Odisha-Born Lt Gen Mohanty Takes Charge As Vice-Chief Of Army Staff

Pic Credit: Defence Ministry

New Delhi: Lieutenant General Chandi Prasad Mohanty assumed his appointment as the Vice-Chief of the Army Staff on Monday, the Defence Ministry said.

An alumnus of Rashtriya Indian Military College, Dehradun, National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Lt Gen Mohanty is the first Army officer from Odisha who took charge of the second highest post of the Indian Army. He replaced Lt Gen SK Saini, who retired on January 31.

A native of Jayabada village of Jagatsinghpur district, Mohanty became the first Odia to take admission in the Rashtriya Indian Military College (RIMC) at Dehradun. Later, he joined the National Defence Academy (NDA) and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Rajput Regiment on June 12, 1982.

In a career spanning four decades, the Odisha-born officer has served across a wide spectrum of conflicts and terrain profiles and tenanted a host of command, staff and instructional appointments.

These included operational experience along the borders with Pakistan and China. Apart from this, Lt Gen Mohanty has been active in the counter-insurgency operations in Assam and had led a multinational UN brigade to diffuse the bloodiest civil war in Congo.

Also Read: Param Vishisht Seva Medal For Odisha-Born Lt Gen Chandi Prasad Mohanty