Lt Gen Manoj Pande took over as Vice Chief of the Indian Army

On Tuesday, Lt Gen Manoj Pande took over as the Vice Chief of the Indian Army. His appointment as the Vice Chief of the Indian army comes after Lt Gen CP Mohanty superannuated last month.

Commissioned in December 1982, to the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers), he is an alumnus of National Defence Academy.

A graduate of Staff College, Camberley (United Kingdom), the new Vice Chief has attended the Higher Command (HC) and National Defence College (NDC) Courses.

He has so far completed 39 years in service and has tenanted important and challenging command and staff appointments in different operational environments. He has commanded an Engineer Brigade of Strike Corps in the Western Theatre; Infantry Brigade along LOC in J&K; commanded Mountain Division in the High Altitude Area of Western Ladakh; a Corps in the North East; he has also commanded India’s only Tri-service command — Commander-in-Chief Andaman & Nicobar Command (CINCAN) and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Command.

He is now in line to be the next Chief of the Indian Army when the present Chief Gen MM Naravane retires in April this year. And when he becomes Army Chief, he will be creating history of sorts, as never before there has been a chief from the Corps of Engineers.