Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth is on a three-day visit to Nepal, his first overseas trip since taking charge.
The visit will focus on strengthening India-Nepal defence ties, with talks with senior Nepali military officials.
Gorkha recruitment under the Agnipath scheme is expected to be a key issue amid renewed calls for its resumption.
Army Chief Dhiraj Seth Begins Nepal Visit To Bolster Defence Cooperation
Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth’s first overseas visit will focus on strengthening India-Nepal defence ties, with Gorkha recruitment expected to be a key issue during his three-day visit
Summary
Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth on Sunday departed for a three-day official visit to Nepal, his first international visit since assuming office as the Chief of the Army Staff last month, with the trip expected to combine military tradition with discussions on key bilateral defence issues.
The visit, scheduled from August 17–19, comes at the invitation of Nepal Army Chief General Ashok Sigdel and is aimed at strengthening long-standing defence cooperation and military-to-military ties between the two neighbours.
On Monday, Seth will lay a wreath at the Army Pavilion in Tundikhel, receive a Guard of Honour at the Nepali Army Headquarters, and hold talks with General Sigdel.
He will also be briefed by Nepal’s Director General of Military Operations on issues of mutual interest.
A key highlight of the visit will be the investiture ceremony at Nepal’s Rashtrapati Bhawan, where President Ram Chandra Paudel will confer upon General Seth the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army.
Nepal Visit's Strategic Undertone
Beyond the ceremonial engagements, the visit carries strategic significance.
According to Nepal-based media outlets, Seth is expected to meet senior Nepalese stakeholders, with attention focused on whether the future of Gorkha recruitment into the Indian Army under the Agnipath scheme is discussed.
The issue has gained renewed relevance after former Gorkha soldiers in Nepal recently demanded the resumption of recruitment under the Agnipath framework. The Gorkha connection has historically been one of the strongest pillars of India-Nepal defence ties.
On August 19, the Army Chief will travel to Pokhara to attend an ex-servicemen rally, felicitate Veer Naris and gallantry awardees, and interact with Indian Army veterans before returning to India later that day.
While Indian Army chiefs have traditionally paid a courtesy call on Nepal’s serving prime minister during such visits, it remains unclear whether that meeting will take place this year. Notably, after four months in office, Nepal's PM Balen Shah last week met the Indian and Chinese envoys separately.
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