Gorkha hiring on mind, Army Chief to visit Nepal next week
Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi will visit Nepal next week with a multi-pronged focus on enhancing military ties between the two nations. The visit is important in the backdrop of Nepal having refused to send Gorkha troops to the Indian Army under the Agnipath scheme.
The Indian Army has 43 ‘Gorkha battalions’ serving in several Gorkha Regiments. Nepali Gorkhas form about 60 per cent of each battalion.
Nepal stopped its youths from joining the Indian Army under the Agnipath scheme. The scheme allows youths to serve the armed forces for a period of four years. Under the scheme, 25 per cent youths are to be retained and the rest will be skilled to take up jobs in central armed police forces and other public sector units. These terms do not apply to Nepali Gorkhas.
In the past, India has conveyed to Kathmandu that it cannot offer more than four years of tenure to Nepali youths under the Agnipath scheme.
Maj Gen Ashok Mehta (retd) said: “This is a strategic recruitment. If old terms of recruitment cannot be offered, some concession can be made for Gorkha soldiers to keep the relationship intact with Nepal”.
Meanwhile, sources said General Dwivedi’s visit was expected to focus on the ongoing defence modernisation in both militaries. India has supported Nepal in its modernisation by supplying military hardware, including small arms, vehicles and advanced training simulators.
The Nepal-India Bilateral Consultative Group on Security Issues (NIBCGSI) has held 15 meetings to discuss defence cooperation.
Both countries offer courses to military personnel in institutions. This year, over 300 Nepali Army personnel received training in India in specialised fields like counterinsurgency, leadership development and peacekeeping.
Military ties between India and Nepal have flourished over a century of shared history, strategic interests and cooperation on security and defence matters.
General Dwivedi’s visit is expected to pave the way for continued collaboration on joint military exercises, training programmes and strategic discussions on regional and global security concerns, the sources said.
General Dwivedi is also likely to visit Sri Muktinath Temple.
Surya Kiran joint military exercise
A key pillar of the India-Nepal military cooperation is the annual Surya Kiran joint military exercise, which enhances interoperability between the two armed forces. This exercise, which focuses on counterterrorism, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance, will see its 18th edition conducted in December 2024 in Nepal.
