New Delhi: The Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Lieutenant General Manoj C Pande, will be the next Chief of the Army Staff. Making the announcement regarding his appointment, the Ministry of Defence today stated that Lt Gen Pande will take the charge with effect from the afternoon of April 30, 2022. He will replace General MM Naravane who retires on April 30.
Born on May 06, 1962, Lt Gen Pande was commissioned on December 24, 1982, in the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers) of the Indian Army. He is the first engineer to be appointed as Chief of Army Staff.
During his long and distinguished service spanning over 39 years, Lt Gen Pande has served in a variety of Command, Staff and Instructional appointments. His Command appointments include Command of an Engineer Brigade in the Western Theatre, as part of Strike Corps and an Infantry Brigade along with Line-of-Control in Jammu & Kashmir. Other important Command appointments include a Mountain Division in the high-altitude area of the Western Ladakh and Command of a Corps, deployed along the Line of Actual Control and in Counter Insurgency Operations area of Eastern Command.
In the rank of Lt General, the officer held important appointments including that of Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman & Nicobar Command and as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Eastern Command at Kolkata before getting appointed as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.
Lt Gen Pande is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and has undergone courses at Staff College, Camberley (UK), Army War College, Mhow and National Defence College, New Delhi.
For his illustrious service, he was conferred with Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.
– global bihari bureau
