General Manoj Mukund Naravane took charge as the 28th Chief of Army Staff succeeding General Bipin Rawat. General Naravane served as Vice Chief of the Army before taking charge of the 1.3 million-strong Army.
In his 37 years of service, General Naravane served in numerous command and staff appointments in peace, field and highly active counter-insurgency environments in Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast. Before being appointed as Vice Chief of the Army, General Naravane was heading the Army’s Eastern Command that takes care of India’s nearly 4,000-km border with China.
He was also part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka and had served as India’s Defence Attache at the Indian Embassy in Myanmar for three years. He is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy.The General is a decorated officer who has been awarded the Sena Medal (Distinguished) for effectively commanding his battalion in Jammu and Kashmir. He is also a recipient of the Vishisht Seva Medal for his services as the Inspector General Assam Rifles (North) in Nagaland and the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal for commanding of a prestigious strike corps.