New Delhi: Northern Army Commander Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi has been appointed as the new vice chief of Army staff.
He will assume charge on 15 February from Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar, who will take over as the Northern Army commander in Udhampur.
Lt Gen Dwivedi is the senior-most officer to take over from Army chief Gen Manoj Pande when he retires on 31 May this year.
Before taking over as the Northern Army commander in February 2022, Lt Gen Dwivedi served as deputy chief of Army staff for a year.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA), Lt Gen Dwivedi was commissioned into the 18th battalion of the Regiment of Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (JAK Rifles) in December 1984.
Over a period of 39 years, Lt Gen Dwivedi has held several command, staff and instructional positions. It was in 2020 that he took over as the Corps Commander of the Rising Star Corps, also known as IX Corps at Yol Cantonment in Himachal Pradesh.
Lt Gen Dwivedi has also commanded his battalion in the Kashmir Valley and has even been with the Assam Rifles as Inspector General.
His staff appointments included postings in the Armoured Brigade, Directorate General of Military Operations, Military Secretary Branch as well as Divisional Corps Headquarters.
Lt Gen Dwivedi has also served as director, General Infantry, and done two overseas tenures in Somalia and the Seychelles.
(Edited by Gitanjali Das)
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Respecting the principle of seniority at such an exalted level contributes to professionalism and a sound military ethos.