Manoj Pande | |
|---|---|
 Official Portrait, 2022 | |
| 29thChief of the Army Staff | |
| In office 30 April 2022 – 30 June 2024 | |
| President | |
| Preceded by | Manoj Mukund Naravane |
| Succeeded by | Upendra Dwivedi |
| 43rdVice Chief of the Army Staff | |
| In office 1 February 2022 – 30 April 2022 | |
| Chief of Army Staff | Manoj Mukund Naravane |
| Preceded by | Chandi Prasad Mohanty |
| Succeeded by | B. S. Raju |
| General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command | |
| In office 1 June 2021 (2021-06-01) – 31 January 2022 (2022-01-31) | |
| Chief of Army Staff | Manoj Mukund Naravane |
| Preceded by | Anil Chauhan |
| Succeeded by | Rana Pratap Kalita |
| Commander-in-Chief Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN) | |
| In office 1 June 2020 – 31 May 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Podali Shankar Rajeshwar |
| Succeeded by | Ajai Singh |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1962-05-06)6 May 1962 (age 63)[1] |
| Height | 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in) |
| Spouse | Archana Pande |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  India |
| Branch/service |  Indian Army |
| Years of service | 24 December 1982 – 30 June 2024 |
| Rank |  General |
| Unit | Bombay Sappers Corps of Engineers 267 Engineer Regiment |
| Commands | .png) Eastern CommandAndaman and Nicobar Command .svg) IV Corps 8 Mountain Division52 Infantry Brigade 117 Engineer Regiment |
| Service number | IC-40716F[2] |
| Awards | |
GeneralManoj PandePVSM AVSM VSM ADC (born 6 May 1962) is a retired four stargeneral officer of theIndian Army. He last served as the 29thChief of the Army Staff.[3][4][5] He previously served as 43rdVice Chief of the Army Staff,[6] prior to that he wasGeneral Officer-Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command[7] and also as theCommander-in-Chief (CINCAN) ofAndaman and Nicobar Command.[8] He also served asGeneral Officer Commanding IV Corps,[9] before assuming the appointment as commander ofGajraj Corps (IV Corps) he was serving as the Chief of Staff,Southern Command.[10] He is the first officer from theCorps of Engineers to become the Army Chief.[11]
As the COAS, he took over as theHonorary Colonel of theSikh Light Infantry Regiment on 11 May 2022 and as theColonel of the Regiment of the61st Cavalry on 17 May 2022. He became the 23rd COAS to take over Colonel of the mountedCavalry Regiment. He was appointed as the Honorary Colonel Commandant of theBombay Sappers for lifetime wef 27 August 2024.[12]
He was born to Dr. C. G. Pande, a consultingPsychotherapist who retired as the Head of the Department ofPsychology ofNagpur University, and Prema, an announcer and host with theAll India Radio. The family hails fromNagpur.[13] After his schooling fromKendriya Vidyalaya, he joined the 61st-course of theNational Defence Academy (NDA) in January 1979 and was assigned to the Lima squadron, where he graduated with the degree ofBachelor of Science. After graduating from the NDA, he joined theIndian Military Academy and was commissioned as an officer. He subsequently attended theCollege of Military Engineering,Pune and earned aBachelor of Technology degree inCivil Engineering.[14]
Gen Pande was commissioned into the (267 Engineer Regiment)Bombay Sappers, one of the regiments in theCorps of Engineers, in December 1982. He attended theStaff College, Camberley in the United Kingdom. After completing the course, he returned to India and was appointedbrigade major of a mountain brigade inNortheast India.[15] After promotion to the rank oflieutenant colonel, he served as the Chief Engineer at theUnited Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea.[14]
He has commanded the 117 Engineer Regiment along theLine of Control (LOC) in Jammu and Kashmir. He was in command of the regiment duringOperation Parakram.[16] He then attended theArmy War College, Mhow and completed the Higher Command Course. After the course, he was appointed Colonel Q at HQ8 Mountain Division.[16] The division was then commanded by theMajor GeneralDalbir Singh Suhag.[17] He was then promoted to the rank ofbrigadier and given command of an engineer brigade as part of a Strike Corps in the western theatre.[16] He also commanded the 52 Infantry Brigade, positioned along the LOC. He was selected to attend the prestigiousNational Defence College.[14] After completing the course, he was appointed Brigadier General Staff Operations (BGS-Ops) at HQEastern Command.
On promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General, he was appointed as the Chief of Staff,Southern Command.[10] A year later he was appointed asGeneral Officer Commanding IV Corps.[9] On 1 June 2020, Gen Pande assumed the appointment ofCommander-in-Chief Andaman and Nicobar Command.[8] On 1 June 2021, he took over as theGeneral Officer-Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command succeedingLieutenant GeneralAnil Chauhan.[7]
On 1 February 2022,Lieutenant General Manoj Pande took over as the 43rdVice Chief of the Army Staff succeedingLieutenant GeneralChandi Prasad Mohanty, when the latter superannuated from service on 31 January 2022.[6]
On 18 April 2022, the Government of India appointedLieutenant General Manoj Pande as the nextChief of the Army Staff.[5] On 30 April 2022, he took over as the 29thChief of the Army Staff succeeding GeneralManoj Mukund Naravane.[4] He was granted an extension for a period of one month till 30 June 2024 when he was due to retire on 30 May 2024. While no formal reason was given, it was speculated that the selection of his successor was delayed due to the 2024 general elections in India whose results were to be declared on 4 June.[18]General Upendra Dwivedi was appointed as his successor on 11 June 2024 and he took over on 30 June.[19] He superannuated from service on 30 June 2024 and relinquished the appointment ofChief of Army Staff after an illustrious tenure of 26 months.[20]
Gen Pande married Mrs. Archana Pande, a gold medalist from Government Dental College and Hospital, Nagpur on 3 May 1987. The couple have a son who is an officer in theIndian Air Force.[17]
He is a recipient of theParam Vishisht Seva Medal,[21]Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and theVishisht Seva Medal.[22][23] Apart from these, he has been awarded theChief of the Army Staff (COAS)Commendation Card and twoGOC-in-C commendation cards.[15]
   | |||
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
 |  |  |  |
| Insignia | Rank | Component | Date of rank |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Second Lieutenant | Indian Army | 24 December 1982[2] |
 | Lieutenant | Indian Army | 24 December 1984[24] |
 | Captain | Indian Army | 24 December 1987[25] |
 | Major | Indian Army | 24 December 1993[26] |
 | Lieutenant-Colonel | Indian Army | 16 December 2004[27] |
 | Colonel | Indian Army | 1 March 2006[28] |
 | Brigadier | Indian Army | 1 April 2010 (substantive, seniority from 25 January 2009)[29] |
 | Major General | Indian Army | 1 July 2015 (substantive, seniority from 12 June 2012)[30] |
 | Lieutenant-General | Indian Army | 1 September 2017[31] |
| General (COAS) | Indian Army | 1 May 2022[32][1][19] |
{{cite web}}:|last= has generic name (help)| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Chief of the Army Staff 30 April 2022 – 30 June 2024 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Vice Chief of the Army Staff 1 February 2022 – 30 April 2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief,Eastern Command 1 June 2021 – 31 January 2022 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command 1 June 2020 – 31 May 2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | General Officer CommandingIV Corps December 2018 - December 2019 | Succeeded by |
| Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army (1947–1948) |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Chief of the Army Staff and Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army (1948–1955) | ||
| Chief of the Army Staff (1955–present) |
| |
(**Seconded from theBritish Army) | ||