June 11th 2024.
The government of New Delhi has announced that Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi will be taking over as the Army Chief, succeeding Gen Manoj Pande. This decision was made on Tuesday night and will come into effect on June 30, when Gen Pande will be retiring. Currently, Lt Gen Dwivedi is serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff and will now be stepping into the top position.
It is worth noting that the government has followed the seniority principle in appointing Lt Gen Dwivedi as the next Army Chief. This was confirmed by the Defence Ministry, stating, "The government has appointed Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, presently serving as Vice Chief of the Army Staff, as the next Chief of the Army Staff with effect from the afternoon of June 30."
In a surprising move, the government had recently extended Gen Pande's tenure by one month, just days before his scheduled superannuation on May 31. This had led to speculations that Lt Gen Dwivedi may be overlooked for the top post. However, the government has now made it clear that Lt Gen Dwivedi will indeed be taking over as the next Army Chief.
It is worth mentioning that the senior-most official after Lt Gen Dwivedi is Lt Gen Ajay Kumar Singh, who currently holds the position of Southern Army Commander. Additionally, it is worth noting that Lt Gen Dwivedi was also set to retire on June 30, making this appointment a timely and strategic decision by the government. This news has been confirmed by PTI.
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