Indian Army’s Vice Chief, Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane has been appointed as the next chief of the force after incumbent Gen Bipin Rawat demits office on December 31 on retirement from service. Naravane, who takes over thereafter, will serve until April 2022.
The senior-most Army officer after Gen Rawat, Naravane was commissioned into the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment in June 1980. He 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 his 37 years of service.
Before taking charge as Vice Chief of Army Staff in September, Lt Gen Naravane was heading the Eastern Command of the Army which takes care of India’s nearly 4,000-km border with China.
Lt Gen Naravane is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy (NDA) and the Indian Military Academy (IMA). He was commissioned into the 7th Battalion, the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment in June 1980.
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.
The General is a decorated officer who has been awarded the ‘Sena Medal’ (Distinguished) for effectively commanding his battalion in Jammu and Kashmir.
He is also 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.
