General Upendra Dwivedi, a highly decorated infantry officer, assumed the role of the 30th Chief of the Indian Army on Sunday. General Dwivedi belongs to the Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Rifles and was appointed as the Vice Chief of Army Staff in February early this year.
General Dwivedi’s military journey began at the National Defence Academy (NDA) in January 1981, leading to his commission into the 18th Battalion of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles on December 15, 1984.
He later commanded this battalion in both the Kashmir Valley and Rajasthan.
His early years were marked by excellence in sports, earning accolades at both the NDA and IMA, where he received the Blue in Physical Training and a gold medal in the Physical Training Course post commissioning.
Throughout his career, General Dwivedi has gained extensive operational experience across Northern, Western, and Eastern Theatres, operating in diverse terrains such as deserts, high altitudes, riverine regions, urban areas, the North East, and Jammu and Kashmir.
He led his battalion in counter-terrorism operations in both the Kashmir Valley and the Rajasthan Desert.
As a Major General, he served as Inspector General of Assam Rifles and as a Sector Commander at the Brigadier level.
During his tenure, he led intense counter-terrorism operations and held various staff and command roles in the North East, where he pioneered the first comprehensive guide on Indo-Myanmar border management.
Later, he commanded the Rising Star Corps along the Western Front and the Northern Army from 2022 to 2024, providing strategic and operational oversight for sustained operations along the Northern and Western borders, and directing counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir.
General Dwivedi is married to Sunita Dwivedi. A science graduate, Ms Dwivedi is a homemaker and involved with a Bhopal institute for children with special needs. The couple has two daughters.
