General Manoj Pande, who superannuated today after more than four decades of distinguished service, relinquished the appointment of the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS).
His tenure will be remembered for maintaining a high state of combat readiness and driving the process of transformation, along with his strong push towards Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) initiatives, the Ministry of Defence said in a release on Sunday.
The release also stated that General Manoj Pande, as COAS, accorded the highest priority to operational preparedness along the northern and western borders. He frequently visited forward areas in Jammu & Kashmir, Eastern Ladakh, and the North East, taking a first-hand account of the operational preparedness and morale of all ranks.
General Manoj Pande initiated a holistic transformation of the Indian Army, focusing on technological absorption under five distinct pillars. Quantifiable progress was made under these technological initiatives, which will continue to steer the Indian Army towards transforming into a modern, agile, adaptive, and technology-enabled, future-ready force.
His emphasis on the adaptation of indigenous weapons and equipment under the ‘Atmanirbharta’ initiative paved the way for the long-term sustenance of the Indian Army. He also provided impetus to human resource development initiatives that positively impacted the lives of serving personnel, their families, and the veteran fraternity.
As COAS, he encouraged bilateral and multilateral exercises, seminars, and discussions. Under his guidance, the Chanakya Defence Dialogue was instituted to carry out a comprehensive analysis of security challenges in South Asia and the Indo-Pacific. In addition, he emphasized military diplomacy through the conduct of the Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (IPACC) and enhanced the scale and scope of annual exercises with partner nations.
The four-decade-plus military journey of the General Officer commenced at the National Defence Academy. He was commissioned in December 1982 in the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers). He held important and challenging command and staff appointments in different operational environments.
For his illustrious service, the General Officer has been conferred with the awards of Param Vishisht Seva Medal, Ati Vishisht Seva Medal, and Vishisht Seva Medal.