May 26th 2024.
In a rare and unusual move, the government has decided to extend the tenure of Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande by one month. This means that he will continue to serve in his post until June 30. The decision was made on Sunday, amidst the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. It came as a surprise as General Pande was originally set to retire from service on May 31.
The defence ministry announced that the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the extension. This is the first time in nearly five decades that such an extension has been granted to an Army Chief. The last time this happened was in the early 1970s, when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi extended the tenure of Army Chief Gen GG Bewoor by one year.
This extension has caused some changes in the succession plan for the next Army Chief. According to military experts, the next in line for the position was Lt Gen Prem Bhagat, a highly respected military officer. However, he had to retire from service without becoming the Army Chief due to the extension given to Gen Bewoor. This demonstrates the significance of this decision and its impact on the hierarchy of the army.
The defence ministry explained that the extension was granted under Rule 16 A of the Army Rules 1954. This allows for an extension of one month beyond the normal age of superannuation for an officer, which is 60 years. Gen Pande will now serve until the end of June, after which he will hand over the reins to the next Army Chief.
Currently, the senior-most official after Gen Pande is Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, who is serving as the Vice Chief of Army Staff. Following him is Lt Gen Ajay Kumar Singh, who is the Southern Army Commander. Both of these officers are course mates. Lt Gen Dwivedi took over as the Vice Chief in February, succeeding Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar. He has vast operational experience along the frontiers with China and Pakistan.
Gen Pande, who is the 29th Chief of the Army Staff, took charge on April 30, 2022, after Gen MM Naravane retired from service. Before this, he was serving as the Vice Chief. He is the first officer from the Corps of Engineers to lead the army. In his illustrious career, he has also held the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, India's only tri-services command. Gen Pande is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers in December 1982.
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