M. V. Suchindra Kumar Explained

Honorific Prefix:Lieutenant General
M. V. Suchindra Kumar
Office:General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command
1Blankname:Chief of Army Staff
1Namedata:Manoj Pande
Upendra Dwivedi
Term Start:19 February 2024
Predecessor:Upendra Dwivedi
Office1:45th Vice Chief of the Army Staff
President1:Droupadi Murmu
1Blankname1:Chief of Army Staff
1Namedata1:Manoj Pande
Term Start1:1 March 2023
Term End1:18 February 2024
Predecessor1:B. S. Raju
Successor1:Upendra Dwivedi
Serviceyears:8 June 1985 – present
Rank: Lieutenant General
Military Blank1:Service number
Military Data1:IC-42794X [1]
Unit: 1 Assam Regiment
Commands: Northern Command
XVI Corps
120 Infantry Brigade
59 Rashtriya Rifles (Assam)
Military Blank2:Awards
Military Data2:
Spouse:Asha Suchindra

Lieutenant General M. V. Suchindra Kumar, PVSM, AVSM, YSM**, VSM is a serving general officer of the Indian Army. He currently serves as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Northern Command.[2] He previously served as the 45th Vice Chief of the Army Staff,[3] prior to that he was Deputy Chief of the Army Staff (Strategy).[4] He also served as the Director General Military Intelligence and as the General Officer Commanding XVI Corps.[5] He is also the Colonel of the Assam Regiment & the Arunachal Scouts.

Early life and education

He was born in a Lingayat family completed his schooling from the Sainik School, Bijapur. He then attended the National Defence Academy and the Indian Military Academy.[6] He also attended the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Higher Command Course, Mhow and the National Defence College, New Delhi. He has also attended courses on Cooperative Security in South Asia in Sri Lanka and United Nations Senior Mission Leaders Course in Egypt.[7]

Military career

The general officer was commissioned into the 1st battalion, The Assam Regiment (1 ASSAM) in June 1985. He attended the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. He served as an instructor at the Infantry School, Mhow. As part of the United Nations, he served as the Sector Senior Operations Officer in the Transitional Authority in Cambodia and in the Indian Army Training team in Lesotho.[8] At Army headquarters, he served in the Military Secretary Branch. He commanded the 59 battalion, The Rashtriya Rifles (Assam). The RR battalions are deployed in a counter-insurgency role in Jammu and Kashmir.

Promoted to the rank of Brigadier, he commanded the 120 Infantry Brigade. For this stint, he was awarded the Yudh Seva Medal on 26 January 2014.[9] He was then selected to attend the National Defence College in New Delhi, as part of the 54th course. After completing the course, he was appointed Brigadier General Staff (BGS) of a corps in the Eastern theatre. On 26 January 2018, he was awarded the Vishisht Seva Medal.[10]

General officer

He was promoted to the rank of Major General and appointed General officer commanding of an infantry division on the line of control. In the 2019 Republic Day honours, he was awarded a bar to the Yudh Seva Medal.[11] He subsequently served in the Military Intelligence directorate as the Additional Director General Military Intelligence (ADGMI). On 28 January 2020, he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General and was appointed the General Officer Commanding of XVI Corps succeeding Lieutenant General Harsha Gupta.[12] [13] For his tenure as GOC XVI Corps, he was awarded the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal on 26 January 2022.[14] After a year-long stint, he moved to Army HQ as the Director General Military Intelligence (DGMI).[15] After a short stint as DGMI, on 1 July 2022 he assumed the appointment of Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy).

On 1 March 2023, Lieutenant General M. V. Suchindra Kumar took over as the 45th Vice Chief of the Army Staff succeeding Lieutenant General B. S. Rajuwho moved to South Western Command as Army Commander.[16] On 19 February 2024, he took over as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command succeeding General (then Lieutenant General) Upendra Dwivedi who moved to the Army Headquarters as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff.[17]

Personal life

He is married to Asha Suchindra, an educationalist. The couple has two children. Gen Kumar is an amateur half marathon runner, golf enthusiast and yoga practitioner. An avid reader, his military papers have been published in a number of professional journals.[18]

Awards and decorations

The General officer was awarded the Yudh Seva Medal in 2014, the Vishisht Seva Medal in 2018, a bar to the Yudh Seva Medal in 2019, the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal in 2022 and the Param Vishisht Seva Medal in 2024.[19]

