Article Posted on : - Feb 20, 2023

Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar. Photo: Indian Army.

NEW DELHI (PTI): Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar has been appointed as the new Vice Chief of Army Staff, while incumbent Lt Gen B S Raju will take charge as South Western Army Commander, official sources said on Thursday.

Lt Gen Rashim Bali has been appointed as the commander of Leh-based 14 Corps which takes care of security along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in the Ladakh sector, they said.

Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta, the current commander of the 14 Corps, will become the new Chief of Staff of Udhampur headquartered Northern Command, the sources said.

They said Lt Gen Raju, at present serving as the Vice Chief of Army Staff, has been appointed as South Western Army Commander.

Lt Gen NSR Subramani, currently the Chief of Staff at the headquarters of the Northern Command in Udhampur, has been promoted to the rank of Army Commander and appointed as the next Central Army Commander.

The sources said Lt Gen Kumar too has been promoted as the Army Commander and appointed as the new Vice Chief of Army Staff. He is serving as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy) in the Army Headquarters at present.

They said Lt Gen Raju will succeed Lt Gen Amardeep Singh Bhinder when he retires from service by the end of February.

Lt Gen Subramani will take over as the Central Army Commander from Lt Gen Yogendra Dimri, who also superannuates by the end of this month, the sources said.

Lt Gen Kumar, Lt Gen Raju and Lt Gen Subramani will assume their new responsibilities on March 1, the sources said.

Lt Gen Kumar, is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He was commissioned into 1 Assam Regiment in June 1985.

He has commanded 59 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion, an Infantry Brigade and an Infantry Division on the Line of Control.

Lt Gen Kumar has also commanded the highly active White Knight Corps. He has held the posts of Additional Director General Military Intelligence and Director General Military Intelligence at the Army headquarters.

Lt Gen BS Raju was commissioned into the 11th battalion of the Jat Regiment in December 1984. He later commanded his battalion during 'Operation Parakram' in Jammu and Kashmir.

He also holds the distinction of commanding the Uri brigade along the Line of Control, the Counter Insurgency Force and Chinar Corps in Kashmir Valley.

The general officer was also Commandant, Indian Military Training Team in Bhutan.

Lt Gen Subramani was commissioned into the eighth battalion of the Garhwal Rifles in December 1985.

He is an alumnus of Joint Services Command Staff College, Bracknell (the UK) and National Defence College, Delhi.

He holds a MA Degree from the King's College, London.

Lt Gen Subramani has, in his illustrious career spanning over 35 years, served across a wide spectrum of conflict and terrain profiles and has tenanted a host of command, staff and instructional appointments.

He commanded 16 Garhwal Rifles in counter insurgency operations in Assam as part of 'Operation Rhino', 168 Infantry Brigade in Samba and 17 Mountain Division in 2018.