Details
“Vice Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane, is slated to take over as the Chief of the Army Staff (CAS), in the substantive rank of General, after retirement of the present incumbent General Bipin Rawat, with effect from the afternoon of December 31, 2019.”
“Naravane, who was the Head of Eastern Command, that closely guards the 4000 km border that India shares with neighbouring China, becomes the 28 th chief of the Army Staff. He is the second officer from Maharashtra to become the Army Chief, after late Gen Arun Sridhar Vaidya, who was instrumental in successfully implementing “Operation Blue Star” (June 1984) to flush out militants from Golden Temple in Amritsar. He was killed by four assailants in Pune on 11 August 1986, a few days after receiving a death threat from Sikh militants.”
“Naravane is the son of an ex IAF officer Mukund Naravane and mother late Sudha Naravane, who was a popular news reader at All India Radio, Pune station and noted Marathi writer. His wife Veena is an educationist and the Vice-President of the Army Wives Welfare Association. They have two daughters.”
“Naravane did his schooling at Dnayana Prabodhinee Prashala, Pune. An alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy, he was commissioned into the 7th Battalion, The Sikh Light Infantry Regiment in June 1980. He is an alumnus also of the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. He holds a Master’s Degree in Defence Studies, M. Phil Degree in Defence and Management Studies (Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore (Madhya Pradesh).”
“In a military career spanning almost four decades, he has the distinction of tenanting key command and staff appointments in North East and Jammu & Kashmir and has been part of the IPKF in Sri Lanka during ‘Operation Pawan’. He brings with him rich experience of serving in the most challenging areas. He has commanded 2nd Battalion, Rashtriya Rifles (Sikh Light Infantry), 106 Infantry Brigade, Inspector General Assam Rifles (North) at Kohima, Nagaland and 2 Corps. His staff assignments include tenures as a Brigade Major of an Infantry Brigade, Assistant Adjutant & Quartermaster General (AA&QMG) of Headquarters Establishment No 22, Defence Attache at Yangon, Myanmar, an instructional appointment in the Army War College as Directing Staff in the Higher Command Wing, besides two tenures at the Integrated Headquarters of Ministry of Defence (Army), New Delhi.”
He is the recipient of Sena medal given to him for effectively commanding the battalion under him in J and K. He also received the “Vishishta Seva” medal for his services as the Inspector General of Assam Rifles in Nagaland. He holds the “Ati Vishishta Seva” medal in praise of his efficient commanding of strike corps.
“Matters related to China are becoming crucially important for the Indian Army more than any time in the past. Since he has been commanding a significant portion of the Indo-China border for long time, he has a wealth of information about China matters.”
“Amidst the several challenges Naravane would face in his new position, he will have to make sure, the army gets enough funding for the acquisition programs it is contemplating right now. A massive modernization program is already underway in all the three wings of the army.”
“Lt. Gen. Satish Dua (Retd), former chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee of the Indian Armed Forces, said that “ he is balanced person, open to all viewpoints. His experience with the Ministry of External Affairs during his Myanmar term, and with the Ministry of Home Affairs during his Assam Rifles (North) posting, would give him a 360-degree view of defence and strategy.”
