Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, currently serving as the Northern Army Commander, is scheduled to assume the esteemed position of Vice-Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) on February 15. This transition comes as General Manoj Pande, the incumbent Army Chief, prepares for retirement on May 31. With Lt. Gen. Dwivedi’s impending promotion, he will ascend as the most senior officer in active service, positioning him as the frontrunner for the next Army Chief role based on seniority.
Confirming the succession plan, officials have disclosed that the current VCAS, Lt. Gen. M. V. Suchindra Kumar, will succeed Lt. Gen. Dwivedi and assume the pivotal role of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) in Udhampur.
This year marks a significant juncture for the armed forces as all three service Chiefs are slated for retirement. Admiral R. Hari Kumar, the Navy Chief, will be the first to retire on April 30, followed by the Army Chief on May 31, with the Air Chief’s retirement to follow thereafter, heralding a series of transitions at the apex of military leadership.
