Kathmandu, 17 August
Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth will be conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepal Army on Monday.
President Ram Chandra Paudel will confer the honorary rank insignia on Seth at a special ceremony at Sheetal Niwas.
Seth arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday for a three-day official visit to Nepal at the invitation of Nepal Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel.
His visit is being seen as a continuation of the traditional military ties between Nepal and India and an effort to further strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.
India’s Ministry of Defence has also said the visit is aimed at strengthening defence cooperation and military-to-military relations between the two countries.
Seth is the highest-ranking Indian official to visit Nepal since Prime Minister Balen Shah took office. He has also chosen Nepal for his first foreign visit since assuming charge as the Indian Army chief, making the visit significant from both diplomatic and strategic perspectives.
During his stay in Kathmandu, Seth is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister and Defence Minister Balen Shah. He will also hold bilateral talks with Nepal Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel.
The discussions are expected to focus on Nepal-India military relations, mutual assistance and ongoing cooperation between the two armies.
Seth is also scheduled to visit the Army Pavilion at Tundikhel to pay tribute to fallen soldiers. He will then hold bilateral talks with General Sigdel at the Nepal Army headquarters.
Seven-decade-old military tradition
The tradition of conferring the honorary rank of General on the army chiefs of Nepal and India began in 1950. It is regarded as a symbol of the friendly relations, mutual respect and military cooperation between the two countries.
Nepal Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel has also received the honorary rank of General of the Indian Army. Indian President Droupadi Murmu conferred the honorary rank on Sigdel at a special ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on December 12, 2024.
General Dhiraj Seth assumed office as Chief of the Indian Army on June 30, 2026. He previously served as Vice Chief of the Indian Army.
India’s Ministry of Defence has said Seth’s visit to Nepal will last three days. The high-level meetings and military discussions during the visit are expected to further the long-standing defence cooperation between Nepal and India.
