Kathmandu, February 3. Lieutenant General Chandi Prasad Mohanty who served as the vice chief of the Indian Army for a year, retired from his military career on Monday.

The following day, the Indian Army announced Lieutenant General Manoj Pande as the new Vice Chief of Staff. 

Before being appointed as the Vice Chief, Lt Gen Pande was serving as the General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief of the Kolkata-based Eastern Command Headquarters. He has a stellar military career spanning 39 years and is one of the Indian army’s greatest officials in the Indian Army.

Lt Gen Pande joined the Army as an engineer in December 1982. He has always been praised for his exceptional performance as commander of the 117 Engineer Regiment during Operation Parakram. Operation Parakram was a large-scale mobilization of troops and weapons to the western frontier of Jammu and Kashmir along the Line of Control. It began as a retaliation against Pakistan following the 2001 terror assault on the Indian Parliament.

Lt Gen Pande has been adorned with prestigious military awards, including the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal.

General Manoj Mukund Naravane, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), is retiring on April 30. The Indian Army’s rulebook recommends that the senior-most officer be chosen as chief. Because Chief Lieutenant General Raj Shukla is expected to retire on March 31, Lt Gen Pande has the best chance of becoming the next COAS.