KATHMANDU, Sept 23: Thanks to the long-halted recruitment process at various training centers of the Nepal Army (NA), these centers are soon going to be empty. The Nepalese Military Academy (NMA) located at Kharipati, for instance, is now vacant after its 181 trainees passed out on Sunday.
The 181 officers in Officer Cadet Course-50 and J/NCO Officer Cadet Course-39, who completed the 18-month course at NMA, were recruited two years back. But since no additional recruits were taken last year, there is no fresh batch to train.
”The Kharipati Academy has no fresh recruits as the government directed the NA not to engage in fresh recruitment,” a highly-placed NA source said, adding, “It would be better if the government worked against a deadline so that the army can start taking in new people.” He added that although the NA is planning to start taking in a fresh batch soon, “it will be a highly difficult proposition.”
The source added, “It is not possible to run a professional institution like the Nepal Army while stopping all recruitment. And this is only one aspect of the problem.”
”What about regular vacancies that have emerged after deaths or accidents or expulsions?” he questioned.
There are currently five training academies run by the NA. At Kharipati, basic military training is imparted to personnel between the ranks of lieutenant and captain. The Young Officers´ Course and Company Command Course are run at Nagarkot Academy.
Similarly, Shivapuri Staff College conducts the Battalion Commanders´ Course, upon completion of which majors are promoted to lieutenant-colonel. Besides, two warfare training schools are functioning at Amlekhgunj in Bara, and Jomsom, Mustang. At Amlekhgunj, the NA imparts training in jungle warfare, while at Jomsom it runs the MWS (Mountain Warfare School). In addition, it also has a Recruit Training Center at Trishuli.
The new army chief has plans for an Integrated Training School in the Tarai.
In March, the Supreme Court issued an interim order to the Nepal Army to stop new recruitment though it upheld the recruitment carried out in February for some of the vacancies. UNMIN and the EU had said that the recruitment process violated the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in November, 2006. The Maoists, who were then heading the government, had strongly objected to such recruitment attempts by the NA, saying it was a clear violation of all the peace agreements.
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