General Upendra Dwivedi took over as the 30th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the 1.3 million Indian Army on June 30 from General Manoj Pande who superannuated after more than four decades of service.
“He takes over as the COAS, at a time when the global geo-strategic environment remains dynamic, with the challenges in the security domain becoming more pronounced due to technological advancements and ever-changing character of modern warfare,” a Defence Ministry statement said. “Operational preparedness to counter security threats to a rising nation, therefore would figure prominently, as a key focus area for the COAS.”
Concurrently, a focused response strategy, to myriad non-traditional security challenges, too shall be a priority, towards augmenting the nation’s defence, the statement said.
Born on July 01, 1964, Lt. Gen. Dwivedi was commissioned into the Infantry (Jammu & Kashmir Rifles) of the Army on December 15, 1984. Like the Navy Chief Adm. Dinesh K. Tripathi, he is an alumnus of the Sainik School Rewa in Madhya Pradesh. His Command appointments include Command of Regiment (18 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles), Brigade (26 Sector Assam Rifles), DIG, Assam Rifles (East) and 9 Corps.
Gen. Pande was earlier to retire on May 31 as he turned 62 but was given a one-month extension in service amid the delay in announcing the new Chief. The one-month extension to Gen Pande had created speculations in the military fraternity of a possible supersession and deviation from the seniority principle in the appointment of service chiefs. However, in a late-night announcement on June 11, 2024, the Government appointed them Vice Chief Lt. Gen. Dwivedi, who was the senior most, to the top post.
As a Lieutenant General, Gen. Dwivedi has held important appointments including that of Director General Infantry and General Officer Commanding in Chief, Northern Command) from 2022-2024, before taking over as Vice Chief.
The General officer has a deep understanding of modern and emerging technologies in the security domain, and possesses a thoughtful approach of harnessing and integrating cutting-edge technologies into military systems to enhance operational effectiveness, the statement said. “His impetus would be to augment infusion of critical technologies by leveraging the nation’s vibrant, capable and productive technology eco-system,” it added.
New appointments
Lt. Gen. N. S. Raja Subramani, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Central Command, is set to take over as the Vice Chief of Army Staff. Further, Lt. Gen. Anindya Sengupta is set to take over from him as the Central Army Commander. He is currently the Chief of Staff of Udhampur-based Northern Command.
Southern Army Commander Lt. Gen. A. K. Singh has also retired on June 30 and the new Commander will be Lt. Gen. Dhiraj Seth, who is presently commanding the South West Army Command. Lt. Gen. Manjinder Singh, presently commander of Shimla-based Army Training Command (ARTRAC), will take over as the South West Army Commander. Lt. Gen. Devendra Sharma, presently the Chief of Staff, Western Command, will replace him.
