Indian Army Chief VK Singh to be honoured in Nepal

Kathmandu, Dec 21 (ANI): Indian Army Chief General VK Singh, who is in Kathmandu on a four-day official visit to Nepal, will be decorated with the honorary rank of General of the Nepal Army.

General Singh will be conferred the honorary rank tomorrow by President Ram Baran Yadav. . This is a reciprocal arrangement in practice between the Army chiefs of the two countries since the mid-sixties.

During his visit, General Singh will call on the President Yadav, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, Defence Minister Vidya Bhandari and Nepal Army chief Chhatra Man Singh Gurung.

He will also visit mountaineering warfare institute in Mustang, UN Peace Keeping training centre in Panchkhal besides the Indian Army pension camp in Pokhara.

This is the second visit of an incumbent Indian army chief in a year to receive the honorary title. General Deepak Kapoor, the then Indian Army chief was also decorated with the honorary rank of General of the Nepal Army in January.

Nepal Army Chief General Gurung was conferred the honorary rank of General of the Indian Army by the Indian President during his visit to India in December 2009.

The tradition of exchange of high-level goodwill visits between the two armies began in 1950 with the visit of former Indian army chief Gen K M Cariappa. (ANI)