New Delhi, April 30: General Manoj Pande took charge as the 29th Chief of the Army Staff on Saturday, succeeding incumbent General MM Naravane.
Gen Pande was serving as the Vice Chief and became the first officer from the Corps of Engineers to helm the force.
Prior to becoming Vice Chief of the Army on February 1, Gen Pande led the Eastern Army Command, which was tasked with guarding the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh sectors.
Gen Pande took charge of the Indian Army at a time India is facing numerous security issues, such as the LoC and LAC with Pakistan and China respectively.
As the Army Chief, he will be responsible for coordinating with the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force along with the Indian Army on the government's plan to roll out theatre commands.
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The theaterisation plan was being executed by Gen Bipin Rawat, India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), who died in a helicopter crash in December last year. The government has yet to name Gen Rawat's replacement.
Gen Pande also served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command, India's only tri-services command, during his remarkable career.
He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers) in December 1982.
Gen Pande has held a number of notable command and staff positions in conventional and counter-insurgency operations in a variety of terrain.
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-PTC News