Lt. Gen. Dhiraj Seth takes charge as Vice Chief amid Army command reshuffle

Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth on Wednesday (April 1, 2026) assumed charge as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff after the Indian Army announced a series of top-level appointments across key operational commands.

An alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Lt. Gen. Seth was commissioned to the Armoured Corps in December 1986. Over nearly four decades, he has built an operational profile across varied terrains and conflict environments, including counter-insurgency experience. He has commanded an armoured regiment in the desert sector, an armoured brigade, and a counter insurgency force in Jammu & Kashmir. As a Lieutenant General, he led the Sudarshan Chakra Corps and later served as General Officer Commanding, Delhi Area.

Upon elevation as Army Commander, he headed both the Southwestern Command and Southern Command, earning the rare distinction of leading two operational commands along the Western Front.

In other key changes, Lieutenant General Sandeep Jain took over as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Southern Command, succeeding Lt. Gen. Seth.

Lieutenant General V.M.B. Krishnan assumed charge as the GOC-in-C, Eastern Command, taking over from Lieutenant General R. C. Tiwari, who superannuated on March 31.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Pushpendra Pal Singh, who previously served as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, took over as the GOC-in-C, Western Command. He succeeded Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar, who also retired on March 31.

The reshuffle marked a significant transition in the Army’s top leadership, with experienced officers taking charge of crucial operational commands across the country.