Rare Move: Government Extends Tenure Of Army Chief By One Month
In a rare move, a committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi today extended the tenure of Army Chief General Manoj Pande by one more month. He was waiting to retire on May 31.
In a release on Sunday, the government said, “The Appointments Committee of Cabinet on May 26, 2024, approved the extension in service of the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj Pande, PVSM, AVSM, VSM, ADC, for a period of one month, beyond his normal age of superannuation (May 31, 2024), i.e., up to June 30, 2024, under Rule 16 A (4) of the Army Rules 1954.”
However, according to reports, the extension suggests that a decision on the appointment of the next Army chief will be made by the next government. The last such extension was reportedly almost 50 years ago, when General Gopal Gurunath Bewoor was given an extension in tenure for around a year in 1975.
As per the norm, the most senior Army commander or the Army vice chief will be appointed as the Army chief when the incumbent retires. The current Vice Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Upendra Dwivedi, and Southern Army Commander, Lt. General A K Singh, are the most senior officers in the Army. However, the discretion to appoint a service chief within the government.
The army chief usually retires after completing three years or reaching the age of 62. Notably, the current Army chief crossed the age of 62 on May 6 and was due to retire on May 31. He served as Army chief for more than two years. He took over as the 29th Chief of the Army Staff on April 30, 2022, from General Manoj Mukund Naravane.
