Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane to be Army Chief

New Delhi, December 16

Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane will be the next Chief of Army Staff helming the 1.3 million-strong force, official sources said today.

Lt Gen Naravane is currently serving as the Vice Chief of the Army.

Sources said Naravane’s appointment has been cleared at the highest level, adding the government has followed the principle of seniority in the appointment.

Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat is due to retire on December 31 after a three-year stint. He is expected to be appointed as the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff.

Before taking charge as vice chief of the Army Staff in September, Lt Gen Naravane was heading the Eastern Command of the Army which takes care of India’s nearly 4,000-km border with China. — PTI