New Delhi: Lieutenant General Baggavalli Somashekar Raju will take over as the next army vice chief on May 1, replacing Lieutenant General Manoj Pande who takes charge as India’s 29th army chief on Saturday after General Manoj Mukund Naravane completes his term in the top job, officials familiar with the development said on Friday.
Raju, a qualified helicopter pilot, is currently the army’s director general of military operations (DGMO) and in that capacity, he was closely monitoring the lingering two-year border standoff with China in the sensitive Ladakh sector. Lieutenant General Manoj Katiyar will replace Raju as the army’s next DGMO.
In his illustrious career spanning 38 years, he had commanded his battalion during ‘Operation Parakram’ in the Western theatre and in Jammu and Kashmir.
Lt Gen Raju holds the distinction of commanding the Uri brigade along the Line of Control, a counter-insurgency force, and at the Srinagar-based Chinar Corps. The officer also served as the commandant of the Indian military training team in Bhutan.
The officer also served in several important regimental, staff, and instructional appointments in the Army headquarters and in field formations.
(Vinayak)
