Nepal president gives nod for Prabhu Ram Sharma as new Army Chief

The Nepal government has appointed Prabhu Ram Sharma as Chief of the Army Staff. This comes after the cabinet raised the name of Sharma as the most eligible person to hold the topmost rank in the Nepal Army. Nepal President Bidya Devi Bhandari agreed with the cabinet's request and approved the name of the veteran soldier. In July, the cabinet held a meeting to appoint the new army chief, as the incumbent army head, Purna Chandra Thapa, was taking leave from August 8. The newly appointed Army Chief will take office on September 9, 2021.

Nepal government appoints Prabhu Ram Sharma as the new Nepal Army Chief

The new Army Chief, Prabhu Ram Sharma, is an alumnus of the National Defense College in India and hails from Kathmandu. He marked his entry into the Nepal Army as a member of the Purano Gorakh Battalion. Notably, Sharma is going to be the first Army Chief to come from the Brahmin community in Nepal's history. He holds a master's degree in history from Tribhuwan University and a master of philosophy in Defense and Strategic Studies from the University of Madras.

The Chief of Army Staff is the supreme leader and chief executive of the Nepalese Armed Forces. The Army Chief directly reports to the Defense Ministry and is appointed for a tenure of only 3 years. In Nepal, the selection of the Army Chief is only done by the President on the recommendations of the Council of Ministers of Nepal and can only be removed by the President. Earlier, Nepal welcomed its new Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, after former PM K P Sharma Oli stepped down from the position.

Image Credits: ANI