look news india
Indian Army Chief General Dheeraj Seth is currently on a visit to Nepal to give a new impetus to diplomatic and military relations between India and Nepal. This visit is taking place at a time when after the formation of the new government in Nepal, there has been renewed murmur on the issue of recruitment of Gorkha soldiers in the Indian Army. During his visit, while on one hand General Seth will discuss strengthening bilateral defense cooperation with the top leadership of the Nepali Army, there is every possibility of important talks being held towards resolving the recruitment dispute that has been stuck for the last four years.
The matter of Gorkha recruitment under Agniveer scheme is pending for four years.
The recruitment process of Gorkhas for the Indian Army in Nepal has come to a standstill ever since the launch of the ‘Agneepath Scheme’ by the Government of India in the year 2022. Nepal argued that the changes made in the rules were not in accordance with the provisions of the 1947 Tripartite Agreement (India, Britain and Nepal), due to which the Nepal government at that time refused recruitment and two major recruitment centers of the Indian Army were also closed. However, with time, there is a continuous demand from former Gorkha soldiers of Nepal and many local circles that Nepali youth should also get the opportunity to join this military scheme. In such a situation, this visit of General Dheeraj Seth to Nepal is being considered very important for finding a diplomatic solution.
Honorary degree and program of interaction with ex-servicemen
During his visit, following the tradition, General Dheeraj Seth will be honored with the honorary title of ‘General’, the highest and most prestigious of the Nepali Army, by the President of Nepal Ramchandra Paudel. The historical tradition of giving this honorary post to each other’s army chiefs has been going on between India and Nepal since 1950. According to the Defense Ministry, the main objective of this visit is to further strengthen the traditional defense cooperation, mutual trust and military coordination between the two friendly countries. In the next leg of his visit, General Seth will address trainee officers and foreign officials at the Army Command and Staff College, Shivpuri on 18 August. After this, on August 19, he will participate in a huge ex-servicemen rally to be organized in Pokhara and after interacting with the brave soldiers, he will return home.