Major reshuffle in Indian military’s top hierarchy

 

 

 

THE Armed Forces saw a series of changes in the top hierarchy in the last two days, including new joinings in the posts of Commander-in-Chief of Andaman and Nicobar Command, Eastern Army Commander, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff and Director General of Assam Rifles. The major reshuffle in the Indian military took place after several key posts fell vacant. Accordingly, Vice Admiral Ravneet Singh, assumed charge as the Deputy Chief of Naval Staff on Tuesday, taking over from Vice Admiral M S Pawar, who superannuated on May 31. Ravneet Singh was commissioned into the Indian Navy on July 1, 1983 and he specialised in aviation. The Flag Officer is a qualified flying instructor with Master Green instrument rating. He has flown HT-2, Kiran HJT 16, TS 11 Iskra, Hunter, Harrier Gr 3, Jet Provost, Chetak, Gazelle, Hawk and Mig 29 KUB aircraft during his illustrious career, the Navy said. Meanwhile, the Assam Rilfes got a new chief as Lieutenant General Pradeep Chandran Nair took over as its Director General. Pradeep Chandran Nair has rich experience of Assam Rifles and the Northeast, having earlier been an Inspector General and a Company Commander in Assam Rifles, besides having commanded Assam Rifles battalions as a Brigade Commander. In other significant postings in the Indian Navy, Vice Admiral Dinesh Tripathi took over as Chief of Personnel, Vice Admiral Sandeep Naithani assumed charge as Chief of Material, and Vice Admiral Kiran Deshmukh was appointed Controller Warship Production and Acquisition.

 

Lt Gen Manoj Pande took over the critical Eastern Command of the Indian Army based in Kolkata, while Lt Gen Ajai Singh took charge as the Commander in Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command. The Andaman and Nicobar Command (ANC) is crucial for the military’s planning as its the only tri-service of the country and the model for synergy based on which theaterisation of the country’s Army, Navy and IAF capabilities is being planned. Manoj Pande had commanded an Engineer Regiment along Line of Control during Operation PARAKRAM in Jammu and Kashmir, an Engineer Brigade in Western Sector, Infantry Brigade along Line of Control in J&K, Mountain Division in High Altitude Area of Western Ladakh and a Corps in Northeast.

 

Lt Gen Ajai Singh, who heads the Andaman and Nicobar Command now, is an armoured corps officer and a fifth generation army officer. He was commissioned in December 1983 into 81 Armoured Regiment, a regiment raised by his late father. He has also undertaken volunteer tenures for counter-insurgency operations in the Valley and in Northeast, where he was posted at a Mountain Division on the border.