Lt. Gen. Manoj Pande has been appointed as the next Chief of the Indian Army. He will take over as the 29th Chief of the Army Staff from the outgoing chief, Gen. M.M. Naravane, on April 30. Lt. Gen. Pande, now serving as the Army’s vice-chief, will be the first officer commissioned into the Corps of Engineers to become Army Chief. The top position has been traditionally held by officers from the Army’s fighting arms – the Infantry, Armoured Corps and Artillery.
Currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, he will become the first commander from the Corps of Engineers to take charge of the 1.3-million-strong force as the position has been held so far by officers from infantry, artillery and armoured regiments.
Lt Gen Manoj C Pande, who has been appointed the 29th Chief of the Army Staff, hails from Nagpur and members of his family are connected with the defence forces, while his academician-father retired from the Nagpur university and his mother worked for the All India Radio.
