Lt. Gen. Upendra Dwivedi to be next Army chief

The Indian government has appointed Vice-Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Upendra Dwivedi 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, effective 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, who was to retire on May 31, had been given a one-month extension. The extension had created speculation in the military fraternity of a possible supersession and deviation from the seniority principle in appointing service chiefs.

Born on July 1, 1964, Lt. Gen. Dwivedi was commissioned into the Army’s Infantry (Jammu & Kashmir Rifles) on Dec. 15, 1984. Like Navy Chief Adm Dinesh K. Tripathi, he is also an alumnus of the Sainik School, Rewa.

His Command roles include leading the 18 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles Regiment, 26 Sector Assam Rifles Brigade, serving as Inspector General of Assam Rifles (East), and commanding the 9 Corps.

Lieutenant-General has held important positions, including that of Director General Infantry and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, from 2022 to 2024, before taking over as Vice-Chief.