New Delhi, Dec 31 (IANS) General Manoj Mukund Naravane has taken over the charge as Chief of Army Staff on Tuesday succeeding General Bipin Rawat, who has been appointed India’s first Chief of the Defence Staff.
General Naravane was serving as Vice Chief of Indian Army.
Before that he was heading the eastern Command of the force, which takes care of India’s nearly 4,000 km border with China.
In his 37 years of service, General Naravane has served in numerous command and staff appointments in peace, field and highly active counter-insurgency environments in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.
In a distinguished military career spanning almost four decades, the General has the distinction of holding key command and staff appointments in peace and field both in the northeast and Jammu and Kashmir and has been part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka.
The officer had commanded a Rashtriya Rifles Battalion, raised an Infantry Brigade, as Inspector General Assam Rifles (North) and has commanded a prestigious Strike Corps.
His staff assignments include tenures of a Brigade Major of Infantry Brigade, Defence Attache at Yangon, Myanmar, an instructional appointment in the Army War college as Directing Staff in Higher Command Wing, besides two tenures at the integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army), New Delhi.
The Officer had also commanded Republic Day parade in 2017 in the capacity of GoC Delhi Area after successfully commanding the Army training Command, Shimla and Eastern Command in Kolkata.
General Naravane did his schooling at Dhyana Prabodhinee Prashala in Pune.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, General Naravane was commissioned in the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment in June 1980.
He is an alumni of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and Higher Command Course, Mhow. He holds a Master’s Degree in Defence Studies, an M. Phil in Defence and Management Studies
–IANS
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