Kathmandu, August 16, 2026: General Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army, arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday for an official visit aimed at further strengthening the close defence cooperation and military-to-military ties between India and Nepal. During the visit, scheduled from 17 to 19 August 2026, General Seth will be conferred the Honorary Rank of General of the Nepali Army by President Ram Chandra Paudel at a special investiture ceremony.
The visit, undertaken at the invitation of Nepali Army Chief of the Army Staff General Ashok Raj Sigdel, reaffirms the unique and time-tested defence relations between the two countries. These relations are founded on shared values, mutual trust, and enduring army-to-army ties that have withstood the test of time. General Seth, who assumed charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff on 30 June 2026, is on his maiden official visit to Nepal after taking over the top post.
Upon arrival at Tribhuvan International Airport on Sunday evening, General Seth, accompanied by a five-member delegation, was received by Vice Chief of Army Staff of the Nepali Army, Lieutenant General Pradeep Jung K.C., and his wife. The Indian Army Chief’s wife, Mrs Komal Seth, who chairs the Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA), is also accompanying him on the visit.
On the day of his arrival, General Seth interacted with H.E. Shri Naveen Srivastava, Ambassador of India to Nepal. The two discussed ways to further strengthen the comprehensive India-Nepal relationship. The Embassy of India in Kathmandu highlighted that the visit underscores the distinctive defence partnership between the two nations.
Detailed Itinerary of the Visit
On Monday, 17 August, General Seth will lay a wreath at the Army Pavilion in Tundikhel, the historic ceremonial ground in the heart of Kathmandu. He will thereafter receive a Guard of Honour at the Nepali Army Headquarters. The Indian Army Chief is scheduled to hold discussions with his counterpart, General Ashok Raj Sigdel, and receive a briefing from the Director General of Military Operations of the Nepali Army on issues of mutual interest and shared strategic concerns.
Later the same day, General Seth will attend the Investiture Ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhawan (Sheetal Niwas), the official residence of the President of Nepal. In keeping with a longstanding unique tradition between the two armies, President Ram Chandra Paudel will confer the Honorary Rank of General of the Nepali Army upon him.
On Tuesday, 18 August, General Seth will address the student officers of the Army Command and Staff Course at Shivapuri. He will also interact with instructors and foreign student officers undergoing training there. The day will include interactions with senior dignitaries of Nepal on matters of mutual interest.
On Wednesday, 19 August, General Seth will travel to Pokhara to attend an Ex-Servicemen Rally. He will felicitate Veer Naris (war widows) and gallantry awardees and interact with Indian Army veterans. The COAS is scheduled to return to India later that day.
A Unique 76-Year-Old Tradition
The practice of conferring the honorary rank of General on each other’s Army Chiefs is a distinctive feature of India-Nepal military relations and dates back to 1950. Field Marshal K.M. Cariappa, independent India’s first Army Chief, was the first Indian officer to receive the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army. India reciprocated in 1969 by conferring the honorary rank of General of the Indian Army on then Nepali Army Chief General Surendra Bahadur Shah.
Since then, successive Army Chiefs of both countries have continued the tradition irrespective of political changes. Most recently, in November 2024, President Ram Chandra Paudel conferred the honorary rank on then Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi. In December 2024, President Droupadi Murmu conferred the honorary rank of General of the Indian Army on General Ashok Raj Sigdel during his visit to India. The tradition remains one of the rarest examples of institutional military diplomacy anywhere in the world and reflects the deep mutual respect and trust between the two forces.
Context of India-Nepal Defence Partnership
India and Nepal share unparalleled historical, cultural, social and religious linkages, often described as “Roti-Beti ka Rishta.” The spiritual connections between Janakpur and Ayodhya, and Lumbini and Bodh Gaya, further reinforce the natural partnership. The 1950 Treaty of Peace and Friendship underpins the open border and people-to-people ties. Gorkha soldiers have served with distinction in the Indian Army for over two centuries, forming a living bridge between the two nations.
Military-to-military engagement includes regular high-level exchanges, joint exercises such as Surya Kiran, training of officers, disaster response cooperation, and capacity-building programmes. The current visit comes against the backdrop of continuing efforts to deepen these institutional linkages and explore new avenues of cooperation between the two armies. The Ministry of Defence has stated that the visit aims to foster mutual understanding, exchange views on aspects of common interest, and strengthen bilateral defence cooperation.
About General Dhiraj Seth
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, General Dhiraj Seth was commissioned into the 2nd Lancers (Gardner’s Horse) of the Armoured Corps on 20 December 1986. He is the first Armoured Corps officer to become Chief of the Army Staff since General Shankar Roychowdhury in 1997 and the seventh from the Corps to hold the appointment.
In a career spanning nearly four decades, he has commanded an armoured regiment, an armoured brigade, a Rashtriya Rifles force in Jammu and Kashmir, the Sudarshan Chakra Corps (XXI Corps), Delhi Area, and two operational commands — South Western Command and Southern Command. He also served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff before assuming the top post. He is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Uttam Yudh Seva Medal and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.
The visit of General Dhiraj Seth underscores the institutional continuity and resilience of India-Nepal defence relations. By upholding a tradition that began more than seven decades ago, the two armies continue to demonstrate that their partnership remains rooted in mutual respect, shared history and a common commitment to regional peace and stability.
