Lieutenant-General M.M. Naravane, currently General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Eastern Army Command, has been appointed the next Vice-Chief of the Army Staff in a series of changes in the Army’s top brass, defence sources said on Monday. He will take over from Lt. Gen. D. Anbu when he retires on August 31.
Lt.Gen. Naravane, the senior-most officer in the force after the Chief of the Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, is in line to succeed him on his retirement on December 30.
Lt.Gen. R.P. Singh will take over as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Army Command, from Lt.Gen. Surinder Singh, who retires on July 31.
Lt.Gen. Anil Chauhan, currently Director-General of Military Operations, will replace Lt.Gen. Naravane in the Eastern Command. Director-General, Military Training, Lt.Gen. A.S. Kler, has been appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the South-Western Command and will take over from Lt.Gen. Cherish Matheson, who retires on August 31. Lt.Gen. I.S. Ghuman will take charge of the Lucknow-based Central Command from Lt.Gen. Abhay Krishna who retires on September 30.