New Army Chief Lt General Upendra Dwivedi: The central government has appointed Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi as the new Army Chief. Lieutenant General Dwivedi is currently serving as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff. He will replace General Manoj Pandey after his retirement on 30 June. It is worth noting that last month, the central government extended the tenure of General Manoj Pandey for a month, just 6 days before his retirement on 31 May.

Know Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi

Born on July 1, 1964, Dwivedi is an alumnus of Sainik School, Rewa. His first posting was on December 15, 1984, in the 18 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles of the Indian Army. Later he took command of the same unit. Dwivedi is an alumnus of the National Defense College and the US Army War College. He has also completed his studies at Defense Services Staff College, Wellington, and Army War College, Mhow. He has a master's degree in both strategic studies and military science.

Five achievements on the basis of which he was appointed Army Chief

1. In his journey of nearly 40 years, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi has handled various commands as well as worked in foreign appointments. Talking about his command deployment, he has been active in the command of the 18 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles Regiment, Assam Rifles, and 9 Corps. Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi has been awarded PVSM (Param Vishisht Seva Medal), AVSM (Ati Vishisht Seva Medal), and three GOC-in-C Commendation Cards. 

2. The new Army Chief Dwivedi is known for his operational experience on the China and Pakistan border. Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi has extensive operational experience on the borders with China and Pakistan. As the Northern Army Commander, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi showed great skill in planning and successfully completing continuous military operations on the northern and western borders.

3. He holds a Master of Philosophy (M Phil) in Defence and two Master's degrees in Strategic and Military Science. So, whether it is making strategy on the map to counter the enemy's moves or giving a befitting reply to the enemies on the Pakistan border (LOC) and China border (LAC), he knows both tasks very well. According to senior officials of the Indian Army, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi also carried out anti-terrorist operations in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) for a long time.

4. During the military talks with China that have been going on for the past several years, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi has strongly presented India's side and countered the cunningness of the cunning China and has given a strong reply on behalf of India. He has been involved in talks with China for the past several years to resolve the complex border issue on the LAC.

5. Lieutenant General Dwivedi took over as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff in February 2024. Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi has been a part of the campaign to make every command of the Indian Army state-of-the-art and equip it with new weapons. He rapidly advanced the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' campaign in the defense sector and presented a vision for the export of Made in India military products along with incorporating them into the army.