Major reshuffle in Indian Army; new DGMO, Chinar Corps commander named

Senior Indian Army officer Lt Gen BS Raju will be taking charge as the new Director General of Military Operations while Lt Gen Devendra Pratap Pandey will head the Srinagar-based XV Corps, replacing Lt Gen BS Raju.

Major reshuffle in Army Lt Gen BS Raju new DGMO, Chinar Corps-VPN

Anish Kumar

New Delhi, First Published Feb 21, 2021, 9:06 AM IST | Last Updated Feb 21, 2021, 9:07 AM IST

Senior Indian Army officer Lt Gen BS Raju will be taking charge as the new Director-General of Military Operations while Lt Gen Devendra Pratap Pandey will head the Srinagar-based XV Corps, replacing Lt Gen BS Raju.

Lt Gen Raju will be replacing Lt Gen PS Sangha, who has taken over as the deputy chief (Strategy).

The XV Corps, also known as Chinar Corps, is mandated to guard the Line of Control in the Kashmir valley and has participated in all military conflicts with Pakistan and China to date.

"Lt Gen Pandey is assuming charge as the Chinar Corps commander next month," a defence official said.

Currently, he is posted as the Director-General of the Territorial Army.

Hailing from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh, he was commissioned into the Sikh Light Infantry Regiment in December 1985 and is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla in Pune and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun.

The General officer is a graduate from Jawaharlal Nehru University, M Phil from National Defence College in Delhi, MSc in National Security Strategy from National War College, National Defence University, Washington DC.

He also holds an MSc degree from the University of Madras and a Diploma in Senior Level Defence Management from Devi Ahilya University, Indore.

Qualified in Mountain Warfare courses, he had multiple tenures in High Altitude Areas and has commanded his Battalion in Siachen Glacier and Chushul Sector.

He has also commanded a Rashtriya Rifles Sector and a Counter Insurgency Force in the Kashmir Valley.

He has been an Instructor and Assistant Adjutant of The National Defence Academy and Brigade Major of a Brigade in High Altitude Area during Operation Vijay (Kargil).

He has held numerous prestigious staff appointments, including ADGPI.

The officer has been decorated with Ati Vishist Seva Medal and Vishist Seva Medal besides numerous other awards during his 35 years long coloured service.

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