Indian Army Chief Dhiraj Seth gets honorary Nepali Army General rank in Kathmandu
Synopsis
Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth received the honorary rank of Nepali Army General from Nepal's President in Kathmandu — a tradition alive since 1950. But beneath the ceremonial warmth lies a real fault line: Nepal's suspension of Nepali youth recruitment into the Indian Army over the Agnipath scheme, with no resolution in sight and Pokhara protesters demanding action.
Key Takeaways
Nepal's President Ram Chandra Paudel conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army on General Dhiraj Seth on 17 August at Shital Niwas , Kathmandu.
The honorary generalship tradition between India and Nepal dates back to 1950 and is seen as a cornerstone of bilateral military ties.
General Seth , the 31st Chief of the Indian Army (in office since 30 June ), is on a four-day visit to Nepal at the invitation of Nepali Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel .
Nepal has suspended recruitment of its youths into the Indian Army since 2019 , with the ban hardening after India introduced the Agnipath scheme in 2022 .
Nepali youths rallied in Pokhara last week demanding the government allow recruitment under the Agnipath framework.
It remains unclear whether General Seth will meet Prime Minister Balendra Shah , who also holds the Defence portfolio.
Nepal's President Ram Chandra Paudel on Monday, 17 August conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army on General Dhiraj Seth, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army, at a special investiture ceremony held at Shital Niwas, the President's official office in Kathmandu. The honour is part of a bilateral military tradition dating back to 1950, under which India and Nepal confer honorary generalships on each other's Army Chiefs.
The Investiture Ceremony
President Paudel presented General Seth with the insignia of the honorary rank in the presence of senior Nepali and Indian dignitaries. Among those in attendance were Nepal's Vice President Ramsahay Prasad Yadav, Foreign Affairs Minister Shisir Khanal, Chief Secretary Govinda Bahadur Karki, Chief of the Army Staff General Ashok Raj Sigdel, former Nepali Army chiefs, secretaries of various ministries, the Ambassador of India to Nepal, and defence attachés of friendly nations.
Prior to the ceremony, General Seth paid a courtesy call on General Sigdel, during which the two chiefs discussed matters of mutual interest and ways to deepen bilateral military ties. 'During the meeting, they discussed matters of mutual interest and ways to strengthen bilateral military relations between Nepal and India,' the Nepali Army said in a social media post.
Seth's Four-Day Kathmandu Visit
General Seth, who assumed office as the 31st Chief of the Indian Army on 30 June, arrived in Kathmandu on a four-day visit at the invitation of General Sigdel. He led a five-member Indian Army delegation that included his wife, Komal Seth, Chairperson of the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA). Komal Seth separately met Nita Chhetri Sigdel, President of the Nepali Army Wives Association (NAWA), to exchange notes on welfare activities.
During the visit, General Seth inspected a Guard of Honour at the Nepali Army Headquarters and laid a wreath at the Martyrs' Memorial at the Army Pavilion. On Sunday evening, he met Indian Ambassador to Nepal Naveen Srivastava to discuss ways to advance the comprehensive bilateral relationship.
What the Indian Embassy Said
The Indian Embassy in Kathmandu described the visit as an opportunity to review and advance defence cooperation and longstanding military ties. 'The visit reaffirms the unique and time-tested defence relationship between Nepal and India, founded on shared values, mutual trust and enduring army-to-army ties,' the embassy said in a statement.
This comes amid regular high-level military exchanges between the two neighbours, which officials on both sides say contribute to sustaining close and longstanding inter-army relations.
The Agnipath Fault Line
The visit is shadowed by an unresolved dispute over the Agnipath scheme, India's revamped short-service military recruitment model introduced in 2022. Nepal suspended recruitment of its youths into the Indian Army after the scheme was announced, arguing it conflicts with the 1947 Tripartite Agreement between India, Nepal, and Britain. Under Agnipath, up to 25% of recruits are retained after four years of service; the remaining 75% are discharged with a one-time lump-sum payment, without pensions or long-term career benefits.
Recruitment had already been paused since 2019, initially due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although there has been speculation that General Seth could raise the recruitment issue during his visit, Nepali Army Spokesperson Brigadier General Rajaram Basnet said on Sunday he was not aware of any such agenda. Last week, a group of Nepali youths held a rally in Pokhara demanding the government reconsider its position and allow recruitment under the Agnipath framework.
It is also not immediately clear whether General Seth will meet Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who also serves as the country's Defence Minister. Prime Minister Shah has maintained strict diplomatic protocol on meetings with foreign officials, having met the Indian and Chinese ambassadors separately only last week.
How the two sides navigate the Agnipath impasse will be closely watched as the visit concludes.
Point of View
But the Kathmandu visit is unfolding against a backdrop of genuine friction. Nepal's refusal to resume Nepali youth recruitment under the Agnipath scheme is not a procedural quibble — it strikes at the 1947 Tripartite Agreement that underpins a unique labour and security arrangement between the two countries. The fact that Nepali Army's own spokesperson was unaware of any recruitment agenda on Seth's itinerary suggests the two sides are not yet ready for a public reckoning on the issue. Meanwhile, the Pokhara rally signals domestic pressure on Kathmandu that will only grow with time. Pageantry aside, the real test of this visit is whether it quietly resets the conditions for a negotiated Agnipath accommodation — or whether the impasse deepens.
NationPress
17 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What honorary rank was conferred on Indian Army Chief Dhiraj Seth in Nepal?
General Dhiraj Seth was conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army by Nepal's President Ram Chandra Paudel on 17 August at Shital Niwas in Kathmandu. The honour is part of a bilateral tradition dating back to 1950, under which India and Nepal award honorary generalships to each other's Army Chiefs.
Why is the India-Nepal honorary generalship tradition significant?
The tradition, in place since 1950, is considered a symbol of the uniquely close military-to-military relationship between India and Nepal. It is one of the few such reciprocal honours between two sovereign armies and is seen as reinforcing defence cooperation and mutual trust.
What is the Agnipath dispute between India and Nepal?
Nepal suspended the recruitment of its youths into the Indian Army after India introduced the Agnipath short-service scheme in 2022. Under the scheme, 75% of recruits are discharged after four years without pensions, which Nepal argues conflicts with the 1947 Tripartite Agreement between India, Nepal, and Britain. Recruitment had already been paused since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Will General Seth meet Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah?
It is not immediately clear whether General Seth will meet Prime Minister Balendra Shah, who also serves as Nepal's Defence Minister. Shah has maintained strict diplomatic protocol on meetings with foreign officials, and no such meeting has been confirmed.
Who accompanied General Seth on the Nepal visit?
General Seth led a five-member Indian Army delegation that included his wife Komal Seth, Chairperson of the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA). Komal Seth separately met Nita Chhetri Sigdel, President of the Nepali Army Wives Association, to discuss welfare activities.
