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In a historic ceremony reaffirming the deep-rooted military bonds and civilizational ties between New Delhi and Kathmandu, Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth was formally conferred the rank of Honorary General of the Nepali Army by Nepal President Ram Chandra Paudel on Monday. The prestigious investiture ceremony, conducted at the presidential residence of Sheetal Niwas in Kathmandu, upholds a unique, seven-decade-old bilateral tradition
between the armed forces of India and Nepal. General Seth, who assumed the office of Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army in late June 2026, is currently on a high-level official tour to Nepal aimed at strengthening institutional defence cooperation, expanding joint military training frameworks, and consolidating strategic alignment across the Himalayan region.
The ceremonial investiture took place in the presence of senior constitutional dignitaries and military leadership from both nations, including Nepal’s Vice President Ram Sahaya Prasad Yadav, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava, and Chief of Army Staff of the Nepali Army General Ashok Raj Sigdel. During the formal proceedings, President Paudel presented General Seth with the traditional insignia, sword, and scroll of the Honorary General rank, celebrating the mutual respect and fraternal camaraderie that have long defined relations between the two armies. The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu underscored that the reciprocal visit and honorary conferment serve as a testament to the time-tested bilateral security architecture built on deep trust, shared values, and enduring army-to-army cooperation.
The reciprocal tradition of exchanging honorary general ranks dates back to 1950, when the first formal conferment was initiated to reflect the interconnected security landscape and unique historical fraternity binding India and Nepal. Under this long-standing convention, newly appointed army chiefs from both countries are awarded the highest ceremonial rank of each other's military establishment during their initial official bilateral visits. In accordance with this custom, Nepali Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel was earlier conferred the rank of Honorary General of the Indian Army by Indian President Droupadi Murmu during an investiture ceremony held at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi. The continuation of this custom under General Seth’s leadership highlights the continuity of institutional goodwill and mutual professional regard that transcends political shifts and administrative transitions in both capitals.
Prior to the presidential investiture, General Seth began his official itinerary in Kathmandu with high-level military engagements at the Nepali Army Headquarters. Upon arrival, the Indian Army Chief was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour, after which he laid a floral wreath at the Army Pavilion in Tundikhel to honor the supreme sacrifice of fallen soldiers. General Seth then held comprehensive bilateral discussions with his Nepali counterpart, General Ashok Raj Sigdel, reviewing a wide spectrum of mutual strategic interests, security dynamics across the region, joint disaster management protocols, and collaborative training initiatives. As part of ongoing defence cooperation and institutional support, the Indian Army Chief formally handed over consignments of specialized military and medical equipment to the Nepali Army, strengthening the operational capabilities of Nepal’s security forces.
The Indian Army Chief’s tour itinerary includes several crucial operational and educational engagements designed to broaden military-to-military synergy. General Seth is scheduled to receive comprehensive briefings from senior staff officers at the Directorate General of Military Operations of the Nepali Army and interact directly with emerging military commanders. During the course of his visit, General Seth will deliver a special address to student officers undergoing the Army Command and Staff Course at the Army Staff College in Shivapuri, engaging with faculty members, international military trainees, and mid-level commanders on modern joint-warfare doctrines, counter-insurgency tactics, and technology-driven military transformations.
On the final leg of his tour, General Seth will travel to the scenic city of Pokhara in western Nepal to preside over a massive ex-servicemen rally. The welfare engagement carries immense emotional and historical significance, as tens of thousands of Nepali Gurkha soldiers have served with distinction across the Indian Army’s elite Gurkha Rifles regiments over generations, earning numerous gallantry decorations on battlefields around the globe. During the rally, the Army Chief will interact with Indian Army veterans, felicitate gallantry award recipients, and honor Veer Naris, reaffirming New Delhi’s enduring commitment to the welfare, pensions, healthcare facilities, and social security of the Gurkha veteran community in Nepal.
The visit comes against the backdrop of India and Nepal sharing an open international frontier of approximately one thousand seven hundred and fifty-one kilometers alongside profound societal, cultural, and spiritual linkages, traditionally celebrated as a close familial and fraternal bond. Civilizational connections linking historic centers such as Ayodhya and Janakpur, as well as Bodh Gaya and Lumbini, anchor the bilateral relationship in shared heritage and geographic proximity. By combining high-level strategic consultations in Kathmandu with direct welfare outreach to military veterans in Pokhara, General Seth’s mission reinforces the cornerstone role of defence diplomacy in safeguarding regional stability and ensuring that the eternal friendship between India and Nepal remains resilient against modern geopolitical challenges.
