New Delhi, December 30: Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane will take over as the next Indian Army Chief on Tuesday. Lt Gen Naravane will be the 28th Chief of Army Staff (COAS). He is currently serving as the Vice Chief of Army Staff. Before his appointment as the VCOAS, Lt Gen Naravane was heading the Eastern Command of the Army which takes care of India's nearly 4,000-km border with China. Army Vice Chief Designate MM Naravane Says Indian Armed Forces Are ‘No Pushovers’.

The VCOAS is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy. In 37 years of service, Lt Gen has served in numerous command and staff appointments in peace, field and highly active counter-insurgency environments in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast. Siachen Avalanche: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat Apprises Defence Minister Rajnath Singh About Ground Situation.

Here Are Highlights of Lt Gen Naravane’s Career:

  • He is currently the 40th VCOAS of the Indian Army. Lt Gen Naravane assumed the office of VCOAS on September 1, 2019.

  • He completed his schooling at the Jnana Prabodhini Prashala in Pune.

  • Lt Gen Naravane was commissioned into 7th Battalion the Sikh Light Infantry in June 1980.

  • He has commanded the 2nd Battalion (SikhLi) of Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the 106 Infantry brigade.

  • He is a recipient of the "Vishisht Seva Medal" for his services as the Inspector General Assam Rifles (North) in Nagaland and the "Ati Vishisht Seva Medal" for commanding of a prestigious strike corps.

  • He was also part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka and had served as India's defence attache at the Indian Embassy in Myanmar for three years.

  • Lt Gen Naravane was awarded Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2019.

Incumbent Army Chief General Bipin Rawat is retiring as the COAS on December 31. He was named as country’s first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) on Monday. The CDS will head the Department of Military Affairs. On December 28, the Centre amended the Army, Air Force and Navy rules which allows the CDS to serve up to the age limit of 65 years. The CDS will ensure jointness in military operations of three service wings.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 30, 2019 10:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).