Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi Assumes Charge as Vice Chief of Army

Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi has assumed the charge as the Vice Chief of Army. The General officer is an alumnus of Sainik School, Rewa and has commanded units in diverse terrains.

New Delhi:Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi on Monday assumed the charge as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff. On assumption of appointment, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi laid wreath at the National War Memorial and was accorded Guard of Honour at the South Block lawns here.

According to a media release issued by Ministry of Defence, prior to taking over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi was tenanting the appointment of General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command from 2022-2024 in extremely challenging operational environment.

"He is an accomplished officer with a distinguished career spanning 39 years and brings a wealth of experience to his new position. An alumnus of Sainik School, Rewa (Madhya Pradesh), he was commissioned into 18 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles in 1984, a unit he later commanded. The General Officer has had a unique distinction of balanced exposure of both northern and western theatres," the statement added.

Lt Gen Dwivedi is the front-runner to become the Army Chief when incumbent General Manoj Pande retires on May 31. Throughout his career, he has commanded units in diverse terrains, including the Kashmir valley and the deserts of Rajasthan. His achievements include being awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and three GOC-in-C Commendation cards.

He has commanded the prestigious Northern Army from 2022 to 2024, overseeing operations along the Chinese and Pakistan borders, as well as counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir.

During this period, Lt Gen Dwivedi was actively engaged in the ongoing negotiations with China in resolving the vexed border issue. He was also involved in modernisation and equipping of the largest Army Command of Indian Army, where he steered the induction of indigenous equipment as part of 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.