Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi has appealed to his Nepali counterpart to revive the recruitment of Gorkha soldiers into the Indian Army.
The recruitment of Gorkhas has been on hold for the past four years, initially due to the pandemic and later because of Nepal’s decision to block its ethnic Gorkha community from enlisting under the controversial Agnipath scheme, which means “path of fire” in Hindi.
The Agnipath scheme, launched in 2022, recruits soldiers, referred to as Agniveers, for a four-year period with no provision for retirement benefits.
Agniveers are not entitled to gratuity or pension, and 75 percent of them will be demobilized after completing their term, while the remaining soldiers are retained as regular cadres based on merit and organizational needs. Before the scheme, a fit general-duty soldier had to serve 15-18 years in the army.
Nepal did not agree to the terms of the Agniveer scheme for its citizens, saying that it violated the provisions of the tripartite India-Nepal-Britain Agreement of 1947. The Himalayan nation also voiced concern over the re-employability of Gorkha soldiers after the expiry of their four-year term.
Army Chief told The Telegraph, “I have personally requested the Nepal Army chief to revive the recruitment of the ethnic Gorkha community in the Indian Army. I am very hopeful that it will resume sooner than later.”
At the annual Army Commanders’ Press Conference on January 13, General Upendra Dwivedi also mentioned that the absence of fresh Gorkha recruits from Nepal has not impacted the operational preparedness or overall strength of the Indian Army.
He added, “We have submitted our proposal to the Government of Nepal and are waiting for their response.” But, he did not specify a timeframe for when the enlistment might resume.
While the Indian Army chief expressed optimism about the resumption of the recruitment process, the ongoing deadlock raises uncertainty over whether Nepalese will ever rejoin the Indian Gurkha regiments in the future.
Some experts have even suggested that the Agnipath scheme may have signaled the beginning of the end for a brigade entirely composed of Nepalese soldiers in the Indian Army.
Nonetheless, Nepal has not expressed any interest in resuming the recruitment process. Following the launch of the Agnipath scheme in June 2022, Delhi reached out to Nepal to ascertain its stance on recruiting Nepalese, as recruitment rallies were planned for August and September in Butwal and Dharan.
These two towns are where aspiring candidates undergo academic and physical assessments. Kathmandu, initially undecided, informed Delhi that it would defer its decision until after the November 2022 elections.
In September 2022, then-Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande suggested that vacancies for Nepalese would be rescinded if Kathmandu failed to make a timely decision. Since then, the situation has remained unchanged.
A Historical Alliance In Jeopardy?
The recruitment of Nepali Gorkhas into the Indian Army has long been anchored in a historical relationship of valor and mutual trust, with roots stretching back centuries.
This bond was formalized through the 1947 tripartite agreement, which permitted both Indian and British armies to continue recruiting Gorkhas. Under the terms of the agreement, six Gorkha regiments were allocated to India, while four remained under the British Army’s purview.
Known for their courage and resilience, Nepali Gorkhas have also played crucial roles in India’s conflicts with China and Pakistan, forging strong ties with the Indian military.
However, in 2022, after the introduction of Agneepath, the Nepalese government, led by then-Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, halted the recruitment of Gorkhas into the Indian Army.
The government cited that the tripartite agreement, which mandates Nepal’s consultation on changes to the army recruitment process, had not been upheld. This has raised concerns for the Indian Army.
Currently, the Indian Army maintains seven Gorkha regiments, with approximately 34,000 Nepali soldiers serving in these units. Before the recruitment freeze, the Indian Army used to recruit between 1,200 to 1,500 Gorkhas from Nepal annually.
Since 2020, around 14,000 Gorkha soldiers have retired, but these vacancies have remained unfilled, resulting in significant shortfalls in operational battalions.
In an effort to address the manpower gap, the Gorkha Rifles have been recruiting Gorkhas from regions in India such as Darjeeling, Dehradun, and Dharamshala, along with Garhwalis and Kumaonis.
However, this effort has not been sufficient to meet the demand, with the army facing a shortfall of over 12,000 Nepali Gorkhas.
The lack of new recruits, combined with ongoing retirements, has led to predictions that in about seven years, the strength of the Gurkha battalions will be halved, and by 2037, there may be no pure Gurkha regiments left in the Indian Army.
While the breakdown in recruitment may not have significantly damaged broader Nepal-India relations, it represents the severing of a vital link between the two nations.
Beyond India, Nepali Gorkhas have long served in the British Army and the Singapore Police Force. Each year, around 20,000 Nepalese apply for the British Army, with only 200-300 selected.
Currently, more than 4,000 Gorkhas serve in the British Army, and approximately 2,000 serve in the Singapore Police Force, with around 150 joining annually.
Many Nepali citizens see recruitment into foreign military forces as one of the few viable career options. For some, the lack of opportunity at home has pushed them toward riskier alternatives, including joining the Russian army for higher wages.
That being said, the military relationship between India and Nepal remains strong. In 2024, General Upendra Dwivedi visited Nepal and was honored with the rank of General of the Nepali Army, a gesture of the enduring camaraderie between the two forces.
Shortly thereafter, Nepali Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel visited India, where he was similarly conferred the rank of General of the Indian Army
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