General Dhiraj Seth Assumes Office as 31st Chief of Army Staff

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General Dhiraj Seth has officially taken charge as the 31st Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army.
He succeeds General Upendra Dwivedi, who retired after serving the military for over 40 years.

General Dhiraj Seth, recipient of PVSM, UYSM, and AVSM, is a senior four-star officer in the Indian Army.
He joined the elite Armoured Corps (2nd Lancers / Gardner's Horse) in December 1986.
With nearly four decades of service, he is the first officer from the Armoured Corps to lead the Army since 1997.

He gained extensive operational experience by leading both the South Western Command and Southern Command for over 2.5 years.
He has held key operational roles, including leading the XXI Sudarshan Chakra Corps, serving as GOC Delhi Area, and commanding counter-insurgency forces in Jammu & Kashmir.
During his tenure as the 49th Vice Chief of Army Staff, he focused on strategic military planning, boosting operational capabilities, and introducing modern technologies.
He won the Silver Centurion award, trained at top defense institutes, and served as a UN Operations Officer during UNAVEM III in Angola between 1995 and 1996.

The Chief of the Army Staff serves as the military head and operational leader of the 3-million-strong Indian Army.
As a four-star General, the COAS acts as the main military advisor on land warfare to the Ministry of Defence and sits on the Chiefs of Staff Committee as a permanent member.

The position originated during British rule under the title of Commander-in-Chief, India, supervising military forces under the British East India Company and the Crown.
In 1947, after independence, the designation changed to Commander-in-Chief, Indian Army.
Parliament passed the Commander-in-Chief (Change in Designation) Act in 1955, officially creating the title Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), with General Maharaj Shri Rajendrasinhji Jadeja becoming the first officer to hold it.

The COAS exercises structural control over the Army, maintaining active combat readiness, strong border security, and defense operations along all frontiers.
The position guides long-term military modernization, establishing procurement plans and integrating automated weapons into defense operations.
The leader works alongside the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the Chief of the Naval Staff, and the Chief of the Air Staff to build combined warfare models and integrated theater commands.
The COAS directs military action during national crises, manages counter-insurgency efforts, and leads Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions.