One of the world’s largest armies is set to get a new chief with the government announcing that Lt General Upendra Dwivedi will take over as the Chief of the Army Staff from General Manoj C Pande on June 30.

Lt General Dwivedi, who has been decorated with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, is currently the Vice Chief of the Army Staff and will take charge on the afternoon of June 30, the day General Pande demits office. 

Born in 1964, Lt General Dwivedi was commissioned into the Jammu & Kashmir Rifles, an infantry regiment of the Indian Army on 15th December, 1984. In his 40 years of service, he has held a wide variety of roles. His Command appointments include Command of Regiment (18 Jammu & Kashmir Rifles), Brigade (26 Sector Assam Rifles), DIG, Assam Rifles (East) and 9 Corps, a government release said on Tuesday.

As Lt General, Mr Dwivedi has held important posts, including those of Director General Infantry and General Officer Commanding in Chief of the Northern Command from 2022 to 2024, before being appointed the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.

Having studied at the Sainik School Rewa, National Defence College and US Army War College, Lt General Upendra Dwivedi has also undergone courses at the DSSC Wellington and Army War College, Mhow. He was conferred ‘Distinguished Fellow’ in the coveted NDC equivalent course at the US Army War College in Carlisle.

The officer has an M Phil in Defence And Management Studies and two Master’s Degrees in Strategic Studies and Military Science. He has also been decorated with three GOC-in-C Commendation Cards.

General Pande, who was scheduled to retire at the end of May, was given a one-month extension of service. He was appointed the Army chief on April 30, 2022. 

Two Indians who were recruited by the Russian Army have been killed in the ongoing Russia- Ukraine conflict. Confirming this, the foreign ministry said the government has taken up the issue with Russia and asked that recruitment of Indians in the Russian army be stopped immediately and all Indians currently with the Russian army be allowed to return. The ministry has also asked people to be cautious while taking up jobs in Russia.

“The Ministry of External Affairs and the Indian Embassy in Moscow have strongly taken up the matter with the Russian Ambassador in New Delhi and with Russian authorities in Moscow respectively, for early release and return of all Indian nationals who are with the Russian Army,” read a statement from the ministry.

“India has also demanded that there be a verified stop to any further recruitment of our nationals by the Russian Army. Such activities would not be in consonance with our partnership,” the statement added.

In March, after reports came in of several Indians dying in the war — lured to Russia with promises of jobs — the foreign ministry had said they were trying to get the men back.

“We have an understanding that something like 20-odd people are stuck, we are trying our level best for their early discharge,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had said.

In April, the ministry said 10 Indian nationals working as support staff with the Russian military have returned.

After thousands of its soldiers died in Ukraine, Russia is said to have recruited people from southeast Asia, including India and Nepal, to fight.

Reports said around 200 Indian nationals have been recruited since last year to work as support with the Russian military.

Many of the Indians who had gone to Russia were lured through YouTube videos that promised lucrative salaries as “helpers” in the Russian army. But some of the men had called home, saying they were given combat training and pushed to the front after they reached.

Last month, the Central Bureau of Investigation arrested four people for their alleged involvement in the human trafficking network. One of them was a translator working on a contract with the Russian defence ministry.