At the invitation of the Nepali Army, six former Chiefs of the Indian Army arrived in Nepal on Tuesday to participate in the celebrations marking Mahashivaratri and the 262nd anniversary of the establishment of the Nepali Army.

The visiting delegation includes General Joginder Jaswant Singh (Retd.), General Deepak Kapoor (Retd.), General Vijay Kumar Singh (Retd.), General Dalbir Singh Suhag (Retd.), General Manoj Mukund Naravane (Retd.), and General Manoj Pande (Retd.). During their visit, they are scheduled to tour various historical, religious, and tourist sites across the country.

The armies of Nepal and India entertain a longstanding tradition of conferring honorary ranks to each other which reflects the deep-rooted and strategic ties between the two neighbouring nations. This exchange symbolises mutual respect and military cooperation, which has continued for over seven decades.

In November 2024, Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi visited Nepal, where he was conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army by President Ramchandra Paudel. Similarly, in December 2024, the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Nepali Army, Ashok Raj Sigdel, received the honorary rank of General of the Indian Army from Indian President Droupadi Murmu during his visit to India.

The former Indian Army Chiefs' visit is expected to further strengthen the military and diplomatic relations between Nepal and India.