Army holds back leaves of Nepal-origin Gorkha troops as precautionary measure

Amid rising unrest in Nepal, the Indian Army has temporarily withheld the annual leave of all its Nepal-origin Gorkha soldiers. Additionally, an individual check has been conducted to ensure the safety of soldiers already on leave in the neighbouring country.

According to sources, all Gorkha soldiers currently on leave in their hometowns in Nepal are safe. The commanding officers of all Gorkha battalions were tasked with verifying the status of each soldier on leave, and a count has confirmed that all are safe.

The Army is now considering extending the leave of those already in Nepal, pending the situation in the neighbouring country. As a precautionary measure, the sanctioned leaves of soldiers have been temporarily withheld, not cancelled, but rather delayed due to the prevailing situation in Nepal.

In the Indian Army, a fixed period of annual leave is granted to each soldier, typically sanctioned twice a year. The commanding officer staggers the leave of troops in their battalion to ensure operational efficiency.

There are 35 battalions of Gorkha Regiment in the Indian Army, each comprising around 800 soldiers. Approximately 40 per cent of these soldiers are Nepalese Gorkhas, while the remaining 60 per cent are Indian-origin Gorkhas drawn from Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and the Darjeeling region of North Bengal. Nepal-origin Gorkhas also serve in Mechanised Infantry units of the Indian Army.

An estimated 30,000 Nepalese Gorkhas are currently serving in the Indian Army. However, there has been no direct recruitment of Nepal-origin Gorkhas since 2020, when recruitment was halted due to the Covid pandemic. In 2022, the Agniveer scheme was introduced, allowing for four years of service with the option to retain 50 per cent of troops after that period. Notably, Nepal has declined to send its youth for recruitment under the Agniveer scheme.