Who is Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi? Here is all you need to know about the new Indian Army Chief

As the term of current Chief Manoj Pande ended today, Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, 30th Indian Army Chief assumed office on Sunday. The new army chief assumed office after outgoing Manoj Pande received Gaurd of Honour on his last day of holding office.

Lt Dwivedi will be taking hold of office after Manoj Pande whose tenure was extended by a month.
The extension to Gen Pande came nearly five decades after the then Indira Gandhi-led government extended the tenure of Army Chief Gen G G Bewoor by one year in early 1970s in first such instance.

Upendra Dwivedi Career in Defence

Born on July 1, 1964, Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi was commissioned into the Infantry (Jammu & Kashmir Rifles) of the Indian Army on December 15, 1984. During his long and distinguished service spanning nearly 40 years, he has served in a variety of Command, Staff, Instructional and Foreign appointments. The Command appointments of Lt Gen Dwivedi include Command of Regiment (18 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles), Brigade (26 Sector Assam Rifles), DIG, Assam Rifles (East) and 9 Corps.

Read More: Centre appoints Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi as next Chief of Army Staff after Manoj Pande

In the rank of Lt Gen, the officer has tenanted important appointments including that of Director General Infantry and General Officer Commanding in Chief (Headquarter Northern Command) from 2022-2024, before getting appointed as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.

Education Qualification of Lt Gen Dwivedi:

The Defence Ministry in its official note said that he is an alumnus of the Sainik School Rewa, National Defence College and US Army War College. Additionally, Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi has also undergone courses at the DSSC Wellington and Army War College, Mhow.

The new Indian Army Chief was conferred 'Distinguished Fellow' in the coveted NDC equivalent course at USAWC, Carlisle, USA. The officer has an M Phil in Defence & Management Studies and two Master's Degrees in Strategic Studies and Military Science.

Lt Gen Dwivedi's achievements List:

• Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM)
• Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM)
• Three GOC-in-C Commendation Cards

LT GenDwivedi's personal life:

He is married to Sunita Dwivedi, a science graduate, who is a homemaker. Sunita Dwivedi has been associated with Aarushi, an institute for special ability children in Bhopal. The couple are blessed with two daughters who are working with NGOs.