Gen Manoj Pande (L) passing the baton of the Army chief to Gen Upendra Dwivedi. (Photo: Indian Army)
New Delhi: General Upendra Dwivedi has officially taken the reins as the 30th chief of the Indian Army. The change of command ceremony, held at the South Block in New Delhi, Gen Dwivedi took charge of the service from General Manoj Pande. As reported earlier, Gen Pande got a month’s extension of tenure in June.
#GeneralUpendraDwivedi, PVSM, AVSM takes over as the 30th Chief of the Army Staff #COAS of the #IndianArmy from General Manoj Pande. He assumes the appointment with a wealth of strategic acumen & operational experience in challenging scenarios and diverse terrain.
— ADG PI - INDIAN ARMY (@adgpi) June 30, 2024
जनरल उपेन्द्र… pic.twitter.com/cMUQ4ekkRT
Born on July 1, 1964, in Madhya Pradesh, Gen Dwivedi is an alumnus of Sainik School Rewa. His journey through the ranks has been marked by excellence and dedication.
He was commissioned into the 18th battalion of the Jammu & Kashmir Rifles on December 15, 1984, after passing out from the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. Later, he commanded a battalion at Chowkibal in Kashmir valley during Operation Rakshak. He also commanded troops in the deserts of Rajasthan. He commanded a sector of the Assam Rifles in Manipur during Operation Rhino and later became an inspector general in the Assam Rifles. Gen Dwivedi also held various other staff and command appointments in the northeast.
Later, he commanded the IX Corps, which is also known as the Rising Star Corps, which is a part of the Western Army Command. Then he went to command the critical Northern Army Command, which oversees India’s northern borders with Pakistan and China.
Gen Dwivedi has had a unique distinction of balanced exposure of both northern and western theatres.
The new chief of the army staff (COAS) also has had an illustrious educational career and training. He went to the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakwasla, then the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun. He is also a Distinguished Fellow at the United States Army War College, Carlisle, USA.
Apart from his military education and training, the general holds an MPhil degree in Defence & Management Studies and two master’s degrees in Strategic Studies and Military Science.
