Kathmandu, Aug. 31: A delegation from the 63rd course of the National Defence College (NDC), India comprising 16 senior officers from civil services and defence forces of India and friendly foreign countries Germany, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Saudi Arabia, UK and Oman visited Nepal for five days from 27 to 31 August.

The visiting delegation, led by Air Vice Marshal Manish Kumar Gupta, Senior Directing Staff (Air Force), paid a courtesy call on the Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, Minister of Defence Purna Bahadur Khadka, Minister of Foreign Affairs Narayan Prakash Saud and Minister of Home Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha. The team called on the Chief of Army Staff, Nepali Army Gen Prabhu Ram Sharma, who himself is an alumnus of the National Defence College, India and discussed matters of bilateral military cooperation. The team visited Western Div Headquarters at Pokhara and interacted with senior officers there.

The National Defence College of India is one of the premier training institutions in the world for senior defence and civil service officers on the wider aspects of higher national direction and strategy. The course is attended by senior officers of the Indian Defence Forces and Civil Services as well as officers from armed forces of friendly foreign countries. At present, three officers of the Nepali Army are undergoing the ongoing course whereas 18 serving Nepali Army officers, including Gen Prabhu Ram Shrama, COAS Nepali Army, and 24 other retired officers of the Nepali Army have graduated from the National Defence College, New Delhi since 1992.