Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi to be the next chief of the Indian Army
Indian Army which is one of the world’s largest armies will have a new chief with the government announcing that Lt General Upendra Dwivedi will succeed General Manoj C Pande as the Chief of the Army Staff on June 30.
Lt General Dwivedi, who has received the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, is currently the Vice Chief of the Army Staff and will take over on the afternoon of June 30, the day General Pande leaves office.
Born on July 1, 1964, Dwivedi was commissioned into the Infantry (Jammu & Kashmir Rifles) of the Army in December 1984.
“During his long and distinguished service spanning nearly 40 years, he has served in a variety of Command, Staff, Instructional and Foreign appointments,” a government statement said.
Also read: Chandrababu Naidu takes oath as Andhra CM; PM Modi attends ceremony
“The Command appointments of Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi include Command of Regiment (18 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles), Brigade (26 Sector Assam Rifles), DIG, Assam Rifles (East) and 9 Corps,” it added.
Who is Lt General Upendra Dwivedi?
Lt. Gen. Dwivedi held crucial positions as Director General Infantry and General Officer Commanding in Chief of Headquarter Northern Command from 2022 to 2024 before being appointed Vice Chief of the Army Staff.
He is an alumnus of the Sainik School Rewa, National Defence College and US Army War College. He has also undergone courses at the DSSC Wellington and Army War College, Mhow.
Dwivedi was named a ‘Distinguished Fellow’ at the prestigious NDC comparable course at USAWC, Carlisle, US. He also has an M.Phil. in Defence and Management Studies and two Master’s degrees in Strategic Studies and Military Science.
Also read: “Not Caught but are Killed”, Two Terrorists abrogated by Security Forces in Kathua; Nosogenic Visuals out
In an unprecedented action, the Appointments Committee of Cabinet extended outgoing Chief of Army Staff Gen Manoj Pande’s tenure by one month beyond his retirement date in May of this year.
General Pande was supposed to retire on May 31 when he became 62 years old, but his term was extended to June 30. Service Chiefs typically serve for three years or until they reach the age of 62.
