China-facing Northern, Eastern Commands to get new chiefs today

While serving Northern Army Commander, Lt Gen Y K Joshi, retired, on Monday, Eastern Army Commander, Lt Gen Manoj Pande, will take over as the new Vice Chief of the Army on Tuesday, as the incumbent Vice Chief, Lt Gen CP Mohanty, also superannuated on Monday.

The Northern Command is responsible for both the Line of Actual Control with China as well as the Line of Control and a small part of international border with Pakistan. Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi will take over as the new Northern Army Commander on Tuesday.

Lt Gen Dwivedi was posted in the Army Headquarters as a Deputy Chief of Army, looking at the entire force’s training and finances. He had earlier commanded the Himachal Pradesh-based IX Corps.

In the Kolkata-headquartered Eastern Command, responsible for the border with China, and the India-Myanmar border, Lt Gen Rana Pratap Kalita will take over from Lt Gen Pande on Tuesday. He was also posted in the Army Headquarters, looking at personnel. He had commanded the Dimapur-based III Corps, responsible largely for the border with Myanmar, and counterinsurgency operations in the Northeast.

The two commands account for 2,723 km out of the 3,488-km boundary with China. The length of LAC is much shorter, especially in the Northern Command.

Lt Gen Pande, who takes over the sensitive position of the Vice Chief, is expected to become the next Army Chief. The incumbent Army Chief, General M M Naravane, is scheduled to retire in April, which will make Lt Gen Pande the most senior officer after him.