Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi has been appointed as the new Chief of the Indian Army, succeeding General Manoj C. Pande. He will be taking over charge on June 30.
Dwivedi is currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff and has been honoured with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal. His appointment follows General Pande’s departure from office on June 30, which comes after a one-month extension of his tenure. He was commissioned into the Infantry (Jammu & Kashmir Rifles) of the Indian Army on December 15, 1984.
The government adhered to the seniority principle in appointing Lt. Gen. Dwivedi.
“The government has appointed Lt Gen 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,” the Defence Ministry said.
General Pande was to retire from service on May 31, however, in a rare move the government extended his tenure last month by one month days before his superannuation.
The move triggered speculation that Lt Gen Dwivedi may be overlooked for the top post. The senior-most official after Lt Gen Dwivedi is Lt Gen Ajay Kumar Singh, the Southern Army Commander. Lt Gen Dwivedi was also set to retire on June 30.
(With PTI inputs)