Biography of Lt. General Manoj Chandrashekhar Pande – 29th chief of the army staff

Lieutenant General Manoj Chandrashekhar Pande was appointed as the 29^th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) on April 18, 2022. Since February 1, 2022, he was serving as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff In the Indian army. Lt. Gen. Pande will succeed General Manoj Mukund Naravane, whose tenure ends on April 30, 2022. Lt. Manoj will be the first commander from the Corps of Engineers to take charge of the 1.3 million-strong force. Previously this position was always held by officers from armored, infantry, or artillery regiments.

Personal Details

Lt. Gen. Manoj Pande’s Educational Qualifications

• Manoj completed his schooling at Somalwar High School, Nagpur.
• He pursued his graduation with a Bachelor of Science from the National Defence Academy (NDA).
• Later on, Manoj was appointed as an officer at the Indian Military Academy.
• He attained a Bachelor of Technology degree in Civil Engineering from the College of Military Engineering, Pune.
• Manoj completed a training course in the Staff College, Camberley, in the United Kingdom.
• He completed his higher command course from Army War College, Mhow.
• Manoj attended the National Defence College for further studies.

Lt. Gen. Manoj Pande’s Career

• Manoj was enrolled in Bombay Sappers, one of the regiments in the Indian Army Corps of Engineers in December 1982.
• He was appointed as the Brigade Major of a Mountain Brigade in Assam, India.
• Manoj served as a Chief Engineer at the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea after being promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
• He was in charge of Operation Parakram along the Line of Control (LOC), Jammu, and Kashmir, commanding a regiment of 117 engineers.
• Manoj commanded the 52^ndInfantry Brigade as a brigadier.
• He commanded the 8^thMountain Division, Khumbathang, as Major General.
• As a Lieutenant General, Manoj served as the Chief of Staff of the Southern Command.
• He was later appointed as the Director-General at Army headquarters, dealing with aspects of the discipline, welfare, and ceremonial.
• On April 30, 2020, Manoj was the next Commander-in-Chief in Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN).
• On June 1^st, 2021, he took charge of the Eastern Command as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief.
• On February 1, 2022, Manoj took over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.
• He became the 29^thChief of the Army Staff (COAS) on April 18, 2022.

Lt. Gen. Manoj Pande’s Career Ranks in the Indian Army

• Second lieutenant – December 24, 1982
• Lieutenant – December 24, 1984
• Captain – December 24, 1987
• Major – December 24, 1993
• Lieutenant colonel – December 16, 2004
• Colonel – March 1, 2006
• Brigadier – April 1, 2010 (substantive, seniority from 25 January 2009)
• Major General – July 1, 2015 (substantive, seniority from 12 June 2012)
• Lieutenant General  – September 1, 2017

Lt. Gen. Manoj Pande’s Awards and Honors

• Param Vishisht Seva Medal
• Ati Vishisht Seva Medal
• Vishisht Seva Medal
• Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) commendation card
• Two general officers commanding commendation cards
• Sanya Seva medal
• Videsh Seva medal
• Special Service medal
• Operation Vijay medal
• Operation Parakram medal
• High altitude service medal
• 50^thanniversary of Independence medal
• 9 years long service medal
• 20 years long service medal
• 30 years long service medal
• UNMEE medal

Suggested Read: Y. S. Chowdary