The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on Sunday approved a one-month extension in service for Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj C Pande, the Ministry of Defence said in statement. Initially set to retire on May 31, 2024, General Pande will now serve until June 30, 2024. He has held the position of COAS since his appointment on April 30, 2022.
"The Appointments Committee of Cabinet, on May 26, 2024, approved the extension in service of Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj C Pande, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC for a period of one month, beyond his normal age of superannuation (May 31, 2024), i.e. up to June 30, 2024, under Rule 16 A (4) of the Army Rules 1954," the statement said.
"He was appointed as the COAS on April 30, 2022. He was commissioned in December 1982 in the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers). He held the appointment of Vice Chief of the Army Staff before taking over as the COAS," it added.
It is to be noted that the Government has not named a successor to the COAS post. The appointment of a new Army Chief is generally finalised several weeks in advance to ensure a seamless transition of leadership within the armed forces.
In the absence of a named successor, attention turns to three seniormost officers within the Indian Army hierarchy: Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi, Lieutenant General Ajai Kumar Singh, and Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani.
Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi currently serves as the Vice-Chief of the Indian Army, while Lieutenant General Ajai Kumar Singh leads the Southern Command, and Lieutenant General NS Raja Subramani commands the Central Command.
Of the three, Lieutenant General Dwivedi holds seniority over Lieutenant General Singh based on their commissioning seniority, which dates back to their graduation from the military academy.
READ | 'Indian Army Maintaining Robust Posture At Borders': Gen Pande Amid Tensions with China