Centre names Lt Gen Bipin Rawat as new Army Chief, Air Marshal BS Dhanoa as new IAF Chief

The government on Saturday announced the name of Lt Gen. Bipin Rawat as the new Chief of the Army Staff and Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa as the new Chief of Air Staff.

Lt Gen. Praveen Bakshi, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Indian Army's Eastern Command at Kolkata, and the senior most General to succeed Dalbir Singh, was superseded in the appointment.

Lt Gen. Rawat, Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS) of Indian Army, will succeed General Dalbir Singh, where as Air Marshal B.S. Dhanoa, Vice Chief of the Air Staff, will replace Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha - both set to retire on December 31.

As per reports, Lt Gen Bakshi; Lt Gen PM Hariz, the Southern Army Commander, and Lt Gen Bipin Rawat were in the fray to succeed General Dalbir Singh, while the name of Air Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa, a Kargil veteran, was also making rounds for the top post for quite some time.

A formal announcement was expected to be made after the Winter Session of Parliament.