New Army Chief: Lt General Upendra Dwivedi Appointed Next Chief Of Army Staff; Facts About The Decorated Officer

New Army Chief: Lt General Upendra Dwivedi has been appointed the next chief of Indian Army. The general is presently serving as the Vice Chief of Army Staff, the Centre announced on Tuesday. Lt General Dwivedi will take over the reigns from outgoing Army chief General Manoj Pande on June 30. General Pande was originally set to retire on May 31 but was granted a one-month extension by the government. Being the Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Dwivedi was first in line to the top post.

Who Is Lt General Upendra Dwivedi?

Lt General Upendra Dwivedi was commissioned into Jammu & Kashmir Rifles, an infantry regiment of the Indian Army, on December 15, 1984. He has previously served in a variety of roles pertaining to command, staff, instructional and foreign appointments, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said in a press release. "The Command appointments of Lt Gen Dwivedi include Command of Regiment (18 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles), Brigade (26 Sector Assam Rifles), DIG, Assam Rifles (East) and 9 Corps," the communique stated.

"In the rank of Lt Gen, the officer has tenanted important appointments including that of Director General Infantry and General Officer Commanding in Chief (Headquarter Northern Command) from 2022-2024, before getting appointed as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff," it added.

New Army Chief: Lt General Upendra Dwivedi Educational Background

Lt General Dwivedi is an alumnus of distinguished institutes like the Sainik School in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa, the National Defence College, and the US Army War College. The officer has also undergone courses at the Army War College in Mhow and the Defence Services Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington.

Lt General Upendra Dwivedi: Medals And Honours

"In addition, the officer was conferred 'Distinguished Fellow' in the coveted NDC equivalent course at USAWC, Carlisle, USA," the MoD stated. Lt General Dwivedi holds an M Phil in Defence & Management Studies and two Master's Degrees in Strategic Studies and Military Science. He has been conferred with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and three GOC-in-C Commendation Cards during his service so far.