President Paudel Confers Honorary General Title on Indian Army Chief

In a special ceremony held today at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, Shital Niwas, President Ramchandra Paudel conferred the rank of Honorary General of the Nepali Army on the Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army, General Upendra Dwivedi.

As the Supreme Commander of the Nepali Army, President Paudel presented General Dwivedi with the insignia of the honorary rank along with a ceremonial khadga (sword). The event was attended by Vice President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Defence Minister Manbir Rai, and other dignitaries.

General Dwivedi arrived in Nepal on Wednesday at the invitation of Nepali Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel. His recognition continues a longstanding tradition of military exchange between Nepal and India, which began in 1950. This practice involves conferring the honorary rank of General on each other’s Chiefs of Army Staff as a symbol of mutual respect and cooperation.

The tradition was initiated when Nepal conferred the rank of Honorary General of the Nepali Army on India’s first Chief of Army Staff, General KM Cariappa, in 1950. India reciprocated by bestowing the honorary rank of General of the Indian Army upon the then Chief of the Royal Nepalese Army, Surendra Bahadur Shah, in 1969.

More recently, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind conferred the honorary rank on Nepali Army Chief General Prabhu Ram Sharma in 2021, and former Nepali President Bidya Devi Bhandari awarded the same honor to Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande in 2022.

This unique tradition is viewed as a cornerstone of the enduring friendship between the two nations and their militaries, fostering closer ties and mutual goodwill.