Hail the New chief General Upendra Dwivedi
General Upendra Dwivedi will tomorrow take over as the next chief of the Indian Army and promoted to rank of full General. On Sunday he will succeed General Manoj Pande on completion of 62 years of age but only 26-month tenure.
An alumnus of Sainik School Rewa, National Defence Academy, Indian Military Academy, Defence Services Staff College, National Defence College and US Army War College, General Upendra Dwivedi has also undergone courses at Army War College, Mhow.
General Dwivedi would be the 30th Chief of the Army Staff and is taking over at a time when the force is undergoing major modernisation through indigenisation along with structural reforms.
General Dwivedi has had a tenure as the Northern Army Commander from 2022 to 2024, where he has had long exposure to the ongoing operations in the military standoff on the LAC in eastern Ladakh. He was serving as the vice chief of the Army since 19 February.
General Dwivedi was commissioned into a regiment of the Jammu & Kashmir Rifles in 1984. He has a unique distinction of balanced command as well as staff exposure across the northern, eastern and western theatres in varied operational environments.
The Army said that Gen Dwivedi’s impetus would be to augment the infusion of critical technologies by leveraging the nation’s vibrant, capable and productive technology ecosystem to enhance the force’s overall capability.
“He takes over as 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 the ever-changing character of modern warfare,” it said.
The Chief has a deep understanding of modern and emerging technologies in the security domain and possesses a thoughtful approach to harnessing and integrating cutting-edge technologies into military systems to enhance operational effectiveness. He is a firm believer and follower of the Chetwode Motto, the general will also focus on promoting a culture of trust, empowerment of junior officers, wellbeing of the soldiers and welfare of veterans and veer naris.
In his long and distinguished career spanning nearly 40 years, he has served in a variety of command, staff, instructional and foreign appointments. The command appointments of General Dwivedi include command of 18 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles, brigade (26 Sector Assam Rifles), inspector general, Assam Rifles (East), and the 9 Corps and of course the Northern Army.
He has been decorated with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and three GOC-in-C commendation cards. In addition, the officer was conferred a ‘Distinguished Fellow’ in the coveted NDC equivalent course at USAWC, Carlisle, USA. The officer has an M. Phil in Defence and Management Studies and two Master’s Degrees in Strategic Studies and Military Science.
As the northern Army commander, General Dwivedi provided strategic guidance and operational oversight for the planning and execution of sustained operations along the northern and western borders, besides orchestrating the dynamic counter-terrorism operations in Jammu & Kashmir, officials said.
During this period, the general officer was actively engaged in the ongoing negotiations with China to resolve the vexed border issue, they said.
In the rank of Lt Gen, the officer has tenanted important appointments as GOC of 9 Corps and that of Director General Infantry. After Commanding the Northern Army,he was the Vice Chief.
