Lt Gen Pushpendra Singh to Assume Office as Next Vice Chief of Army Staff from 1 August 2025.
Appointment
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has cleared Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh’s elevation as the Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) of India, effective 1 August 2025, succeeding Lt Gen N. S. Raja Subramani, who completed his tenure on 31 July.
- Commissioned in December 1987 into the 4 Para (Special Forces) after graduating from the Indian Military Academy, Lt Gen Singh brings over 35 years of elite operational experience spanning counter‑terrorism, unconventional warfare, and cross‑border assignments.
- He has been directly involved in major military operations—Operation Pawan (IPKF, Sri Lanka), Meghdoot (Siachen deployment), Rakshak (J&K counter‑insurgency), and Orchid (Northeast). Singh also served in United Nations peacekeeping missions in Lebanon and Sri Lanka, contributing global exposure to his Indian Army portfolio.
- In April 2022, he took charge of the Rising Star Corps (IX Corps) in Yol, Himachal Pradesh, a frontline formation safeguarding the western border. At Army Headquarters, he served as Director General of Operational, Logistics & Strategic Movement, overseeing key troop mobility and deployment architecture.
Main Point :- (i) A native of Lucknow, Singh is an alumnus of La Martiniere College and Lucknow University, before being commissioned through the IMA, Dehradun. His staff and leadership credentials are enhanced by courses at DSSC Wellington, CDM Secunderabad, and IIPA, alongside a Master's in Management Studies (Osmania University) and an M.Phil. in Defence Studies (Punjab University).
(ii) He is a recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) and the Sena Medal with Bar, testament to his exceptional dedication and professionalism in both combat and staff appointments.
(iii) As VCOAS, the officeholder acts as the deputy professional head of the Indian Army, advising the Chief of Army Staff and the Defence Ministry on operational planning, modernization, training, troop welfare, and joint force integration. Friday’s appointment was part of a coordinated high‑level leadership reshuffle across the armed services, including the Vice Chief of Naval Staff and Flag Officer Commanding‑in‑Chief Western Naval Command taking charge on 1 August 2025.
____________________________
