Lt Gen RC Tiwari paying tributes to fallen soldiers at Fort William, Eastern Army Command HQ, Kolkata, on January 1, 2024. (Photo: Indian Army)
Kolkata/New Delhi: Lieutenant General Ram Chandra Tiwari officially became the commander of the Indian Army’s Eastern Command at its iconic headquarters in Fort William, Kolkata, on Monday. He succeeded Lieutenant General Rana Pratap Kalita, who superannuated on Saturday.
Just like Lt Gen Kalita, his predecessor, Lt Gen Tiwari is also an infantry officer who was commissioned in the Kumaon Regiment. He was commissioned in 1987.
Lt Gen Tiwari, who was until now the commander of the Uttar Bharat Area under the Lucknow-headquartered Central Army Command, is an infantry officer with a vast operational experience. Prior to becoming the Uttar Bharat Area commander, he was the general officer commanding of the critical Dimapur-based III Corps, which is also known as the Spear Corps. Before that, he served as the commander of the 17th Infantry Division.
Lt Gen Tiwari is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Defence Services Staff College, College of Defence Management, and the National Defence College. He is also a recipient of the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and Sena Medal.
Lieutenant General RC Tiwari assumed the command of #EasternCommand. In a solemn ceremony, the #ArmyCommander paid tribute to the #Bravehearts & reviewed the impressive Guard of Honour. He exhorted all Ranks to continue working with soldierly pride and honour.#IndianArmy… pic.twitter.com/Dsgf9MoBLF
— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) January 1, 2024
Lt Gen Tiwari took charge as the Eastern Army commanders in a solemn ceremony marked by a guard of honour at and paid tributes to the fallen soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty. On assuming his new charge, he exhorted all ranks to continue working with soldierly pride and honour.
The Eastern Army commander’s post is widely considered to be one of the most prestigious yet challenging posts in the Army. The command is responsible for the 1,346-kilometre stretch of the line of actual control with China from Arunachal Pradesh to Sikkim in the high Himalayas. Apart from this, the command plays a significant role in maintaining peace in the insurgency-hit northeast, which shares borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Other senior changes in Army, Navy
The New Year’s Day also saw three other significant changes in the armed forces’ leadership. Lieutenant General Prit Pal Singh took command of the XIX Corps (Sudarshan Chakra Corps) replacing Lieutenant General Vipul Singhal. Headquartered in Mathura, the XIX Corps is one of the Army’s key strike corps. Lt Gen Singh was commissioned in the 62 Armoured Regiment, in 1989.
Apart from the Indian Army, the Indian Navy too saw two changes in its brass. Vice Admiral B Sivakumar took charge as the controller of warship production and acquisition (WAP), while the outgoing controller of WAP, Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh, will be the new chief of materiel.
