Lieutenant General Ram Chander Tiwari UYSM, AVSM, SM is a serving general officer in the Indian Army. He currently serves as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command.[2] He previously served as the General officer Commanding Uttar Bharat Area [3] and General Officer Commanding III Corps.[4] He earlier held the appointment of Chief of Staff of the South Western Command. The general officer is also the Colonel of the Kumaon Regiment & Naga Regiment and the KUMAON SCOUTS.[5]

Ram Chander Tiwari
General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command
Assumed office
1 January 2024
Chief of Army StaffManoj Pande
Upendra Dwivedi
Preceded byRana Pratap Kalita
Military service
Allegiance India
Branch/service Indian Army
Years of service13 June 1987 – present
Rank Lieutenant General
Unit 4 Kumaon Regiment
Commands
Service numberIC-44498L [1]
Awards

Early life and education

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He is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He has attended the Defence Services Staff College, Higher Defence Management Course and National Defence College, New Delhi. He is also a graduate of Swiss Army Chemical Warfare School and US Army Infantry School, Fort Benning, USA.[5]

Military career

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He was commissioned into the 4th battalion of the Kumaon Regiment on 13 June 1987 from the Indian Military Academy. In his 36 years of illustrious service, he has tenanted various Command and Staff appointments with a wide spectrum of operational, field and highly active Counter Insurgency profile. The General Officer has had the privilege of tenanting prestigious appointments of Brigade Major of a mountain brigade along Northern Borders, three tenures in Military Operations Directorate, Col General Staff of a Mountain Division in High Altitude in J&K, DDG KRA Cell in COAS Sectt and Dy MS in Military Secretary's Branch. He also has the unique distinction of serving twice with the United Nations, first as a Military Observer and later as Deputy Chief of Staff at Force HQ in Democratic Republic of the Congo.[5]

The general Officer has served a Rashtriya Rifles battalion as 2IC, commanded his Battalion in active Counter Insurgency area of Assam (OP RHINO), commanded a Mountain Brigade in High Altitude Area of North Sikkim, wherein his distinguished professionalism was rewarded with Sena Medal. He has also commanded 17th Infantry Division (The Black cat division) along the LAC, wherein he was awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.[5]

After being promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, he was appointed as the Chief of Staff of the South Western Command.[6] In March 2022, he took over as the General Officer Commanding of Spear Corps (III) in the Eastern Theatre.[4] The general Officer was awarded Uttam Yudh Seva Medal for his distinguished service while commanding the III Corps in Eastern Theatre.[7] A year later in April 2023, the general officer took over the command of Uttar Bharat Area.[3]

On 1 January 2024, he took over as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command succeeding Lieutenant General Rana Pratap Kalita who superannuated on 31 December 2023.[2]

Awards and decorations

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The General officer has been awarded with the Uttam Yudh Seva Medal in 2023,[7] the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and the Sena Medal.

       

       
       
       
Uttam Yudh Seva Medal Ati Vishisht Seva Medal Sena Medal General Service Medal
Samanya Seva Medal Special Service Medal Operation Parakram Medal Sainya Seva Medal
High Altitude Medal Videsh Seva Medal 75th Independence Anniversary Medal 50th Independence Anniversary Medal
30 Years Long Service Medal 20 Years Long Service Medal 9 Years Long Service Medal MONUSCO

Dates of rank

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Insignia Rank Component Date of rank
  Second Lieutenant Indian Army 13 June 1987
  Lieutenant Indian Army 13 June 1989[8]
  Captain Indian Army 13 June 1992[9]
  Major Indian Army 13 June 1998
  Lieutenant-Colonel Indian Army 16 December 2004[10]
  Colonel Indian Army 1 January 2008[11]
  Brigadier Indian Army 7 June 2013 (acting)
1 April 2014 (substantive, with seniority from 8 January 2012)[12]
  Major General Indian Army 18 February 2019 (seniority from 1 January 2018)[13]
  Lieutenant-General Indian Army 2021

References

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  1. ^ https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/specificdocs/documents/2023/jan/doc2023125154901.pdf
  2. ^ a b "Lieutenant General RC Tiwari appointed as new Eastern Army Commander". India Today. Retrieved 2023-12-21.
  3. ^ a b "On assuming command of Uttar Bharat Area, Lt Gen RC Tiwari paid tributes to the brave hearts who sacrificed their lives in the service of the nation". X (formerly Twitter). Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  4. ^ a b ANI (2022-03-02). "Lt Gen RC Tiwari takes over as General Officer Commanding of Spear Corps". ThePrint. Retrieved 2024-03-01.
  5. ^ a b c d https://indianarmy.nic.in/leaders/leaders-site-main/army-commanders
  6. ^ "HOMAGE PAID TO BRAVEHEARTS AT PRERNA STHAL JAIPUR ON THE OCCASSION [sic] OF 75th INFANTRY DAY :: Pressnote.in : Printer Friendly Page". www.pressnote.in. Retrieved 2024-08-16.
  7. ^ a b "President approves 412 Gallantry awards and other defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel on Republic Day". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 2024-06-10.
  8. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 30 March 1991. p. 471.
  9. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 24 April 1993. p. 759.
  10. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 3 December 2005. p. 2424.
  11. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 20 February 2010. p. 265.
  12. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)". The Gazette of India. 9 January 2016. p. 142.
  13. ^ "Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch)" (PDF). The Gazette of India. 25 December 2021. p. 2964.
Military offices
Preceded by General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command
1 January 2024 – present
Incumbent
Preceded by General Officer Commanding Uttar Bharat Area
April 2023 - 31 December 2023
Succeeded by
Zubin A. Minwalla
General officer commanding III Corps
2 March 2022 - 5 March 2023
Succeeded by
H. S. Sahi