Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth takes charge as Vice Chief, three GOCs named in Indian army

New Delhi: Indian Army on Wednesday got a new Vice Chief with Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth assuming the charge while two new General Officer Commanding-in-Chiefs took over the commands at Indian Army’s Eastern and Western Commands that look after India’s borders with China and Pakistan respectively.

Commissioned in December 1986, Lt Gen Seth – a highly decorated officer from the Armoured Corps – is considered to be a frontrunner to be next Chief of the Army Staff on the superannuation of Gen Upendra Dwivedi in June. He is also one of the very few officers who have the rare distinction of commanding two operational commands along the western front.

Earlier in his career, he has commanded an armoured regiment in the desert sector, an armoured brigade and a counter insurgency force in Jammu and Kashmir.

On promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General, he commanded the Sudarshan Chakra Corps (21 Corps in Bhopal), and later served as General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area. As an Army Commander, he served as the GOC of South Western Command in Jaipur and Southern Command in Pune.

Lt Gen Seth replaces Lt Gen Pushpendra Pal Singh, who assumed the command of the Western Command at Chandimandir near Chandigarh. At Fort William in Kolkata, Lt Gen VMB Krishnan took over as the GOC of the Eastern Command.

At the Southern Command, Lt Gen Sandeep Jain has assumed command succeeding Lt Gen Seth.