Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi has been chosen by the government to be the next Chief of Army Staff. Lieutenant General Dwivedi, who is now the Vice Chief of Army Staff, will take over as General Manoj Pande’s successor on June 30. General Manoj Pande, the head of the Army, will retire on June 30 after an unprecedented one-month term extension during the Lok Sabha elections.
Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, currently serving as the Vice Chief of Army Staff, is the senior-most official after Gen Pande. Both Lt Gen Dwivedi and Lt Gen Singh are course mates.
Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi was commissioned into the Indian Army’s Infantry (Jammu & Kashmir Rifles) on December 15, 1984, after being born on July 1, 1964. Throughout his almost forty-year military career, he held a number of notable positions in Command, Staff, Instruction, and Foreign. Among Lt Gen Dwivedi’s noteworthy command positions are those of Deputy Inspector General of Assam Rifles (East), Commander of the 9 Corps, and Leader of the 18 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles Regiment and 26 Sector Assam Rifles Brigade.
Prior to being appointed Vice Chief of the Army Staff, he served as a Lieutenant General and held important roles such as Director General Infantry and General Officer Commanding in Chief (Headquarter Northern Command) from 2022 to 2024.
An alumnus of prestigious institutions like Sainik School Rewa, National Defence College, and US Army War College, Lt Gen Dwivedi has also completed courses at the Defence Services Staff College Wellington and Army War College Mhow. His academic credentials include an MPhil in Defence & Management Studies and Master’s Degrees in Strategic Studies and Military Science. He was honored as a ‘Distinguished Fellow’ at the National Defense College equivalent course at USAWC, Carlisle, USA.
Lt Gen Dwivedi’s exemplary service has been recognised with several prestigious awards, including the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM), and three GOC-in-C Commendation Cards.
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