With the formal announcement of Lt General Upendra Dwivedi as the Army Chief Designate yesterday, old and new friendships are shaping up within the three armed services of the Indian military as the current Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi and Army Chief Designate Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi were classmates several decades ago at Sainik School Rewa, Madhya Pradesh.
Rewa Sainik School is one of the 33 Sainik Schools of India and special celebrations are going on in the school as well as in their classmate group, where one of their classmates has said, ” दिनेश और उपेंद्र सूर्य के पर्यायवाची है और दोनों सूर्य की तरह चमकते हुए और रीवा की शान बढ़ाते हुए भारत की सुरक्षा का भार संभाल रहे हैं ” (Dinesh and Upendra are synonyms of the sun and like the sun’s bright light they are increasing the pride of Rewa, taking on the responsibility to protect the nation.)
This marks the first occasion in modern times that two alumni of the same Sainik School will be heading their respective service.
Here’s the detailed profile of the 2 classmates and now Chiefs:
Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi
Lt Gen Dwivedi has ben designated as India’s next Chief of the Army Staff (COAS). Currently the Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS), he will take over as the 30th Chief of the Indian Army on the afternoon of 30th June, according to a government notification issued late on Tuesday night.
Commissioned into the 18 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles or JAK RIF on 15 December 1984, Lt Gen Dwivedi is an alumnus of Sainik School, Rewa, Madhya Pradesh.
Prior to becoming the VCOAS, Lt Gen Dwivedi was the Northern Army Commander between 2022 and February 2024, at a time when the standoff with the Chinese along the LAC in Ladakh was still at a complicated stage.
Lt Gen Dwivedi has also commanded the Yol-based 9 Corps and has had the experience of leading Assam Rifles formations in the north-east both in the rank of a Brigadier as well as a Major General.
During his illustrious career spanning 39 years, Lt Gen Dwivedi has tenanted various staff appointments in Headquarter Armoured Brigade, Mountain Division, Strike Corps and at the Army HQ. As an instructor at Indian Military Academy and Army War College (Higher Command), he shaped the future generations of the three services and Friendly Foreign Countries.
As DCOAS (IS&C), the Lt Gen Dwivedi gave impetus to automation and absorption of niche technology in the Indian Army and also started a China-focused training course for senior officers by bringing in non-military but China specialist faculty to broaden the understanding of the Indian Army’s middle and senior level leadership about China and its military. Being a technology enthusiast, he worked towards enhancing the tech-threshold of all ranks in Northern Command and pushed for Critical & Emerging Technologies like Big Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Quantum and Blockchain based solutions.
Lt Gen Dwivedi’s two overseas tenures include Somalia, as part of HQ UNOSOM II and Seychelles as Military Advisor to the Govt of Seychelles. Besides attending Staff College, Wellington & Higher Command Course at AWC, Mhow, he was conferred ‘Distinguished Fellow’ in the coveted NDC equivalent course at US Army War College, Carlisle. Complementing his illustrious military career, are an M Phil in Defence & Management Studies, in addition to the two Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies and Military Science, including one from the US Army War College.
Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi
Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi assumed command as the 26th Chief of Naval Staff (CNS) on 30 Apr 2024. Prior to this appointment, he was the Vice Chief of Naval Staff (VCNS).
A Communications and Electronic Warfare specialist, Adm. Tripathi was commissioned in the Indian Navy on 1 July 1985. He brings a wealth of experience with him to the highest office having served in various instructional, operational and administrative appointments throughout his career. Immediately before his elevation to the top post, the Admiral was briefly the Vice Chief of Naval Staff. Prior to being VCNS, he commanded the Western Naval Command, the Navy’s sword arm.
An alumni of Sainik School Reva in Madhya Pradesh, Adm Tripathi’s family belongs to Mahudar, a small village in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh. Having joined NDA from Sainik School, he chose to opt for naval service and has since 1985, served in various capacities. Adm. Tripathi is a graduate of Defence Service Staff College, Wellington, where he was awarded the Thimmaiya Medal for being the best all-round officer. The Admiral attended the Naval Higher Command Course and Naval Command College at the US Naval War College, Newport, Rhode Island in 2007-08, where he won the Prestigious Robert E. Bateman International Prize.
He was also the Fleet Operations Officer (akin to the Chief of Staff to the Fleet Commander) of the Western Fleet and has a thorough understanding of the environment of the Indian Ocean Region. He has held various important operational and staff appointments, which include the Director of Naval Operations (DNO), Principal Director of Network Centric Operations (PDNCO), and Principal Director Naval Plans (PDNP).
As the Principal Director Network Centric Operations, he oversaw the transformation of the Indian Navy towards Net-Centric Operations. Upon being promoted to the Flag rank, he was appointed Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans) at Naval Headquarters. The six continuous years as PDNP/ ACNS (P&P) enabled him to grasp the nuances of financial, acquisition, and infrastructure planning, force structure development, and staff requirement aspects of weapons and sensors and land/ works of the Navy, as also close interaction with DRDO, DPSUs, PSUs and industry and academia related to defence R&D and manufacturing to promote Atmanirbharta and self-reliance in the defence sector. He then commanded the Eastern Fleet from 15 January 2018 to 30 March 2019, a period that saw significant action at sea in terms of deployment of units in the Indian Ocean Region and beyond.
The successful completion of the Fleet Command tenure brought to an end close to two decades of cumulative Sea Service in his distinguished naval career. On promotion to the rank of Vice Admiral in June 2019, he was appointed as Commandant of the prestigious Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala, Kerala. The Academy was awarded the President’s Colour in November 2019.
Thereafter, he was the Director General of Naval Operations from 29 July 2020 till 31 May 2021, during which Indian Navy units witnessed a very high tempo of naval/ maritime operations. He ensured that the Navy remained a ‘Combat Ready, Cohesive and Credible Force,’ ready to tackle security challenges in the wake of the situation on the LAC, in the Western Arabian Sea/ Gulf region, and other hot spots, despite all-round severity of COVID pandemic. Later, from June 2021 to February 2023, he served as the Chief of Personnel, where he was at the helm for the successful planning and implementation of the transformational human resource recruitment policy, the Agnipath Scheme.
With the 2 young classmates now reaching the pinnacle of their respective services, the sun is indeed shining upon the young guns of Sainik School, Rewa.
