NEW DELHI: Lt General Upendra Dwivedi, who was commissioned into 18 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles in December 1984, on Monday took over as the new Army Vice Chief. He will be the senior-most Lt Gen in the 12-lakh strong force when Gen Manoj Pande retires on May 31.
Lt Gen M V Suchindra Kumar, who was commissioned into 1 Assam Regiment in June 1985, in turn, replaced Lt-Gen Dwivedi as the general officer commanding-in-chief of the crucial Udhampur-based Northern Command.
During his two-year tenure as the GoC-in-C of Northern Command, Lt-Gen Dwivedi provided "strategic guidance and operational oversight" for planning and executing sustained operations along the northern and western borders with China and Pakistan, in addition to overseeing the counter-terrorism operations in J&K. "During this period, 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 Army's largest command," a senior officer said.
An alumnus of Sainik School at Rewa in Madhya Pradesh, Lt Gen Dwivedi has had "a unique distinction of balanced exposure" of both northern and western theatres. "In his career of 39 years, he has held command appointments in challenging operational environments, spanning the length and breadth of the country, as well as crucial staff appointments," the officer added.
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