Nepal confers honorary General rank on Indian Army chief Dhiraj Seth

Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel conferred the honorary rank of General on Indian Army chief General Dhiraj Seth in Kathmandu. The ceremony and his meetings with the Nepali Army underlined the two countries' enduring defence partnership.

In Short

• The visit came at Nepal Army chief Ashok Raj Sigdel’s invitation
• Both armies discussed mutual interests and steps to deepen bilateral military cooperation
• General Seth handed over military and medical equipment to the Nepali Army

Indian Army chief General Dhiraj Seth was conferred the rank of Honorary General of the Nepali Army by Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel at an investiture ceremony in Kathmandu on Monday. The honour is part of a long-standing military tradition under which India and Nepal reciprocally confer the honorary rank of General on the chiefs of each other’s armies.

General Seth is on an official visit to Nepal from August 17 to 19 at the invitation of Nepal Army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel. During the visit, he also held talks with the Nepali Army leadership, met India’s ambassador to Nepal, and handed over military and medical equipment to the Nepali Army.

According to a press release from the Secretariat of President Paudel, Nepal Vice President Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, India’s Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava, and senior officials of the Nepali Army and the government were present at the ceremony.

In a statement, the Indian Army said the tradition was “more than a ceremonial honour” and an institutional expression of “mutual trust, professional respect and military camaraderie” between the two armies. “Sustained across successive generations of military leadership, the ceremony therefore represents both tradition and strategic continuity,” it said. “It underscores the commitment of the Indian Army and the Nepali Army to preserve their distinctive military relationship while strengthening cooperation in areas of mutual interest.” The Indian Army added that the honour conferred on General Seth would “further reinforce the special bonds of friendship and cooperation between the Indian and Nepali Armies and reaffirm their commitment to strengthening the longstanding defence partnership between the two countries”.

General Seth also met General Sigdel at the Nepal Army headquarters on Monday, where the two sides discussed matters of mutual interest and ways to strengthen bilateral military relations. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu said in a post on X that the visit “reaffirms the unique and time-tested defence relations between India and Nepal, which are rooted in shared values, mutual trust, and enduring military-to-military ties”. General Seth also met Ambassador Srivastava at the Indian Embassy, where they discussed ways to further strengthen comprehensive relations between New Delhi and Kathmandu, the mission said.

On Monday, General Seth also handed over military and medical equipment to the Nepali Army. According to a Nepali Army press release, he planted a sapling at the Nepal Army Headquarters and received and inspected the guard of honour. “Gen. Seth’s visit is expected to further strengthen the mutual trust and cooperation between the armies of Nepal and India,” it said. Overall, the visit combined ceremonial honours with military engagement and official meetings aimed at reinforcing defence ties between the two countries.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends