Rewa's Sainik School celebrates as its alumnus named next Army chief

Rewa (MP), Jun 12 (PTI) The Sainik School in Madhya Pradesh's Rewa district erupted with pride and joy after news came in that its former student Lt General Upendra Dwivedi will be the next Army chief.

Incidentally, current Navy chief Admiral Dinesh Tripathi is also an alumnus of the same school in Rewa located in the state's Vindhya region.

On Tuesday, the government announced that Lt Gen Dwivedi, currently serving as Vice Chief of the Army Staff, will be the next Army chief. He will succeed incumbent General Manoj Pande, whose tenure was extended by one month till June 30.

Born on July 1, 1964, he was an alumnus of the Sainik School, Rewa, and was commissioned into 18 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles of the Army on December 15, 1984.

"The entire Sainik School family is feeling proud that its alumnus will become the next Army chief. Updendra Dwivedi is a former student of the school. During diamond jubilee celebrations he paid a visit to his alma mater and inaugurated the entry gate of the institution and shared his experiences with students," Sainik School principal Colonel Avinash Rawal told PTI on Wednesday.

"Recently, Admiral Tripathi gifted a torpedo to the institution and it is the only Sainik School in the country to have this weapon," Rawal said.

Torpedo is a weapon (such as a thin cylindrical self-propelled underwater projectile) used for destroying ships by rupturing their hulls below the waterline, a Naval expert explained.

Both Lt General Dwivedi and Admiral Tripathi are alumni of Sainik School, Rewa, and it is a matter of pride for the entire school, said Dr Vikas Mishra, who passed out from the institution in 1993.

"Every Sainwinian (as Sainik School Rewa students are called) is feeling proud of this well-deserved achievement of the next Army chief and Admiral Tripathi," Mishra, who is working in the state school education department, said.

Lt General Dwivedi's elder brother Dr PC Dwivedi said he has brought laurel to the entire Vindhya region.

"It is a matter of pride for the entire Vindhya region. His early education took place in Ambikapur which is now in Chhattisgarh and after that he got admission in the Sainik School Rewa," said Dr PC Dwivedi, former dean of the Government Shyam Shah Medical College, Rewa.

Lt General Dwivedi hails from Rewa district and passed out from the Sainik School in 1981.

Dr PC Dwivedi said his father had given his children (three brothers and a sister) good education and taught importance of moral values to them.

He wanted Upendra Dwivedi to join the Army, Dr PC Dwivedi said.

Recalling an incident, Dr PC Dwivedi said once his brother (Lt Gen Dwivedi) was sent to a 'kirana' shop for purchasing groceries. When he came back home and handed over the remaining money to his father, there was a difference of 50 paisa in the tally of prices of goods and the total money paid to the shopkeeper and the change returned by him.

"Our father, who was the first mining officer of the state (undivided Madhya Pradesh) asked the little boy, around 7-8 years old then, about it. He (Upendra) told that this much was returned by the shopkeeper. He then went to the shop owner along with him (Upendra) and asked about the difference in the money. The shop owner replied he had paid the entire amount and this boy must have given you 50 paisa less," Dr PC Dwivedi said.

"As our father had full faith in us, he told the shopkeeper categorically this was not the truth," Dr PC Dwivedi said.

Prior to taking over as the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, Lt Gen Dwivedi was serving as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Northern Command from 2022-2024.

During his long and distinguished service spanning nearly 40 years, he has served in a variety of command, staff, instructional and foreign appointments. The command appointments of Lt Gen Dwivedi include command of regiment (18 Jammu and Kashmir Rifles), Brigade (26 Sector Assam Rifles), Inspector General, Assam Rifles (East) and 9 Corps.

He has been decorated with the Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal and three GOC-in-C Commendation Cards.

An alumnus of the National Defence College and the US Army War College, Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi has also undergone courses at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and Army War College, Mhow, Madhya Pradesh. PTI COR MAS RSY