Chief of Army Staff (Nepal)

The Kajis of Gorkha Kingdom (later Kingdom of Nepal) carried the functions of army chief. In the 19th century, Mukhtiyar Bhimsen Thapa was the first person to use Commander-in-Chief as the title of army chief.[3] During the Rana dynasty, the post of army chief was hereditary. In 1979, General Singha Pratap Shah was raised with the title of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) instead of Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C). Since then, COAS is the title of army chief of Nepalese Army.

As per Section 8 of Army Act (2063) of Nepal, the Chief of Army Staff is appointed by the President of Nepal on the recommendation of Council of Ministers of Nepal.[4] The Chief of Army Staff is the head of the Nepalese military. As per Section 10 of the same, the appointment is subjected to be for three years or up to 61 years whichever is earlier.[4] As per Section 8(3) of Nepal Army Act (2063), in case of leave by current COAS, the President of Nepal can appoint the seniormost officer as the acting Chief of Army Staff. When General Rajendra Chhetri left for 15 days tour on 30 June 2017 to United States, Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Baldev Raj Mahat was appointed Acting Chief of the Army Staff as per section 8(3).[5] Similarly, then CGS Lt. Gen. Purna Chandra Thapa was appointed as the acting Chief of Army Staff on 8 August 2018 at the traditional last month leave of General Chhetri.[6]

As per Section 9(1) of Army Act (2063) of Nepal, the Chief of Army Staff shall manage the armed forces under the instructions of the Government of Nepal and according to prevailing laws and acts. As per Section 9(2), the COAS shall submit an annual report on the management of Nepalese armed forces to the Government of Nepal on the Baisakh month of Hindu calendar.[4]

As per Section 11 (1 & 2) of the Army Act, COAS is normally retired on completion of 3 years or up to age of 61 years of the person, whichever is earlier. However, as per the section 11(3) of the same, the COAS can be removed by the President of Nepal if deemed necessary by Government of Nepal on the recommendation of Council of Ministers of Nepal.[4]

Chief of General Staff (CGS) is the deputy position of the Chief of Army Staff. The CGS is generally ranked as Lieutenant General (three star General). The chief of general staff is assigned to look after intelligence and operations in the Army.[11] Currently, Lt. Gen. Sarad Giri is the CGS of the Nepal Army.

No.		Chief of General Staff	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Unit of Commission	Ref
-		Chhetri, RajendraGeneral Rajendra Chhetri (born 1960)	February 2015	July 2015	5 months	Rajdal Battalion	[11]
-		Mahat, Baldev RajLieutenant General Baldev Raj Mahat	July 2015	4 November 2017	2 years, 4 months	-	[11][12]
-		Thapa, Purna ChandraGeneral Purna Chandra Thapa (born 1960)	4 November 2017	8 August 2018	277 days	Gorakh Bahadur Battalion	[6][12][13]
-		Kunwar, Hemanta RajLieutenant General Hemanta Raj Kunwar	16 September 2018	23 April 2019	219 days	Naya Gorakh Battalion	[14][15][16][17]
40		Giri, SaradLieutenant General Sarad Giri	23 April 2019	Incumbent	1 year, 292 days	Rajdal Battalion	[17]

• Acharya, Baburam (2012), Acharya, Shri Krishna (ed.), Janaral Bhimsen Thapa : Yinko Utthan Tatha Pattan (in Nepali), Kathmandu: Education Book House, p. 228, ISBN 9789937241748
• Adhikari, Indra (2015), Military and Democracy in Nepal, Routledge, ISBN 9781317589068
• Nepal, Gyanmani (2007), Nepal ko Mahabharat (in Nepali) (3rd ed.), Kathmandu: Sajha, p. 314, ISBN 9789993325857
• Oldfield, Henry Ambrose (1880), Sketches from Nipal, Vol 1, 1, London: W.H. Allan & Co.
• Pradhan, Kumar L. (2012), Thapa Politics in Nepal: With Special Reference to Bhim Sen Thapa, 1806–1839, New Delhi: Concept Publishing Company, p. 278, ISBN 9788180698132
• Khatri, Shiva Ram (1999), Nepal Army Chiefs: Short Biographical Sketches, University of Michigan: Sira Khatri