From Our Beauro
MC Panday
NEW DELHI: Army chief Manoj Mukund M Naravane is tipped to be the new chief of defence staff (CDS) just before his retirement this month end to succeed General Bipin Rawat, the first CDS who died in a flight mishap in December. The Pune-born Naravane turns 62 on April 22.
The Nagpur-born Lt. General Manoj Chandrashekhar Pande, son of a doctor who was promoted as the deputy chief of army staff in February, is likely to succeed Naravane as the 28th Army chief. He was commissioned in December 1982 as the Second Lieutenant to the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers and rose as Lieutenant-General in September 2017. He is due to lead the Army as the seniormost Lt-General.
Others shortlisted for the post are Lt Gen Jai Singh Nain, Lt Gen Amardeep Singh Bhinder and Lt General Yogendra Dimri. Prime Minister Modi-led appointment committee of the Cabinet will take a call from the shortlisted candidates.
