{"id":18729,"date":"2026-06-14T19:17:01","date_gmt":"2026-06-14T13:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eng.dragonmedia.com.np\/?p=18729"},"modified":"2026-06-14T19:17:01","modified_gmt":"2026-06-14T13:32:01","slug":"politics-or-merit-within-the-army-sharp-questions-raised-from-welfare-fund-to-promotions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eng.dragonmedia.com.np\/?p=18729","title":{"rendered":"Politics or Merit Within the Army? Sharp Questions Raised from Welfare Fund to Promotions<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"

KATHMANDU \u2013 The strength of a modern democratic state is not limited only to elections, government, and parliament. How strong a state is also measured by how transparent, accountable, capable, and impartial its institutions are. Among them, the professionalism, discipline, and neutrality of the Nepali Army \u2013 a sensitive and respected institution directly linked to national security \u2013 are even more important. The Nepali Army is the primary security institution responsible for protecting Nepal’s sovereignty, national unity, and territorial integrity. It has not only fulfilled traditional military responsibilities but has also enhanced Nepal’s prestige internationally through disaster management, rescue operations, infrastructure development, development assistance in remote areas, and United Nations peacekeeping missions. However, a serious policy debate is now necessary on how to make this respected institution even stronger, more modern, transparent, and publicly accountable.<\/p>\n

Discussions are currently taking place focusing on governance reform, meritocracy, institutional impartiality, transparency, and welfare structures. Such discussions are equally relevant in the context of the Nepali Army. The army is constitutionally a politically neutral institution. Therefore, keeping the army away from the influence of any party, faction, power, or interest group is the first condition for protecting its institutional dignity. Recruitment, training, posting, transfer, promotion, and leadership development in the army must all be based on qualifications, competence, discipline, integrity, and dedication to service. If decisions are made based on access, relationships, power, or political influence, it weakens the institution’s morale. The tendency of qualified soldiers being left behind while influential individuals move forward damages both the army’s professional capability and institutional trust in the long run.<\/p>\n

The experience of powerful armies around the world demonstrates this. The United States military is considered one of the world’s most influential armies due to its rigorous training, clear career system, and professional standards. The British army is respected for its traditional discipline, institutional continuity, and practice of staying away from political interference. The Indian army also considers its strong command structure, discipline, and professionalism as its main foundation. These examples prove that an army’s strength lies not only in weapons but also in its systems.<\/p>\n

Transparency in defense management is another sensitive issue. Clear rules, competitive processes, and regular monitoring are necessary in areas such as defense procurement, budget management, welfare funds, contracting systems, construction works, and resource mobilization. The tendency to keep all matters opaque in the name of national security is not considered healthy for democratic governance. Many countries around the world are practicing ways to ensure financial and administrative transparency while maintaining confidentiality of sensitive matters. Strengthening parliamentary oversight, auditing, internal control systems, and digital record management in defense budget and procurement can reduce the possibility of corruption, misuse, and irregularities. In a disciplined institution like the army, financial discipline must be equally strict. This further strengthens public trust in military leadership.<\/p>\n

The welfare of serving soldiers is an important obligation of the state. The state cannot be indifferent towards the families, health, education, housing, and social security of those who protect the nation while living in difficult geography, risky situations, and strict discipline. Quality health services, family-friendly welfare programs, education facilities for children, housing support, and psychosocial counseling for soldiers must be made an integral part of modern military management. The problems of retired soldiers are no less serious. After their service life ends, many ex-servicemen face pressure from employment, income generation, health problems, social adjustment, and family responsibilities. If the nation can utilize their experience, discipline, skills, and leadership abilities, they can become national human resources rather than a burden. For this, pre-retirement career transition programs, skill development training, entrepreneurship promotion, concessional loans, rehabilitation in agriculture and productive sectors, and employment coordination with the private sector need to be made effective. Countries like Australia and Singapore have been operating planned programs to help soldiers smoothly transition to civilian life after service. Nepal can also learn from this.<\/p>\n

The welfare structure of the Nepali Army has been a subject of debate for many years. The purpose of the welfare fund is the well-being of serving and former soldiers and their families. However, voices have been raised from time to time that the investment, income, expenditure, distribution of facilities, and beneficiary selection process of such funds should be more transparent, fair, and accessible. If welfare facilities are easily available for higher ranks but difficult for lower ranks, it can increase dissatisfaction within the institution. The role played by the Nepali Army in disaster management and development construction is also remarkable. The army’s presence during earthquakes, floods, landslides, fires, epidemics, or other crises demonstrates the state’s capability. The army’s contribution to roads, bridges, infrastructure, and rescue operations in remote areas is significant. However, the army’s involvement in development construction must be organized based on special needs and national priorities, not in a way that weakens its core military responsibilities.<\/p>\n

The Nepali Army’s participation in United Nations peacekeeping missions is an important foundation of Nepal’s international prestige. The discipline, courage, and professionalism shown by Nepali soldiers while establishing peace abroad have raised Nepal’s name high. The experience, resources, and skills gained from peace missions need to be connected with the army’s long-term capability development. Another important need now is digital military administration. If service records, pensions, grievance hearings, promotion details, training records, welfare facilities, health records, and retirement processes can be moved to a digital system, delays, favoritism, and record tampering can be reduced. Digital governance helps make military administration faster, transparent, and evidence-based.<\/p>\n

If the dignity of the Nepali Army is to be maintained, there is no need to fear reform. Reform does not mean weakening the institution; it means making it stronger. A politically interference-free, merit-based, transparent, welfare-oriented, and technology-friendly army is the need of the future. The challenge for Nepal is clear \u2013 how to balance tradition and modernity? How to protect the army’s glorious history while developing it as a professional, accountable, and capable security institution of the 21st century? The answer to this must be sought in policy, leadership, transparency, and honest reform. Ultimately, the Nepali Army is not only the nation’s security shield but also a foundation of trust in times of crisis. Therefore, the state must place high priority on its institutional dignity, the morale of soldiers, the respect for retired soldiers, and the fair management of the welfare structure. A strong army means a strong nation, but a strong army is one that is free from political influence, grounded in merit, transparent, and filled with public trust.<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t <\/div><\/div>\n\t\t