The Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, will be conferred the honorary title of General of the Nepalese Army during his ongoing visit to the Himalayan country.
Gen. Rawat is on an official visit to Nepal and Bangladesh from March 28 to April 2, his first foreign visit after assuming office. He arrived in Kathmandu on Tuesday morning.
On Wednesday, the President of Nepal, Bidhya Devi Bhandari, will confer the title of “Honorary General of the Nepalese Army” to Gen. Rawat at an investiture ceremony. General Rajendra Chettri, the Chief of the Nepalese Army, was conferred the title of “Honorary General of the Indian Army” on February 3 during his first visit to India after assuming office.
ADVERTISEMENT
Reciprocal tradition
This tradition, a reciprocal arrangement to honour each other’s Army chiefs with the honorary titles, has been continuing uninterrupted since it began in 1969.
During his visit to Nepal and Bangladesh, Gen. Rawat will be visiting several important military installations and meeting high-ranking dignitaries, including the Prime Minister, Defence Minister and the Chief of the Army Staff.
ADVERTISEMENT
A delegation led by Gen. Rawat will visit the Nepalese Army Mountain Warfare School at Jomsom and the Pension Paying office at Pokhra.
Gen. Rawat will address a gathering of Indian Army ex-servicemen of Nepalese origin in Pokhra.
From Nepal, Gen. Rawat will proceed to Bangladesh, where he will meet the President, the Prime Minister and the Chief of the Bangladesh Army.