Interesting facts about Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane who is becoming the new army chief

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Interesting facts about Lieutenant General Manoj Mukund Naravane who is becoming the new army chief
Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane becoming the next Indian army chief upon the retirement of the present army chief Gen Bipin Ravat on December 31, 2019. An alumnus of the Indian Military Academy and the National Defence Academy, Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane is a highly suitable pick for the post he will be holding in several regards. Here are a few interesting and must know facts about him that have paved the royal road for the highly envied position he will be holding.
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Early life and schooling

Naravane was born in a Marathi Brahmin family. He did his schooling in Pune at the Jnana Prabodhini Prashala. He holds a Master’s degree in Defence Studies from The University of Madras, Chennai. He also did his M.Phil in Defence and Management from Ahilya Vishwavidhyalaya, Indore.

Some notable honors he received

Naravane is the recipient of the Sena Medal which was given to him for effectively commanding the battalion under him in Jammu and Kashmir. He also received the Visishta Seva Medal for his services as the Inspector General of the Assam Rifles in Nagaland. He holds the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in praise of his efficient commanding of strike corps.

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The latest position held in the army

The latest position held by Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane in the Indian army was the head of the Eastern Command of the Army that closely guards the 4,000-km border that India shares with its neighbor China.

Bounty of experiences he had

During his career, Lt Gen Manoj Mukund Naravane had been the commander of the Rashtriya Rifles Battalion in Jammu and Kashmir. He had also commanded the infantry brigade on the eastern border. He had been a part of the Indian Peace Keeping Force deputed to Sri Lanka and had functioned for three years as India's defence attache in Myanmar at the Indian Embassy.

He is the senior-most officer in the Indian army

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Next to Bipin Rawat, he is now the senior-most officer in the Indian army. In selecting Manoj Mukund Naravane for this highest post in the Indian army, the government has followed the method of naming the senior-most person next to the existing chief. During earlier nominations for the post, the governments of those times chose the new chiefs from a group of top officers, clearly overlooking the seniority.

Well-versed in China matters

Matters related to China are becoming crucially important for the Indian army more than any time in the past. Notably, Manoj Mukund Naravane has a wealth of knowledge about China matters. For so long, he had been commanding the forces guarding a significant portion of the Indo-China border.

The challenge in front of Naravane

Amidst the several challenges Naravane would face in his new position, he will have to make sure the army gets enough funding for the acquisition programs it is contemplating on right now. He is taking charge during the time when a massive modernization program is underway in all the three wings of the army and every wing is battling for its luck to get the lion’s share of the government’s funding.

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