Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane will become the next Chief of Army Staff, replacing incumbent Gen Bipin Rawat, to head the 1.3 million-strong force.
Naravane's appointment has been cleared at the highest level, adding the government has followed the principle of seniority in the appointment, PTI reported.
The Lieutenant General, who has had an illustrious career serving in numerous commands, will hold the office of Army Chief till April, 2022.
Naravane will become Army Chief after Gen Rawat demits office on December 31, after completing a three-year stint.
Who is Naravane?
Lt Gen Naravane is currently serving as Vice Chief of the Army since September.
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Hailing from a Marathi family, he completed his school education in Pune. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Pune, and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.
He was commissioned into the 7th battalion, the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment in June 1980.
As Eastern Army Commander in 2018, He took part in a rare instance in the Indian Army's history where officers of all ranks attended the investiture ceremony wearing black armbands in memory of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans martyred in the terror attack at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir.
Career in Army
Before becoming the Army Vice Chief, Lt Gen Naravane was heading the Eastern Command of the Army which takes care of India's nearly 4,000-km border with China.
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In his 37 years of service, 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.
The senior-most Army officer after Gen Rawat, Naravane was commissioned into the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment in June, 1980.
He has also commanded a Rashtriya Rifles Battalion in Jammu and Kashmir and an infantry brigade on the eastern front.
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.
Achievements
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.
(With inputs from agencies)
