Lt-General A K Bhatt appointed the director-general of military operations
The Modi government announced that Lt-General A K Bhatt had been appointed as the next Director General of Military Operations (DGMO). He will take over the critical DGMO post from Lt-General Ranbir Singh. The appointment was made by the appointment committee of the Indian cabinet, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Who is Lt.General AK Bhatt?
Lt-Gen Bhatt, the new DGMO was commissioned with the Gorkha Rifles prior to his appointment. Lt-Gen Bhatt, has previously served in the army operations directorate as a brigadier. He was currently stationed as the "additional director general of the complaints and advisory board at the Army HQ" after having commanded the 21 Division in Assam.
General Ranbir Singh of surgical strike fame gets promoted too
Lieutenant General Ranbir Singh who the new DGMO AK Bhatt will replace was promoted as the General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Mathura-based Strike 1 Corps. Lt. General Ranbir Singh had become a household name when he had addressed the Indian media about the surgical strikes carried out by Indian Army this year. His promotion comes shortly after Pakistan appointed its new army chief.
India's 4 surgical Strike Corps
India has 3 Strike Corps which are commissioned to cross into Pakistan in a short notice- Mathura-based Strike 1 Corps, 2 Corps (Ambala) and 21 Corps (Bhopal) while the fourth is the new 17 Mountain Corps which is commissioned as a restraint against China.
Next Army and IAF chiefs yet to be appointed
Other than Bhatt and Singh, the government appointed Lt Gen Shokin Chauhan, who previously headed the Strike 1 Corps as the new chief of the Assam Rifles. India's army chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag and IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha too need their predecessors as they are to retire on 31 December. The appointments are ideally made 2 months before retirements.
