The government announced the appointment of Vice-Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Upendra Dwivedi on Tuesday as the next Army Chief. He will take over from Gen. Manoj Pande on June 30.
“The government has appointed Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi, presently serving as Vice Chief of the Army Staff, as the next Chief of the Army Staff with effect from the afternoon of June 30, 2024. The present Chief of the Army Staff, General Manoj C. Pande, demits office on June 30, 2024,” the Defence Ministry said in a late-evening statement.
Gen. Pande had been given a one-month extension. Previously , he was to retire on May 31. The extension had created speculation in the military fraternity of a possible supersession and deviation from the seniority principle in the appointment of service chiefs.
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Background of the new Army Chief
Lt. Gen. Dwivedi, born on July 1, 1964, was commissioned into the Infantry (Jammu & Kashmir Rifles) of the Army on December 15, 1984. He is also an alumnus of the Sainik School, Rewa like Navy Chief Adm Dinesh K. Tripathi.
Serving as Inspector General of Assam Rifles (East), and commanding the 9 Corps, his Command roles include leading the 18 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles Regiment, 26 Sector Assam Rifles Brigade.
He has held important positions in the rank of Lieutenant-General,, including that of Director General Infantry and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, from 2022 to 2024, before taking over as Vice-Chief.
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