General M M Naravane on Saturday retired as the Army Chief and General Manoj Pande succeeded him as the next chief. Naravane served in the Army for 42 years.
Naravane called on President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The outgoing chief also met Defence Minister Rajnath Singh who said in a tweet “Had a wonderful meeting with the Army Chief, General MM Naravane, who is going to retire today after serving the nation for 42 years. His contributions as a military leader has strengthened India’s defence capabilities and preparedness. I wish him success in his future endeavours.” the minister tweeted.
Naravane was presented the Guard of Honour at the South Block lawns.
Pande, who was serving as the Vice Chief, became the first officer from the Corps of Engineers to helm the force. Before taking charge as Vice Chief on February 1, Pande was heading the Eastern Army Command, tasked with guarding the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh sectors.
Pande takes charge of the Army at a time India is facing myriad security challenges, including along the borders with China and Pakistan.
As the Army chief, he will also have to coordinate with the Navy and the Indian Air Force on the government's plan to roll out theatre commands.
The theaterisation plan was being implemented by India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat. He died in a helicopter crash in December last. The government is yet to appoint General Rawat's successor.
In his distinguished career, Pande also served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN), which is India's only tri-services command.
An alumnus of the National Defence Academy(NDA), he was commissioned in the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers) in December 1982.
Pande has held several prestigious command and staff assignments in conventional as well as counter-insurgency operations in all types of terrain.
He commanded an engineer regiment along the Line of Control(LOC) during Operation Parakram in Jammu and Kashmir, an engineer brigade in the western sector, an infantry brigade along the LoC and a mountain division in high-altitude area of western Ladakh and a corps in the Northeast.
His staff exposures include Brigade Major of a Mountain Brigade in the Northeast, Assistant Military Secretary (AMS) in the Military Secretary's Branch and Brigadier General Staff (Operations) at the Eastern Command headquarters.