Gen Seth to take charge as army vice chief

E-PaperSubscribeSubscribeEnjoy unlimited accessSubscribe Now! Get features like NEW DELHI: Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, an armoured corps officer, will on Wednesday take charge as Vice Chief of the Army Staff, replacing Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh who will move from New Delhi to Chandimandir as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Command, as part of a reshuffle in the army’s top echelons, officials aware of the matter said on Tuesday. Seth will be the senior-most officer when army chief General Upendra Dwivedi retires on June 30, making him the frontrunner for the top post. Gen Seth to take charge as army vice chiefSeth was so far heading the Pune-based Southern Command, a role he held since July 1, 2024. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, he was commissioned into the 2nd Lancers on December 20, 1986. Known for his professionalism and military acumen, Seth attended the Defence Services Command and General Staff Course at Military College, Paris, the International Defence Acquisition Management Course at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, the Higher Command Course at Mhow, and the National Defence College in New Delhi. He relinquished charge of the Southern Command on Tuesday “after an illustrious tenure marked by operational focus, institutional transformation and a resolute commitment to building a future-ready force,” the defence ministry said on Tuesday. Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh will replace Lieutenant General Manoj Katiyar who retired on Tuesday. Singh was commissioned into the 4th Battalion, Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) in December 1987. He has commanded a Special Forces unit in the Kashmir Valley and on the Line of Control, an infantry brigade, a mountain division along the Line of Actual Control, and a corps headquartered in Himachal Pradesh. Lieutenant General VMB Krishnan will be the new Eastern Army commander in Kolkata, replacing Lieutenant General RC Tiwari who retired on Tuesday. The command is responsible for guarding India’s borders with China in the eastern sector. Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain will be the new Southern Army commander.