New Delhi: The ‘Gorkha Regiment’ is facing a shortage of soldiers after increasing tension between India and Nepal over the new military recruitment process ‘Agnipath’ scheme. To address this issue as the recruitment of Nepalese nationals in the Indian Army has stopped, the army is planning to recruit tribals with similar qualities from within India. The move is aimed at maintaining the strength and legacy of the Gorkha Rifles in the Indian Army.

There are 7 Gorkha regiments in the Indian Army, where usually 60 per cent seats are reserved for Nepalis. The annual recruitment of Nepali Gurkhas into the army has gradually decreased to around 1,500, from 4,000 per year earlier. 1300 Nepalese youth were to be recruited in the Indian Army, so India had invited friendly country Nepal to recruit soldiers under the ‘Agnipath’ scheme, so that the number of Gorkhas could be increased. Meanwhile, the tension between India and Nepal increased regarding the new military recruitment process ‘Agnipath’ scheme. Therefore, Nepal stopped recruitment under the Agnipath scheme, for which the rallies were to begin.

About 30,000 Nepali citizens are currently serving in the seven Gorkha Rifles regiments of the Indian Army. Each regiment has five to six battalions. There are also more than 1.3 lakh ex-servicemen in Nepal, who receive their pension from the Indian Army. Gorkha regiment soldiers are mostly posted in mountainous areas in India, as it is said that no one can fight better in the mountains than them. Nepali boys are transformed into physically fit, mentally strong and professionally competent soldiers for the Indian Army after rigorous recruitment training at the Gorkha Training Centre in Shillong.

The Indian Army’s ‘Gorkha Regiment’ is facing a shortage of soldiers after the tussle with Nepal over the ‘Agnipath’ scheme. To address this issue as the recruitment of Nepali nationals has stopped, the army is planning to recruit tribals with similar qualities from within India. The move is aimed at maintaining the strength and legacy of the Gorkha Rifles in the Indian Army. This concern of India has also increased because Nepalese Gurkhas are now turning towards the Russian army. Russia is also providing citizenship to Nepali citizens after the recent change in citizenship rules.

Similarly, China has also started dreaming of forming ‘Gorkha Regiment’ itself by running a recruitment campaign in Nepal. Indian Gorkha soldiers have given a befitting reply to the enemies in the 1962 war with China, then in the war with Pakistan in 1965 and 1971. Before the tussle with China started in 2020, 1642 soldiers of India’s Gorkha Regiment went to their respective homes on holidays, but after the opening of the front from China in East Ladakh, Nepalese soldiers returned from leave. This is also one of the reasons why Gorkha soldiers of India have started knocking on China. That is why China has given a contract to the NGO China Study Centre for Rs 12 lakh and got the survey done in Nepal.