Major General Ashok Sigdel Promoted to Lieutenant General

In a significant development for the Nepal Army, Major General Ashok Sigdel has been elevated to the rank of Lieutenant General following a decision made during a Council of Ministers meeting at Singha Durbar on Thursday.

The decision, made in consultation with the Nepal Army headquarters and the Defense Ministry, was announced by Minister for Communications and Information Technology Rekha Sharma. This promotion marks a strategic move in the leadership structure of the Nepal Army and follows the retirement of Chief of Staff (CoS) Lieutenant General Saroj Pratap Rana on October 28.

The meeting, attended by key government officials, officially sanctioned Sigdel’s promotion, which was necessitated by the vacancy in the Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) position. The position had been left vacant since Lieutenant General Saroj Pratap Rana’s retirement.

The government had initially considered Major General Tara Dhwaj Pandey for the role of Chief of Army Staff, but Pandey resigned on November 10 amid controversies surrounding his date of birth in official records.

With Major General Sigdel’s promotion to Lieutenant General, he is now on track to assume the crucial role of Chief of Army Staff starting September 9, 2024. The decision to appoint Sigdel was based on his seniority within the Nepal Army ranks.