Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth appointed as Chief of the Army Staff w.e.f. June 30, 2026

• Lt Gen Dhiraj Seth, PVSM, UYSM, AVSM, presently Vice Chief of the Army Staff (VCOAS), has been appointed as the 30th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) of the Indian Army, taking over on the afternoon of 30 June 2026.
• He succeeds Gen Upendra Dwivedi, PVSM, AVSM, who retires the same day.
• For UPSC: tests recall of constitutional/statutory basis of military top appointments, succession of service chiefs, and the COAS's role within the CDS / DMA / theatre command restructuring debate.