Lt Gen Manoj Pande: 10 facts on India's next Army chief

Lt Gen Manoj Pande will be the next Army chief succeeding Gen MM Naravane whose tenure ends by the end of this month, officials said on Monday. Gen Naravane's tenure will come to an end on April 30.

Here are some of the facts about him:

He is the first engineer to be appointed as Army chief in India.

Hailing from Nagpur, he joined the National Defence Academy after his schooling. He later joined the Indian Military Academy and was commissioned as an officer.

He attended the Staff College, Camberley in the United Kingdom and returned to India.

He was later appointed brigade major of a mountain brigade in Northeast India.

At present, Lt Gen Pande is serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.

He has held several prestigious command and staff assignments in conventional as well as counter-insurgency operations in all types of terrain.

He commanded an engineer regiment along the Line of Control during the Operation Parakram in Jammu and Kashmir, an engineer brigade in the western sector, an infantry brigade along the LoC and a mountain division in high-altitude areas of western Ladakh and a corps in the Northeast.

He has served as chief engineer in the UN mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

He was the Commander-in-Chief Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN) from June 2020 to May 2021.

For his illustrious service, he has been conferred Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Vishisht Seva Medal, the Chief of Army Staff Commendation and the GOC-in-C Commendation.