New Army Chief: Who is Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi? Who took over the command of the army
New Army Chief: General Upendra Dwivedi took over as the new Army Chief on Sunday. He has become the 30th Army Chief of the Indian Army. He has in-depth knowledge and experience of important postings in the country and abroad as well as the Indian borders with China and Pakistan. General Dwivedi has also been a pioneer in the use of technology. He has made a significant contribution in promoting technology in the Army's Northern Command.
Significant contribution in modern technology
The new Army Chief has also been working towards the use of modern technology like Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Big Data Analytics, Quantum.
Apart from this, he has been awarded 'Distinguished Fellow' in the prestigious NDC equivalent course at USAWC, Carlisle, USA. General Dwivedi holds M Phil in Defence and Management Studies and two postgraduate degrees in Strategic Studies and Military Science.
Awarded three GOC-in-C Commendation Cards
He has also been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and three GOC-in-C Commendation Cards. General Dwivedi's appointment as the Chief of Army Staff was approved by the government on June 11. He took over charge here today from General Manoj Pandey who retired today.
Who is Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi
Born on 01 July 1964, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi was commissioned into the Infantry (Jammu and Kashmir Rifles) of the Indian Army on 15 December 1984. During his long and distinguished service of nearly 40 years, he has served in various command, staff, training and overseas appointments.
Lieutenant General Dwivedi's command appointments include command of a regiment (18 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles), brigade (26 Sector Assam Rifles), Inspector General, Assam Rifles (East) and 9 Corps.
Worked on these important posts
Lieutenant General Dwivedi has held important posts including Director General Infantry and General Officer Commanding in Chief (HQ Northern Command) from 2022-24 before his appointment as Vice Chief of Army Staff. An alumnus of Sainik School Rewa, National Defence College and US Army War College, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi has also studied at DSSC Wellington and Army War College, Mhow.
General Manoj Pandey Retired
General Manoj Pandey, who is retiring today, was appointed Chief of Army Staff on 30 April 2022. He was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers (Bombay Sappers) in December 1982. He was appointed as Vice Chief of Army Staff before taking over as COAS. General Manoj Pandey's tenure was ending on 31 May 2024. However, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet had approved an extension of one more month on 26 May 2024.
Officers of the rank of Lieutenant General retire at this age
The principles of seniority have been fully followed by the government in the appointment of the new Army Chief. It is worth noting that the Chiefs of Army Staff of the three armies can remain in office till the age of 62 or for a tenure of three years (whichever is earlier). At the same time, the retirement age limit of officers of the rank of Lieutenant General is fixed at 60 years.
Worked as a military advisor
Lieutenant General Dwivedi has been a pioneer in the use of technology. He has made significant contributions towards promoting technology in the Army's Northern Command. Along with this, the new Army Chief has also been working towards the use of modern technology like Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Big Data Analytics, Quantum. He stayed in Somalia and worked as a military advisor to the Seychelles government.
Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi has been a classmate
With this, for the first time in the Indian Army, two officers who studied together are leading two different branches of the army. In fact, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi and Indian Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi have been classmates Both of them studied together in class 5 in the early 1970s. At that time, General Dwivedi's roll number was 931 and Navy Chief Admiral Tripathi's roll number was 938.