New Army Chief

A continued focus on modernisation has been listed among the top priorities of Gen Upendra Dwivedi, the 30th Chief of the Army Staff. The Vice Chief since February, he takes over from Gen Manoj Pande, whose tenure, in an unusual move, was extended by a month. Gen Dwivedi has pointed to a faster induction of new technology and greater emphasis on self-reliance, amid the rapidly changing geopolitical landscape. Acknowledging the unique security challenges, he has given an assurance of the Army’s capability and readiness. As the standoff with China along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh lingers on, the Army Chief’s immediate concern will be to tackle the spike in terror attacks in the Jammu region. He had, as the Northern Army Commander, effected major deployment changes in the area bordering Pakistan.

Theaterisation plans and structural reforms, being overseen by the Chief of Defence Staff, remain a work in progress. Elaborate consultative mechanisms are time-consuming, and so they should be. It is vital to ensure there is no forced acquiescence. The envisaged synergy between the Army, Air Force and the Navy has to be a natural progression of shared goals and purpose. To actualise it, the role of the Service Chiefs becomes critical. Demands of a higher percentage of Agniveer retention at the end of four years have found resonance in political circles, particularly after it became a major election issue recently. How concerns over the Agnipath recruitment scheme are handled by Gen Dwivedi will be keenly watched.

Gen Dwivedi, who was commissioned into the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles in 1984, is an alumnus of the Sainik School at Rewa, Madhya Pradesh. He and Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi studied together. That’s a comforting coincidence for the armed forces fraternity.