NEW DELHI: The Indian Army on Sunday got its new Chief of Army Staff (COAS) with General (Gen) Upendra Dwivedi taking over as the 30th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) from Gen Manoj Pande who superannuated after more than four decades of service to the nation. Gen Dwivedi’s take over onsets a wheel of change with a larger reshuffling and also new changes due.
General Upendra Dwivedi is an accomplished military leader, with 40 years of service in the Armed Forces. An alumnus of Sainik School, Rewa (MP), he was commissioned into the Regiment of Jammu & Kashmir Rifles in 1984.
The Army in its statement said the General officer has a unique distinction of balanced command as well as staff exposure across Northern, Eastern and Western theatres, in varied operational environments.
He takes over as the COAS, at a time when the global geo-strategic environment remains dynamic, with the challenges in the security domain becoming more pronounced due to technological advancements and ever-changing character of modern warfare.
“Operational preparedness to counter security threats to a rising nation, therefore would figure prominently, as a key focus area for the COAS. Concurrently, a focused response strategy, to myriad non-traditional security challenges, too shall be a priority, towards augmenting the nation’s defence.” The Army added.
General Dwivedi brings with him a wealth of experience and a proven track record of effectively planning and executing for the unexpected. He has tenanted critical appointments and played a pivotal role in combating grey zone manifestations in the national security canvas.
The General officer has a deep understanding of modern and emerging technologies in the security domain, and possesses a thoughtful approach of harnessing and integrating cutting edge technologies into military systems to enhance operational effectiveness.
As reported earlier by this newspaper, the Army is due for a major leadership overhaul. The COAS is the Chief of staff who heads the 1.2 million strong Indian Army organised into Seven Army Commands. Under the COAS come the Vice COAS and Lieutenant (Lt) Gen NS Raja Subramani GOC-in-C Central Command is to take over as the VCOAS. The Commands have their General Officer Commanding in Chief (GOC-in-C) as the heads and four of them will be joined by new officers. Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta will take over as GOC-in-C Central Command, Lt Gen Debu Sharma will be the new Commander Army Training Command (ARTRAC). Lt Gen Manjinder Singh and Lt gen Dhiraj Seth will be assuming charge of South Western Command and Southern Command respectively. The Operational Commands have Corps which are the biggest fighting formations of the Indian Army. While three are getting new Corps Commanders, more changes will take place soon.