Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane to be next Indian Army Chief

With current Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Bipin Rawat retiring on December 31, 2019, Indian Army on Monday anunced Lieutenant General Maj Mukund Naravane as new Chief of Staff helming 1.3 million-strong force.

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About Lieutenant General Maj Mukund Naravane

Lieutenant General Maj Mukund Naravane is currently deployed as 40th Vice Chief of Army Staff. He resumed office as Vice Chief of Army Staff in September 2019. Before taking charge as vice chief of Army Staff in September, Lt Gen Naravane was heing Eastern Command of Indian Army which takes care of country's nearly 4,000-km border with China.

Lieutenant General Maj is an alumnus of popular National Defence Acemy, Pune, and Indian Military Acemy, Dehrun. He was first deployed into 7th Sikh Light Infantry in June 1980 and holds vast military experience and has also served in Counter-Insurgency Operations in Kashmir and rast India. Lt Gen MM Naravane was also commander of 2017 Republic Day Pare which h Crown Prince of  United Arab Emirates Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan as Chief Guest. He was also part of Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka and h served as India's defence attache at Indian Embassy in Myanmar for three years.

Lieutenant General Maj Mukund Naravane has also been awarded with Param Vishisht Seva Medal (2019), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (2017) and Sena Medal and Vishist Seva Medal (2015).

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General Bipin Rawat to retire on December 31

General Bipin Rawat resumed office as Chief Of Army staff on December 31, 2016. According to  PTI sources, he is also expected to be appointed as country's first Chief of Defence Staff. 

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(With ncy inputs)