of the 2015 economic blockade. IFR Journal of Humanities, Social Science and Politics, 2(1), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.70146/hsspv02i01.001 DOI: 10.70146/hsspv02i01.001 Received: 02-02-2025 Accepted: 15-02-2025 Revised: 22-02-2025 Published: 02-03-2025 Abstract: In light of recent high-level military visits, including General Ashok Raj Sigdel, Chief of the Nepali Army, to India in December 2024 and General Upendra Dwivedi, Indian Army Chief, to Nepal in November 2024, the longstanding military cooperation between Nepal and India warrants a closer examination. This research revisits the role of military diplomacy in Nepal-India relations during the 2015 economic blockade, focusing on the strategic, diplomatic, and military actions taken by the Nepali Army in managing civil-military dynamics. Specifically, it explores how the Nepali Army leveraged diplomatic engagements and bilateral military cooperation to address the blockade, focusing its expanding role in diplomacy beyond traditional defence. Emphasis is placed on the importance of military diplomacy in alleviating the blockade's effects, ensuring regional stability, and advancing Nepal’s national interests. The theoretical framework is grounded in military diplomacy and civil-military relations, with particular attention to how the Nepali Army utilized military-level dialogue, negotiations, shuttle buses, and fuel support. From an epistemological standpoint, the research adopts a civil-military approach, using empirical evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of military diplomacy during the crisis. Axiologically, the study examines the ethical responsibilities of the military in fostering peace, protecting civilians, and upholding Nepal’s sovereignty. The findings provide valuable insights into the role of military diplomacy as a tool for crisis management, offering recommendations to enhance Nepal-India relations and improve strategic military operations during future crises. This research contributes to understanding how military diplomacy strengthen national security and regional cooperation in times of geopolitical challenges. Keywords: Nepali Army, Military diplomacy, 2015 economic blockade, Nepal-India relations, civil- military relations, military effectiveness. INTRODUCTION The primary mission of the Nepali Army is to safeguard Nepal’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national unity, in addition to undertaking roles in disaster relief, development, and environmental conservation as mandated by the government under Part 28 of the Constitution (Nepal Law Commission, 2015). The origins of the Nepali Army trace back to the Shah dynasty, where the Kings of the Baise and Chaubise Rajyas maintained modest standing armies. In 1560, Drabya Shah