General Dhiraj Seth takes charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff

General Dhiraj Seth assumed command of the Indian Army as its 31st Chief, succeeding General Upendra Dwivedi on his superannuation — bringing nearly four decades of armoured-corps and operational command experience.

What happened

• General Dhiraj Seth took over as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) from General Upendra Dwivedi, who superannuated after more than four decades of service on 30 June 2026.
• An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, he was commissioned into the Armoured Corps in December 1986.
• His command assignments include an armoured regiment in the Desert Sector, an armoured brigade in the Western Theatre, and a Counter-Insurgency Force in Jammu & Kashmir.
• As a Lieutenant General he commanded the Sudarshan Chakra Corps (a premier strike formation) and served as GOC Delhi Area.
• As an Army Commander he commanded both the South Western and Southern Commands — the rare distinction of commanding two operational Army Commands.

For Prelims

• Chief of the Army Staff (COAS): The professional head of the Indian Army (a four-star General); General Dhiraj Seth is the 31st COAS. The COAS is distinct from the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), who heads the Department of Military Affairs and is the single-point military adviser.
• Three Service Chiefs: COAS (Army), CNS (Navy) and CAS (Air Force) head their services; the CDS (created 2019) coordinates jointness/theaterisation.
• Army Commands: The Army has 7 commands (Northern, Southern, Eastern, Western, Central, South Western, and the training ARTRAC) — operational commands are led by Army Commanders (Lieutenant Generals).
• Armoured Corps: The mechanised/tank arm; the new Chief's parent arm, with command in the Desert and Western sectors.
• Supreme Command: The President of India is the Supreme Commander of the armed forces (Article 53); the Service Chiefs exercise command under civilian (Defence Ministry) control.
• Theaterisation: The ongoing reform to create joint/integrated theatre commands — a key agenda for the higher defence leadership.
• Don't confuse: The COAS (head of the Army) is distinct from the CDS (head of the Department of Military Affairs/jointness); the President (not the COAS) is the constitutional Supreme Commander.

For Mains

Syllabus: GS3.20 · Linkage L2