New Delhi, J 30: General Dhiraj Seth today (Tuesday) took charge as the 31st Army Chief of India, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi, who retired after serving in the Indian Army for more than 4 decades. Before taking charge as the Army Chief, General Dhiraj Seth was serving as the Vice Chief of Army Staff.
An officer of the Armoured Corps (Tank Regiment) division, he is the first Armoured Corps officer to hold the top post in the last three decades after General Shankar Roy Chowdhury, who retired in 1997.
General Dhiraj Seth, who graduated from the National Defence Academy (NDA) and joined the Army in December 1986, has nearly 40 years of military experience. During his long career, he has held several important operational, command and staff positions across the country. He has led an armoured regiment, an armoured brigade, a strike corps and troops deployed in counter-terrorism operations.
He has also led both the Southern Command and the South Western Command, two strategically important commands responsible for the protection of India’s western border.
He has served for 4 decades and has the rare distinction of leading two major operational commands – the Jaipur-based South Western Command, which borders Pakistan, and the Pune-based Southern Command. He has been awarded the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (PVSM), Uttam Yudh Seva Medal (UYSM) and Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) for his distinguished service.
Dheeraj Seth’s father Krishna Mohan Seth also served as an Adjutant General in the Indian Army. He later served as the Governor of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. His younger brother Ravnish Seth is a Rear Admiral in the Indian Navy.
General Seth has played a key role in capacity building and military reforms. This leadership change has come at a time when the Indian Army is focusing on modernisation, upgrading technology and maintaining operational readiness on India’s borders.
Many of the reforms currently underway were initiated during the tenure of his predecessor General Upendra Dwivedi. However, General Seth is responsible for turning these plans into reality.