New Delhi: Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane will be the next Chief of Army Staff helming the 1.3 million-strong force, various reports said on Monday.
Lt Gen Naravane is currently serving as Vice-Chief of the Army.
According to reports, Naravane’s appointment has been cleared at the highest level, adding the government has followed the principle of seniority in the appointment.
Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat is due to retire on December 31 after a three-year stint. He is expected to be appointed as the country’s first Chief of Defence Staff.
Before taking charge as vice chief of the Army Staff in September, Lt Gen Naravane was heading the Eastern Command of the Army which takes care of India’s nearly 4,000-km border with China.
In his 37 years of service, Lt Gen Naravane has served in numerous command and staff appointments in peace, field and highly active counter-insurgency environments in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast.