After Gen Upendra Dwivedi took charge as the 30th Chief of the Army Staff on Sunday, four of the seven Army commands—Central Command, Southern Command, South-Western Command and Training Command—saw leadership changes. Besides, Lieutenant General N.S. Raja Subramani succeeded Gen Dwivedi as the new Vice Chief of the Army Staff.
The new VCAS
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, Lt Gen Subramani was heading the Central Command of the Army before assuming charge as the new VCAS.
He attended the Joint Services Command Staff College, Bracknell (the UK) and the National Defence College, New Delhi. Lt Gen Subramani holds a Master of Arts Degree from King's College, London and an MPhil in Defence Studies from the Madras University.
According to the Army, Lt Gen Subramani has a deep understanding of operational dynamics on both the Western and Northern borders.
He was commissioned into the Garhwal Rifles in 1985, and in a military career spanning more than 37 years, Lt Gen Subramani held a number of key positions, including that of a brigade major of a mountain brigade, assistant military secretary in the Military Secretary Branch, Colonel General Staff at headquarters Eastern Command, deputy director general of Military Intelligence in the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence and Brigadier General Staff in Eastern Command.
Lt Gen Subramani commanded a battalion during 'Operation Rhino' in Assam, an infantry brigade along the international boundary with Pakistan, and a 'Black Cat' division in North East India.
He has been a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Sena Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal for his distinguished service to the country.
The new Central Command
Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta replaced Lt Gen NS Raja Subramani as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-In-C) in Lucknow Cantonment on Monday.
He previously commanded the 14 Corps based at Leh. Lt Gen Sengupta was commissioned in the Punjab Regiment in 1987. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.
During his career, he commanded an Infantry Battalion in the counter-insurgency environment, and an Infantry Brigade Group in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Army Training Command
Lt Gen Devendra Sharma has been appointed as the 25th General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Shimla-based Army Training Command (ARTRAC).
An alumnus of the Mayo College, Ajmer, the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, Lt Gen Sharma is a recipient of the coveted 'Sword of Honour'.
He has held important command appointments in varied sensitive operational sectors, counter-terrorism environments, and high-altitude terrains.
Lt Gen Sharma was conferred with the Ati Vishist Seva Medal for his exemplary leadership and devotion to duty towards the nation, in 2022. He was also awarded the Central Army Commander's Commendation Card and the UN Force Commander's Appreciation.
South Western Command
Lieutenant General Manjinder Singh assumed charge of the Sapta Shakti Command on Monday.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakvasla and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Lt Gen Singh was commissioned in December 1986.
He commanded his battalion in counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir, an infantry brigade on the Line of Control, an infantry division as part of the Desert Strike Corps and also the corps deployed on the Line of Control in counter- insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
Lt Gen Singh has been a recipient of Yudh Seva Medal in 2015, Vishisht Seva Medal in 2019 and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2024.
The new Southern Command
Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth took charge as the 51st General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of the Pune-headquartered Southern Command on Monday.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla (Pune) and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth was commissioned into 2nd Lancers on December 20, 1986.
Lieutenant General Seth has attended the Defence Services Command and General Staff Course at Military College, Paris, France, International Defence Acquisition Management Course at Naval Postgraduate School, Monterrey, California, USA, Higher Command Course at Mhow (MP), and the National Defence College, New Delhi.
—With PTI inputs