The current recruitment policy known as “Agniveers” would reportedly be used to enlist Nepalis into the Indian Army’s seven Gorkha regiments as the Army gets ready to implement the Agnipath initiative. The Print cited sources in the defence and security establishment while reporting that under the system, 25% of Nepali Gorkhas would be retained for a longer term after being hired for a four-year term, comparable to the circumstances for Indian soldiers. Also read: Ramban Reports Grenade Blast in Jammu and Kashmir

As per their input, the report stated that the Gorkhas were enthusiastic about the hiring. For more information, see Kargil Vijay Diwas 2022: History, Significance, and Celebration. What You Should Understand

History of Nepali Soldiers in Indian Army

In accordance with the trilateral agreement struck at the time of independence by Nepal, India, and Britain, the Indian Army accepts soldiers from Nepal. Assisting battle casualties and dependents: Indian Army Issues ‘Fake News’ Alert About Bank Account

The first, third, fourth, fifth, eighth, ninth, and eleventh Gorkha regiments, which are made up of soldiers from both India and Nepal, make up the 43 battalions of the Indian Army at the moment.

According to reports provided by The Print, Indians make up the remaining 40% of the Gorkhas Regiment, with Nepalis making up a fixed 60% of the unit.

According to an article in The Indian Express, which stated that between 32,000 and 35,000 Nepalese soldiers are currently serving in the Indian Army, India recruits roughly 1,400 soldiers into the Gorkha regiment each year (pre-Covid figures). According to the statement, there are over 1.32 lakh former members of the Indian Army living in Nepal.

According to Maj Gen Ashok K Mehta, who was quoted in the Tribune as saying, “Gorkhas still join Indian regiments for customary ancestral bonding with the parent battalions” (retd).

He pointed out that all of the Gorkha regiments, which are all a part of the Indian Army, are made up mostly of Magars and Gurungs in the 1, 3, 4, 5, and 8 Gorkha regiments, of Chhetris and Thakuris in the 9, and of Rais and Limbus in the 11.

According to the article, Gorkha regiment recruiting initially took place at Nautanwa at the Nepal-India border close to Bhairhawa. Later, however, permanent sites were chosen for the procedure, such the Gorkha Recruiting Depots in Kunraghat, Gorakhpur, and Ghoom, close to Darjeeling.

According to Mehta, Nepalese recruiters known as Galla Wallahs used to trek for 20 to 24 days to bring young Gorkhas to the recruitment depots for bharti in Bharatiya fauj. But subsequently, when Indian recruiting teams travelled to Nepal to attract tough young people from inhospitable places, the technique was altered.

He wrote that recruitment rallies had taken place in Pokhara, Dharan, and other locations in west and east Nepal.

How Will Nepali Gorkhas Be Recruited?

According to The Print Report, the Army Recruitment Office (ARO) in West Bengal’s Darjeeling and Uttar Pradesh’s Gorakhpur is where Indian Gorkhas are recruited.

According to sources who spoke to the journal about the recruiting process for Nepalis, the forces of India, Nepal, and the UK choose a day for the recruitment rally first. On that day, representatives from all three armies perform a written and physical test at a certain site in Nepal.

According to Firstpost, the Army Recruitment Office (ARO) in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Darjeeling, Assam, and Meghalaya recruits Indian Gorkhas from these states.

Aginpath Scheme

The Agnipath scheme, which was unveiled on June 14, initially allowed for the recruitment of young people into the Indian Army for only four years, between the ages of 17 and a half and 21. The plan allows for the retention of 25% of them for a further 15 years.

The Center raised the maximum age for recruitment in 2022 to 23 years old in response to widespread protests that followed the unveiling of the programme. The people hired under the new plan would be called Agniveers.

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