Lt General MV Suchindra Kumar has been appointed as the new Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS). He will be replacing Lt Gen BS Raju as the new Army vice chief, army sources . Before being appointed VCOAS, Lt Gen Suchendra Kumar was the Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy) and has held various other important assignments including the White Knight Corps, a highly active corps of the Indian Army, in Jammu and Kashmir.
Lt General Raju assumed office on May 1, 2022. He had taken over after present Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande had moved to his new office on promotion. According to Indian Army’s website, Lt General Suchindra Kumar is a distinguished alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. He is the recipient of the Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, Yudh Seva Medal and Vishisht Seva Medal.
He has an impressive record of participating in several prestigious military courses such as the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington, the Higher Command Course in Mhow, and the National Defence College in New Delhi. Additionally, he has also completed specialised training programs including ‘Cooperative Security in South Asia’ in Sri Lanka and the ‘United Nations Senior Mission Leaders Course’ in Egypt.
Lt General MV Suchindra Kumar has served in various command positions, including commanding the 59 Rashtriya Rifles Battalion (ASSAM), an Infantry Brigade, and an Infantry Division on the Line of Control.
He has held important staff appointments such as Additional Director General Military Intelligence and Director General Military Intelligence at the Integrated Headquarters of the Ministry of Defence (Army).He assumed the role of the Colonel of the Regiment of Assam Regiment and Arunachal Scouts on March 1, 2021, according to details on the Indian Army’s website.
