NEW DELHI: Lt. Gen. Dheeraj Seth, an Armored Corps officer, will on Wednesday take over as Deputy Chief of Army Staff, replacing Lt. Gen. Pushpendra Singh who will move from New Delhi to Chandimandir as Commander-in-Chief, Western Command, as part of a reshuffle at the highest levels of the Army, officials familiar with the matter said on Tuesday. Seth will be the most senior officer when Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi retires on June 30, making him the front-runner for the top job.
Seth was until now heading the Southern Command in Pune, a role he has held since July 1, 2024.
A graduate of the National Defense Academy, Khadakwasla, and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Seth was commissioned into the 2nd Lancers on 20 December 1986. Known for his professionalism and military acumen, Seth attended the Defense Services Command and General Staff Course at the Military College of Paris, the International Defense Procurement Management Course at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, the Maui High Command Course, and the National Defense College. In New Delhi.
The general relinquished command of the Southern Command on Tuesday “after an illustrious period characterized by operational focus, institutional transformation and a resolute commitment to building a future-ready force,” the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
Lt. Gen. Pushpendra Singh will replace Lt. Gen. Manoj Katiyar who retired on Tuesday. Singh was commissioned into the 4th Battalion, Parachute Regiment (Special Forces) in December 1987. He commanded a Special Forces unit in the Kashmir Valley and on the Line of Control, an infantry brigade, a mountain division along the Line of Actual Control, and a corps based in Himachal Pradesh.
Lt. Gen. VMB Krishnan will be the new Commander of the Eastern Army in Kolkata, replacing Lt. Gen. R. C. Tiwari who retired on Tuesday. The command is responsible for guarding India’s borders with China in the eastern sector. Lt. Gen. Sandeep Jain will be the new Commander of the Southern Army.
