Nepal Confers Honorary General Rank on Indian Army Chief Dhiraj Seth

Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth was conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepal Army by Nepal’s President Ram Chandra Paudel at a special ceremony held today at Sheetal Niwas, the presidential residence in Kathmandu, marking the centrepiece event of his ongoing four-day visit to Nepal.

The honour continues a unique tradition between India and Nepal, dating back to 1950, under which the two countries confer the honorary rank of General on each other’s army chiefs — a gesture that reflects the deep and enduring military relationship between the two neighbouring nations. General Seth’s Nepali counterpart, General Ashok Raj Sigdel, had himself received the honorary rank of General of the Indian Army from President Droupadi Murmu in New Delhi in December 2024.

President Paudel, who also serves as the Supreme Commander of the Nepal Army, presided over the ceremony, formally recognising General Seth with the honorary title in the presence of senior military and civilian dignitaries from both countries.

A Visit Rooted in Ceremony and Substance

General Seth arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday evening, August 16, at the invitation of General Sigdel, marking his first overseas visit since taking charge as the 31st Chief of the Indian Army on June 30, 2026. He was received at Tribhuvan International Airport by senior Nepali Army officials, including Vice Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Pradeep Jung K.C.

Ahead of today’s investiture ceremony, General Seth paid tribute at the Army Pavilion in Tundikhel, Kathmandu’s historic ceremonial ground, and held bilateral talks with General Sigdel at Nepal Army Headquarters on matters of mutual military cooperation. He was also given a Guard of Honour and received a briefing from Nepal’s Director General of Military Operations.

General Seth’s visit also holds diplomatic significance beyond the military sphere — he is the first senior Indian official to visit Nepal since the formation of the government led by Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who also holds the Defence portfolio. Officials have indicated that a meeting between General Seth and PM Shah may also be on the cards during the visit, though this has not been formally confirmed.

What’s Next

Over the remaining days of his visit, General Seth is scheduled to travel to Shivapuri on the outskirts of Kathmandu to address student officers at the Army Command and Staff Course, before heading to Pokhara to attend an Ex-Servicemen Rally, where he will felicitate Veer Naris (war widows) and Gallantry Award recipients and meet members of the large Indian Army veteran community residing in Nepal.

Strengthening Ties Amid Regional Significance

The visit comes at a moment when Gorkha recruitment under India’s Agnipath scheme is expected to feature in bilateral discussions, amid renewed calls in Nepal for a return to traditional Gorkha recruitment practices into the Indian Army.

Officials from both sides have described the visit as a reaffirmation of the historic, cultural and military bonds between India and Nepal — often characterised through the enduring “Roti Beti Ka Rishta” — and a fresh push to strengthen interoperability and cooperation between the two armies going forward.