Pune: Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, assumed command of the elite Southern Army as its 51st General Officer Commanding in Chief on 01 July 2024.
As per customs and tradition, the General Officer laid a wreath at the War Memorial, Pune in a solemn ceremony remembering the brave hearts. The occasion was followed by a Guard of Honour at Headquarter Southern Command.
An alumnus of National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, Lieutenant General Dhiraj Seth was commissioned into 2nd Lancers on 20 December 1986.
He has excelled in all courses of Instructions, having been awarded the ‘Silver Centurion’ in the Young Officers’ Course and standing First on both the Radio Instructor Course and Junior Command Course. He went on to be awarded the Best all round student at the Defence Services Staff Course at Wellington.
The General Officer has attended the prestigious Defence Services Command and General Staff Course at Military College, Paris, France, International Defence Acquisition Management Course at Naval Postgraduate School, Monterrey, California, USA, Higher Command Course at Mhow, and the National Defence College at New Delhi.
The General Officer has commanded Skinner’s Horse, 98 Armoured Brigade, Counter Insurgency Uniform Force, 21 Corps and Delhi Area. He has been an Instructor and Assistant Adjutant at National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla and Chief Instructor at School of Armoured Warfare, Armoured Corps Centre and School, Ahmednagar. He has served with United Nations Angola Verification Mission (UNAVEM-III) from 1995-96 as Operation Officer.
The staff appointments tenanted by the General Officer include Brigade Major of an Independent Armoured Brigade, Assistant Military Secretary at Military Secretary’s Branch, Brigadier General Staff (Operations) of HQ South Western Command, Deputy Director General Perspective Planning (Plans) and Additional Director General, Weapons and Equipment.
The General Officer commanded South Western Command from 01 November 2023 to 30 June 2024.