Upendra Dwivedi is the Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Corps of the Indian Army and a three-star general. He made headlines on November 24, 2022, when he issued a statement saying that the Indian Army was ready to retake Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir.
Wiki/Biography
Upendra Dwivedi joined the National Defense Academy, Pune in 1980 after completing his education at Sainik School, Rewa. In 1983, after graduating from NDA, he joined the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun. After completing military training at IMA, he joined the Indian Army on December 15, 1984. After joining the Indian Army, Upendra completed his Masters in Defense and Management Studies. He also holds two master’s degrees in strategic studies, one from the U.S. Army War College (USAWC) in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, and another from the Defense Staff College (DSSC) in Wellington.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′6″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye color: dark brown
family
Parents and siblings
Not much information is available about his parents and siblings.
wife and children
His wife Sunita Dwivedi is the regional president of Army Wives Welfare Association (AWWA) in Jammu and Kashmir.
Sunita Dwivedi (left) at AWWA event
Profession
Upendra Dwivedi was commissioned as Second Lieutenant, 18th Battalion, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles (JAK RIF) on 15 December 1984. After joining the army, Upendra attended the Young Officer (YO) course. On December 15, 1986, he was promoted to lieutenant. Promoted to the rank of captain on December 15, 1989. After being promoted to major on December 15, 1995, he was appointed brigade major of the Armored Brigade. Later, he was appointed as General Staff Officer-I (GSO-I) and General Staff Officer-II (GSO-II) in Directorate of Military Operations. On December 16, 2004, he was promoted to lieutenant colonel. After Upendra became a colonel on April 1, 2006, he commanded his 18 JAK RIF unit in the Kashmir Valley and Rajasthan. On June 13, 2011, he was promoted to Brigadier General (Acting) and on October 17, 2011, he became Brigadier General. Substantive Brigadier General. After becoming a major general on December 1, 2016, Upendra took over the command of the Assam Rifles on the India-Myanmar border. He was later posted as Inspector General (GOC) of Assam Rifles (IGAR) (East).
Upendra Dwivedi (right) assumed office as Inspector General (East), Assam Rifles (IGAR)
He was made Lieutenant General on July 15, 2019. Later, Upendra assumed the charge of General Officer Commanding (GOC) of 9 Corps, also known as Nova Corps, in February 2020.
Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi (left) takes over as commander of the 9th Army
Upendra took over as Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) in December 2021, succeeding Lieutenant General CP Mohanty. In April 2021, he was appointed Army Vice Chief of Staff for Information Systems and Coordination (IS & C). In January 2022, he became the Colonel of the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles and the Ladakh Scout Regiment.
Upendra Dwivedi takes over as Colonel, Jammu and Kashmir Rifles and Ladakh Reconnaissance Regiment from Lieutenant General YK Joshi
He took over as Commander-in-Chief, Northern Command (GOC-in-C) on February 1, 2022, succeeding Lieutenant General YK Joshi.
Upendra Dwivedi (middle) plays the commander of the Northern Army
As an army officer, Upendra served in various capacities such as Army Colonel in the Military Secretariat, Chief of General Staff (Operations), Strike Corps, Deputy Commander-in-Chief, Assistant Commander-in-Chief, Commander-in-Chief Infantry and Colonel of the Mountain Division Quartermaster General. He has also served as an instructor at the Indian Military Academy (IMA) and the High Command of the Army War College, Mohau, Madhya Pradesh. His overseas assignments include serving as a member of HQ UNOSOM II and as a military advisor to the Government of Seychelles. He has completed several courses such as the Advanced Command Course at the Army War College, Mohau and the National Security and Strategic Studies Course at the National Defense College (NDC), New Delhi. Upendra is said to have expedited the procurement of weapons for the infantry during his tenure as Infantry Commander-in-Chief. He took over as the Deputy Chief of Army Staff on February 19, 2024, after the retirement of MV Suchindra Kumar.
Upendra Dwivedi takes over as Deputy Chief of Army Staff
Statement about POK
On November 24, 2022, Upendra Dwivedi said at a press conference in Poonch that the Indian Army is ready to retake Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir as soon as the government orders it. Talking about this, he said,
The Indian Army is ready. The military is ready to ensure that the ceasefire understanding is never broken as it is in the interest of both countries, but if it is broken at any time, we will give them a very appropriate reply. The resolution on PoK has already been passed by parliament and there is nothing new. This is part of the parliamentary resolution. The army is ready to obey every order of the government. As long as the government gives an order, the army will move forward with all its strength. “
On the same day, Bollywood actress Richa Chadha tweeted: “Galwan hello”, objecting to the Army chief’s statement. However, Richa apologized for her tweet after receiving backlash from many netizens. Akshay Kumar also responded to Richa’s tweet and said he was “deeply hurt” by her response.
Akshay Kumar’s tweet in response to Richa Chadda’s tweet
On November 24, 2022, Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) took to Twitter to object to the statement. ISPR said in its tweet,
The unwarranted remarks made by senior officers of the Indian Army on the Jammu and Kashmir issue are a reflection of the delusional mentality of the Indian Army and a clear imprint of India’s domestic political showmanship on India’s military thinking.
Awards
- In November 2021, Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (AVSM) by the Government of India.
Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi takes over AVSM from President Ram Nath Kovind
- Upendra Dwivedi has also received Army Commander’s Commendation Card three times.
salary
Lieutenant General Upendra Dwivedi’s salary as Commander Northern Force of the Indian Army is Rs 80,000 + other allowances.
Facts/Trivia
- While serving as the Vice Chief of Army Staff (IS&C), Upendra Dwivedi was invited to deliver a motivational speech at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
- Upendra Dwivedi chaired the 12th Rashtriya Rifles Biennial Conference held on November 25-26, 2022 in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education