Chief of Army Staff Gen Manoj Pande gets an unusual one month extension

In an unusual move, the Chief of Army Staff Gen Manoj Pande has been given a one-month extension by the Government of India.

General Pande was to retire on 31 May, but after the extension, he will remain in office until 30 June.

Extension for Chief of Army Staff Gen Manoj Pand:

Usually, a service chief serves until the age of 62 or for three years, whichever is earlier. This is the third time in the history of the Indian Army that an Army Chief has been given an extension.

The first time was the former Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, who received a six-month extension when he was the Army Chief. The second was General G G Bewoor, the successor of General Manekshaw, who was given 12-month extensions by then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

The reason behind the extension is not clear, but speculation says that the government wants the next Army Chief selected on merit rather than seniority. The next in line for the post of Army Chief is Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi, who is the Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS).

Lt Gen Ajai Kumar Singh is also in line. In-fact both Lt Gen Dwivedi and Lt Gen Singh are batchmates from the Indian Military Academy. Although Lt Gen Singh is older, Lt Gen Dwivedi is senior to Lt Gen Singh.

Moreover, the Central Army Commander Lt Gen N S Raja Subramani is also in the running. He has experience dealing with both China and Pakistan. He has also commanded an infantry brigade along the international border, a division in the eastern sector, and the Ambala-based Strike Corps

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