Untold Life Story, Honours and Decorations, and Career line of GENERAL MANOJ PANDE

General Manoj Pande, PVSM, AVSM, VSM (born 6 May 1962) is an Indian Army General serving as the 29th and the current Chief of the Army Staff.  Manoj Pande previously served as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, General Officer-Commanding-in-Chief of Eastern Command and also the Commander-in-Chief (CINCAN) of Andaman and Nicobar Command. Manoj Pande is the first officer from the Corps of Engineers to become the Army Chief. Pande was born in a Marathi brahmin family, to Dr C. G. Pande, a consulting Psychotherapist who retired as the Head of the Department of Psychology of Nagpur University, and Prema, an announcer and host with the All India Radio.

The family hails from Nagpur. After Manoj Pande's schooling at Somalwar high school, he joined the 61st-course of the National Defence Academy (NDA) in January 1979 and was assigned to the Lima squadron, where Manoj Pande graduated with the degree of Bachelor of Science. A

fter graduating from the NDA, Manoj Pande joined the Indian Military Academy and was commissioned as an officer. Manoj Pande subsequently attended the College of Military Engineering, Pune and earned a Bachelor of Technology degree in Civil Engineering. Manoj pande married Archana Salpekar, a gold medalist from Government Dental College and Hospital, Nagpur on 3 May 1987.

Pande was commissioned into the Bombay Sappers, one of the regiments in the Corps of Engineers, in December 1982.  Manoj Pande attended the Staff College, Camberley in the United Kingdom. After completing the course, he returned to India and was appointed brigade major of a mountain brigade in Northeast India. After promotion to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he served as the Chief Engineer at the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea.

Pande has commanded the 117 Engineer Regiment along the Line of Control (LOC) in Jammu and Kashmir.  Manoj Pande was in command of the regiment during Operation Parakram.  Manoj Pande then attended the Army War College, Mhow and completed the Higher Command Course. After the course, he was appointed Colonel Q at HQ 8 Mountain Division. 

Manoj Pande was then promoted to the rank of Brigadier and given command of an Engineer brigade as part of a Strike Corps in the western theatre. He also commanded the 52 Infantry Brigade, positioned along the LOC. Pande was selected to attend the prestigious National Defence College. After completing the course, he was appointed Brigadier General Staff Operations (BGS-Ops) at HQ Eastern Command.

After promotion to the rank of Major General, Manoj Pande took command of the 8 Mountain Division which was involved in high-altitude operations in western Ladakh. Manoj Pande then served a tenure in the Military Operations Directorate at Army Headquarters as the Additional Director General (ADG).

Promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, Manoj Pande served as the Chief of Staff of the Southern Command. On 30 December 2018, Pande took command of the IV Corps at Tezpur from Lieutenant General Gurpal Singh Sangha. The corps is deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) as well as in Counter-insurgency operations in the North-East.

After about a year-and-a-half at the helm of IV Corps, he moved to Army HQ and was appointed Director-General dealing with subjects of Discipline, Ceremonial and Welfare. On 30 April 2020, Pande was appointed the next Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN). 

Manoj Pande assumed command on 1 June 2020 after the incumbent Lt Gen P S Rajeshwar superannuated on 31 May 2020. A year later, he was appointed General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command. He handed over charge of CINCAN to Lieutenant General Ajai Singh on 31 May and took command of the Eastern Command on 1 June. 

Manoj Pande was appointed as the next Vice Chief of the Army Staff succeeding Lieutenant General Chandi Prasad Mohanty on his superannuation on 31 January 2022. On 18 April 2022, the Government of India appointed him as the next Chief of the Army Staff, succeeding General Manoj Mukund Naravane, who is set to complete his tenure on 30 April.

Honours and decorations He is a recipient of the Param Vishisht Seva Medal,[16] Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and the Vishisht Seva Medal.[17][18] Apart from these, he has been awarded the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) Commendation Card and two GOC-in-C commendation cards.

Param Vishisht Seva Medal,

Ati Vishisht Seva Medal ,

Vishisht Seva Medal,

Special Service Medal,

Operation Vijay Medal,

Operation Parakram Medal ,

Sainya Seva Medal,

High Altitude Service Medal

Videsh Seva Medal

50th Anniversary of Independence Medal

30 Years Long Service Medal

20 Years Long Service Medal

9 Years Long Service Medal

UNMEE Medal

Second Lieutenant Indian Army 24 December 1982,

 Lieutenant Indian Army 24 December 1984

Captain Indian Army 24 December 1987,

Major Indian Army 24 December 1993,

Lieutenant-Colonel Indian Army 16 December 2004,

Colonel Indian Army 1 March 2006

Brigadier Indian Army 1 April 2010 (substantive, seniority from 25 January 2009)

Major General Indian Army 1 July 2015 (substantive, seniority from 12 June 2012),

Lieutenant-General Indian Army 1 September 2017,

General (COAS) Indian Army 30 April 2022.