NEW DELHI, June 30: General Upendra Dwivedi on Sunday took over as the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of more than 1.3 million Indian army personnel after four decades of exemplary service.
General Dwivedi, who took over the mantle from General Manoj Pande on his superannuation, becomes the 30th COAS.
“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,” a Defence Ministry statement said.
“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 statement said.
Born on July 01, 1964, Lt. Gen. Dwivedi was commissioned into the Infantry (Jammu & Kashmir Rifles) of the Army on December 15, 1984. Like the Navy Chief Adm Dinesh K. Tripathi, he is an alumnus of the Sainik School Rewa in Madhya Pradesh.
His Command appointments include Command of Regiment (18 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles), Brigade (26 Sector Assam Rifles), DIG, Assam Rifles (East) and 9 Corps. Gen Pande was earlier to retire on May 31 as he turned 62 but was given a one month extension in service amid the delay in the announcement of a new Chief.
In the rank of Lieutenant General, the new COAS has held important appointments including that of Director General Infantry and General Officer Commanding in Chief, Northern Command) from 2022-2024, before taking over as Vice Chief.
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, the statement said. “His impetus would be to augment infusion of critical technologies by leveraging the nation’s vibrant, capable and productive technology eco-system,” it added.
(Manas Dasgupta)