Nepal Confers Honorary Rank on Army Chief Gen Naravane

General Manoj Mukund Naravane was conferred with the honorary rank of General of the Nepal Army.

(Photo: PTI/Altered by The Quint)

The Chief of Army Staff of Indian Army, General Manoj Mukund Naravane, was conferred with the honorary rank of General of the Nepal Army by President Bidya Devi Bhandari, here on Thursday, 5 November.

He was honoured at a special ceremony at the President's official residence 'Shital Niwas' in Kathmandu.

He was also presented with a sword and a scroll during the function, according to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

The ceremony was attended by the Prime Minister of Nepal, KP Sharma Oli, Indian Ambassador Vinay M. Kwatra and other senior officials of both the countries.

Seven-Decade Tradition

The practice follows a seven-decade-old tradition of conferring Army chiefs of other countries with the honorary title. Commander-in-Chief General KM Cariappa was the first Indian Army Chief to be decorated with the title in 1950. In January 2019, Chief of Nepali Army, General Purna Chandra Thapa, was also made the honorary General of the Indian Army by Indian President Ram Nath Kovind at a ceremony in New Delhi.

Following the ceremony, General Naravane called on President Bhandari, accompanied by Ambassador Kwatra. During the meeting with the President, Naravane conveyed his gratitude for the honour bestowed upon him and also discussed measures to further enhance bilateral cooperation between India and Nepal.

Earlier in the day, after delegation-level talks with General Purna Chandra Thapa, the Chief of the Army Staff of Nepal Army, Naravane presented medical equipment to two field hospitals of the Nepal Army.

The equipment include X-Ray machines, computed radiography systems, ICU ventilators, video endoscopy units, anesthesia machines, laboratory equipment and ambulances.

Additional ventilators were also gifted to assist the Nepal Army in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, General Thapa had gifted 100,000 Made in Nepal face masks to Naravane, besides other souvenirs.