NEW DELHI: The Indian Army’s top brass is set for a reshuffle from 1 April, with several senior three-star officers moving into key operational commands and the post of Vice Chief of Army Staff.
Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, currently the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Pune-based Southern Command, will move to Army Headquarters as the Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS).
An Armoured Corps officer commissioned in December 1986, Lt Gen Seth has held several command and staff appointments during his career.
Prior to taking charge of Southern Command in July 2024, he commanded the Mathura-based XXI Strike Corps, one of the Army’s key strike formations.
Lt Gen P.P. Singh, currently the Vice Chief of Army Staff, will take over as the Western Army Commander at Chandimandir next month, succeeding Lt Gen Manoj Kumar Katiyar. The Western Command is one of the Army’s most critical operational formations, overseeing the Pakistan front.
An officer of the elite Parachute Regiment (Special Forces), Lt Gen P.P. Singh will be among the few Special Forces officers to head an Army Command.
Another significant change will see Lt Gen V.M.B. Krishnan, currently serving as the Army’s Quartermaster General at Army Headquarters, take over as the Eastern Army Commander from 1 April. The Kolkata-based command oversees operations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in the eastern sector, as well as the borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Lt Gen Krishnan will succeed Lt Gen Ram Chander Tiwari, who has headed the Eastern Command since January 2024 and will retire later this month.
An officer of the Dogra Regiment, Lt Gen Krishnan earlier commanded the strategically important XVII Corps, the Army’s mountain strike formation raised for operations along the China front. He has also served as Director General of Information Technology at Army Headquarters.
Meanwhile, Lt Gen Sandeep Jain, currently the Chief of Staff at Southern Command, will be elevated to take over as the Southern Army Commander in Pune, replacing Lt Gen Seth when he moves to Army Headquarters.
Lt Gen Jain earlier commanded the Ambala-based II Corps, also known as the Kharga Corps, one of the Army’s key strike formations on the western front.