KATHMANDU: Visiting Indian Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Mukund Naravane has been conferred the rank of an honorary General of the Nepali Army by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari.
President Bhandari conferred Indian Army Chief Naravane the honorary title at a special ceremony held today at Shital Niwas.
He was also presented with a sword and scroll during the ceremony which was also attended by the Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli, Indian Ambassador Vinay M. Kwatra and other senior officials of both countries.
Naravane becomes the 18th Indian Army Chief to receive the honorary title of the Nepal Army from Nepal as part of a seven decade old tradition of conferring Army Chiefs of each other’s country with the honorary title.
Commander-in-Chief General KM Cariappa was the first Indian Army Chief to be decorated with the title in 1950.
Nepal Army Chief General Purna Chandra Thapa had received the title of honorary General of the Indian Army by President Ram Nath Kovind at a ceremony in New Delhi in January last year.
After the conferment of the honorary title, Indian Army Chief Naravane called on President Bhandari. According to a statement issued by the Indian embassy in Kathmandu, Naravane conveyed his gratitude for the honour bestowed upon him and also discussed measures to further enhance bilateral cooperation between the two countries moving forward.
