Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth was conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army by President Ram Chandra Paudel on 17 August 2026 during a formal investiture ceremony at Sheetal Niwas in Kathmandu. The honour forms part of a unique bilateral military tradition dating back to 1950, under which the chiefs of the Indian and Nepali armies reciprocally receive the honorary rank of General from each other’s countries.
Keywords: India Nepal defence ties, General Dhiraj Seth Nepal visit, honorary General Nepali Army, India-Nepal military tradition 1950, Gorkha veterans Pokhara, bilateral military cooperation
General Seth was on an official visit to Nepal from 16 to 19 August, his first foreign engagement after assuming charge as Chief of Army Staff. During the visit he inspected a Guard of Honour at Nepali Army Headquarters, laid a wreath at the Army Pavilion in Tundikhel, planted a sapling, and handed over military and medical equipment. He held detailed discussions with his counterpart, General Ashok Raj Sigdel, on ways to deepen bilateral defence cooperation and mutual operational understanding.
On the final day of the visit, General Seth attended an ex-servicemen rally in Pokhara. The gathering of Indian Army veterans of Nepali origin featured emotionally charged moments, including the singing of the Indian national anthem, underscoring the enduring personal and institutional bonds forged through decades of Gorkha service in the Indian Army.
The reciprocal honorary rank tradition, initiated in the context of the 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship, remains one of the most distinctive features of India-Nepal military relations. It symbolises mutual professional respect and institutional continuity that has largely withstood periodic political fluctuations. Historical strains—most notably the trade and transit dispute of 1989-90 during the tenure of then Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi—did affect the broader relationship, yet army-to-army ties have consistently provided a stabilising channel.
The timing of the visit coincides with renewed public discourse in Nepal on national identity, including calls from sections of society for the restoration of Hindu state status. Against this backdrop, sustained military engagement and people-to-people linkages continue to offer a constructive platform for reinforcing mutual trust and regional stability.
General Seth’s visit reaffirms the depth of India-Nepal defence partnership at a time of evolving strategic dynamics in the Himalayan region.
contact: drrajeshjauhri@gmail.com
Dr Rajesh Jauhri is a Journalist with an experience of over 25 years in Indian and foreign media, a Social Scientist, an Ac-complished Author, a Political & Strategic Analyst, a Marksman (Rifle & Pistol), an Orator, a Thinker and an Educationist. He holds a Ph.D. degree on “Impact of colonial heritage on Indian police”. He runs an NGO dedicated to the social and eco-nomic uplift of tribal communities in MP and two decades back, he established a school in a village of Indore district, providing education and moral values to children belonging to underprivileged and minority families. Has received multiple awards in various fields.