General Dhiraj Seth Takes Charge as India’s 31st Army Chief

New Delhi: General Dhiraj Seth took charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army on Tuesday, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi, who retired after more than four decades in uniform.

The Additional Directorate General of Public Information of the Indian Army confirmed the change of command in a post on X. “General Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM takes over as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff of the Indian Army from General Upendra Dwivedi.”

Speaking after taking charge, Gen Seth said the moment was one of both pride and humility. “It is a matter of pride and humility for me to assume the office of the 31st Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army today. I accept this responsibility with an unwavering commitment to the ideals of ‘Duty, Honour, and Nation First’,” he said.

He also thanked the country’s political leadership for the trust placed in him. “I express my gratitude to the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister for placing their trust in me and entrusting me with the honour and responsibility of leading the Indian Army,” Gen Seth said. He paid tribute to soldiers who lost their lives in service of the country, saying their courage, devotion to duty and selfless dedication would continue to inspire future generations.

Gen Seth is an officer of the Armoured Corps, commissioned in December 1986. He is the first officer from the Armoured Corps to lead the Army since General Shankar Roy Chowdhary retired in 1997. Before becoming Army chief, he served as Vice Chief of the Army Staff. He took on that role after leading the Pune-based Southern Command.

Over his career, Gen Seth has held a rare distinction of commanding two operational Army commands along the western front, the South Western Command based in Jaipur and the Southern Command. As a lieutenant general, he commanded the Bhopal-based XXI Corps, also known as the Sudarshan Chakra Corps, one of the Army’s key strike formations. He later served as General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area, where he oversaw important national and international military engagements.

Gen Seth comes from a family with a long history of military service. His father, Lieutenant General K.M. Seth retired as Adjutant General of the Army in 1997. His younger brother, Rear Admiral Ravnish Seth, is currently serving as a flag officer in the Indian Navy.

General Upendra Dwivedi, who handed over charge to Gen Seth, retired on Tuesday after serving in the armed forces for more than 40 years.

Gen Seth takes over the Army at a time when the force is working on several fronts, including modernisation, self-reliance in defence production, and preparing for evolving security challenges along India’s borders.

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Shoaibur Rahman

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