Army chief Rawat conferred Nepal Army General honorary rank

Kathmandu March 29 (IANS) Indian Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat was on Wednesday conferred the rank of honorary General of the Nepal Army by President Bidhya Devi Bhandari at a special ceremony at the President s official residence Sheetal Niwas here media reports said.

Gen. Rawat who is here on a four-day visit to the Himalayan country also paid courtesy calls on Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Defence Minister Bal Krishna Khand and his Nepali counterpart Gen. Rajendra Chhetri the Kathmandu Post reported.

It has been a tradition between the Indian and Nepali armies to confer the honorary top rank on each other s chiefs to signify their close and special military ties.

The first Indian army chief Gen. K.M. Cariappa was the first Indian Army chief to be decorated with the title in 1950.

Earlier on Wednesday Gen. Rawat handed over a stallion light breed two brood mares two gelds and two donkey stallions to the Nepal Army.

Gen. Rawat who was appointed to the top post of Indian Army on December 31 will also visit Bangladesh during his first foreign visit.

--IANS
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