Param Vishisht Seva MedalAti Vishisht Seva Medal
Yudh Seva Medal (Bar)Vishisht Seva MedalSamanya Seva MedalSpecial Service Medal
Sainya Seva MedalVidesh Seva Medal75th Independence Anniversary Medal50th Independence Anniversary Medal
30 Years Long Service Medal20 Years Long Service Medal9 Years Long Service MedalUNTAC Medal

Dates of rank

Insignia Rank Component Date of rank
8 June 1985
Indian Army 8 June 1987[20]
Indian Army 8 June 1990[21]
Indian Army 8 June 1996[22]
Indian Army 16 December 2004[23]
Indian Army 15 August 2006[24]
Indian Army 25 February 2012 (acting)
28 April 2012 (substantive, with seniority from 9 October 2010)[25]
Indian Army 1 September 2017 (seniority from 1 June 2015)[26]
Indian Army 28 January 2020[27]

Notes and References

  1. https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1999669
  2. Web site: Service . Statesman News . 2024-02-20 . Lt General Suchindra Kumar takes charge of Army's Northern Command . 2024-05-29 . The Statesman . en.
  3. Web site: 2023-02-16 . Lieutenant General MV Suchindra Kumar appointed new Army Vice Chief . 2024-05-29 . India Today . en.
  4. Web site: Lt. General M.V. Suchindra Kumar took over the appointment of Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy) of Indian Army . 2024-05-29 . www.spslandforces.com.
  5. News: 2020-10-13 . Lieutenant General M V Suchindra Kumar assumes command of Jammu-based 16 Corps . 2024-05-29 . The Economic Times . 0013-0389.
  6. Web site: Lt. Gen Suchindra Kumar visits Chinar Corps to enhance Army's coordination in Jammu & Kashmir . The Economic Times . 17 February 2023 . 17 December 2020.
  7. Web site: 1 March 2023 . LIEUTENANT GENERAL MV SUCHINDRA KUMAR TAKES OVER AS VICE CHIEF OF THE ARMY STAFF . 20 August 2024 . PIB.
  8. Web site: Lt Gen MV Suchindra Kumar to be new Vice Chief of Army . ThePrint . 17 February 2023 . 16 February 2023.
  9. Web site: 368 Republic Day Gallantry and Other Defence Decorations Announced . archive.pib.gov.in . 17 February 2023.
  10. Web site: 390 Republic Day Gallantry and Other Defence Decorations Announced . pib.gov.in . 17 February 2023.
  11. Web site: 411 Republic Day Gallantry and Other Defence Decorations Announced . pib.gov.in . 17 February 2023.
  12. Web site: Lieutenant General M V Suchindra Kumar assumes command of Jammu-based 16 Corps . The Economic Times . 17 February 2023 . 13 October 2020.
  13. Web site: Lt Gen M V Suchindra Kumar takes command of Jammu-based 16 Corps . ANI News . 17 February 2023 . en.
  14. Web site: President approves 384 Gallantry Awards and other defence decorations to Armed Forces personnel on Republic Day . pib.gov.in . 17 February 2023.
  15. Web site: Who Is Lt General MV Suchindra Kumar, Indian Army's New Vice Chief? All You Need To Know . outlookindia.com . 17 February 2023.
  16. Web site: Luthra . Swati . Lt General MV Suchindra Kumar takes over as Vice Chief of Army Staff . mint . 9 March 2023 . en . 1 March 2023.
  17. Web site: PTI . 2024-02-19 . Lt Gen. M V Suchindra Kumar assumes charge of Army's Northern Command . 2024-08-20 . ThePrint . en-US.
  18. Web site: The Official Home Page of the Indian Army . www.indianarmy.nic.in.
  19. Web site: 75th Republic Day: President approves Gallantry and distinguished awards to Army . 2024-06-12 . pib.gov.in.
  20. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 1000 . 22 July 1989 . The Gazette of India.
  21. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 1502 . 12 October 1991 . The Gazette of India.
  22. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 1339 . 21 September 1996 . The Gazette of India.
  23. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 1121 . 16 July 2005 . The Gazette of India.
  24. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 1381 . 15 August 2009 . The Gazette of India.
  25. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 1711 . 27 September 2014 . The Gazette of India.
  26. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 2960 . 25 December 2021 . The Gazette of India.
  27. News: Part I-Section 4: Ministry of Defence (Army Branch) . 736 . 16 April 2022 . The Gazette of India.