Gurkhas' uphill battle for British army places gets tougher

The rituals of Gurkha recruitment have changed only gradually over the years. But the nervous candidates competing for a place in the prestigious unit this week are likely to serve in a radically altered Brigade of Gurkhas.

British officers believe that a long awaited review of Gurkha terms of service, to be announced in the new year, may bring changes including the recruitment of women. Changes to the pay and pensions scheme for which ex-servicemen have campaigned are expected.

Potential recruits are unaware of and uninterested in such issues, and competition is intense.

Pravin Thapa, 19, hopes to become the third generation of his family to join the Gurkhas, and this is the second time he has applied. 'Everyone wants to join the British army, everyone wants to see the world,' he says.

Over 14,000 men applied this year for 230 places in the British army, plus 73 vacancies in the Singapore police, for whom the army provides recruitment services. By the time they reached the British camp at Pokhara for the final phase of selection, the candidates had been whittled down to 700.

In order to bring the numbers down, anyone with more than two fillings or less than perfect vision is sent home, and the physical tests are much more strenuous than anything British recruits have to face.