Nepal stalls recruitment of Gorkha soldiers in Indian Army due to Agnipath scheme: Report

Nepal's Foreign Minister Narayan Khadka has reportedly conveyed to the Indian ambassador Naveen Srivastava that it would not allow the recruitment of Gorkhas in the Indian Army under the new Agnipath rules until a wider consultation is held with the country's political parties and stakeholders. He said the scheme does not adhere to the provision of the agreement signed by Nepal, India, and Britain in 1947 that governs the recruitment of Nepali soldiers into the Indian Army. 

Khada told the officer that the agreement doesn't recognize the new system and thus the country will require to assess the impact of the new arrangement, The Indian Express reported. 

Under the Agnipath scheme, soldiers are being hired for a period of 4 years and based on performance, only 25 percent of the recruits will be extended the full service. The remaining soldiers will be demobilized with a severance package of around Rs 11-12 lakh. They will be called Agniveers. 

The announcement of the scheme had sparked violent protests across the country. 

According to the daily, Nepal has stalled the recruitment process indefinitely. 

This was after two years that the country was approached for recruitment. Army recruitment was suspended for two years due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

However, the minister said stalling recruitment wasn't the decision and the country will revisit it after consultation with stakeholders. 

The Indian government apparently brought the scheme to stem the ballooning pension bills and to lower the military's age profile.