Manoj Pande Age, Wife, Children, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Full name	Manoj Chandrashekhar Pande [1]SP's Land Forces
Profession	Army Personnel
Known for	Being the 29th Chief of Army Staff
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	5' 7" (170 cm)
Eye Colour	Black
Hair Colour	Salt and Pepper
Military Service
Service/Branch	Indian Army
Rank	Lieutenant General
Service Years	1982-present
Unit	Bombay Sappers Corps of Engineers
Service Number	IC-40716F
Commands	• Eastern Command • CINCAN Command • Gajraj Corps Command • Southern Command • 8 Mountain Division Command • 52  Infantry Brigade • 474th Engineering Brigade • 117 Engineer Regiment
Career Ranks	• Second Lieutenant (24 December 1982) • Lieutenant (24 December 1984) • Captain (24 December 1987) • Major (24 December 1993) • Lieutenant Colonel (16 December 2004) • Colonel (1 March 2006) • Brigadier (1 April 2010, executed seniority from 25 January 2009) • Major General (1 July 2015, executed seniority from 12 June 2012) • Lieutenant General (1 September 2017)
Designations (major ones)	• Additional Director General (ADG) in the Military Operations directorate at Army Headquarters • Chief of Staff of the Southern Command • Commander-in-Chief, Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN) • General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command • Vice Chief of the Army Staff • 29th Chief of Army Staff
Awards, Honours, Achievements	• Param Vishisht Seva Medal • Ati Vishisht Seva Medal • Vishisht Seva Medal • Sainya Seva Medal • Videsh Seva Medal • Special Service Medal • Operation Vijay Medal • Operation Parakram Medal • High Altitude Service Medal • 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal • 30 Years Long Service Medal • 20 Years Long Service Medal • 9 Years Long Service Medal • UNMEE Medal
Personal Life
Date of Birth	6 May 1962 (Sunday)
Age (as of 2024)	62 Years
Birthplace	Nagpur
Zodiac sign	Taurus
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Nagpur
College/University	• National Defence Academy (NDA), Maharashtra • Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun • Staff College, Camberley (UK) • Army War College, Mhow • National Defence College, India
Educational Qualification	• Engineering degree from NDA • High Command course at Staff College and Army War College [2]ANI
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Married
Marriage Date	3 May 1987
Family
Wife/Spouse	Archana Salpeka (homemaker)
Parents	Father- Dr C G Pande, Consulting Physiotherapist and retired Head of the Department of Psychology, Nagpur University Mother- Prema Pande, a popular announcer and host at All India Radio.
Siblings	Brother- 2 • Ketan • Sanket, retired Indian Army Colonel

Some Lesser Known Facts About Lt. General Manoj Pande

• In April 2022, he was appointed as the 29th Chief of Army Staff, making him the first officer from the Corps of Engineers and also the first from combat support arms – the combat arms being infantry, artillery and armoured to reach the post. ^[3]The Hindu

• Lt. General was brought up in Nagpur. After completing school in Nagpur, he joined National Defence Academy (NDA). He then joined Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun.

• During his distinguished career, he attended Staff College, Camberley (UK), Army War College, Mhow (India), and National Defence College, New Delhi for doing higher Command Courses. ^[4]India Today

• Lt. General’s wife, Archana Salpeka, is a gold medalist from Govt. Dental College and Hospital. ^[5]Nagpur Today

• In December 1982, Lt. Pande was commissioned into the Corps of Engineers (The Bombay Sappers).

• In his career, Lt. General spearheaded several counter-insurgency operations and staff assignments, in all types of terrain. ^[6]PIB

• During Operation Parakram along LOC in Jammu and Kashmir, he commanded 117 Engineers Regiment.

• He was then appointed as the brigade major of a mountain brigade in Northeast India, after his return from Staff College, UK.

• At the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, he was selected for the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea as Chief Engineer.

• After coming back from Army War College, he was appointed as Colonel Q at HQ 8 Mountain Division.

• Lt. General then commanded 474^th Engineering Brigade (Western Command) and 52  Infantry Brigade, positioned along the LOC, after being promoted to Brigadier rank.

• He was then selected in the prestigious National Defence College, and after completing his college he was appointed as Brigadier General Staff Operations at HQ Eastern Command.

• As a Major General, he commanded the coveted 8 Mountain Division and also served as the Additional Director General Military Operations (ADGMO) at Army Headquarters.

• After getting promoted to the rank of Lieutenant General, he served as the Chief of Staff at Southern Command and was later appointed as the General commanding officer of Gajraj Corps (Eastern Command). He was the first Corps of Engineers officer to hold the post of General Commanding Officer.
  

  Lt Gen Pande takes over command of Gajraj Corps

• On 1 June 2020, he was appointed as the 15th Commander-in-Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar Command (CINCAN), succeeding Lt Gen Podali Shankar Rajeshwar. ^[7]PIB
  

  Andaman Nicobar Command chief visits ENC

• Exactly after a year, on 2 June 2021, he was appointed as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command, passing on the command of CINCAN to Lieutenant General Ajai Singh. ^[8]India Today
  

  Lt- General Takes Charge of Eastern Army Command

• After the retirement of Lt-General CP Mohanty on January 31 2022, Lt. General Manoj Pande will be appointed as the next Army Vice-Chief. ^[9]The Times Of India

• Lt. Manoj Pande is the first officer from an engineering background, to be appointed as the commander of the 8 Mountain Division. Before him, this post was usually occupied by conventional fighting arms officers.

• Most of the times people confuse Lt. General Manoj Pande with Captain Manoj Kumar Pandey, who was a martyr of the Kargil war.
  

  Manoj Pande (left) and Manoj Kumar Pandey (right)

• On 26 September 2021, Lt. General inaugurated the Bijoya Sanskritik Mahotsav at Rabindra Sadan to mark 50 years of Bangladesh’s Liberation War. ^[10]The Times Of India He said in an interview
  

  This is the first film festival hosted by the army in Calcutta. We have lined up several programmes throughout the year to mark the occasion.”

  

  Lt. Manoj Pande Inaugurated the Bijoy Sanskritik Mahotsav

• When he was posted on LAC, there was news of an increase in Chinese PLA exercises along LAC. ^[11]DT Next Lt.Pande told to the interviewer that they have enhanced surveillance. He added,
  

  So far as the activities on the other side of the LAC is concerned there are three to four issues. We have taken number of steps number of measures, the foremost is enhancing out surveillance both close to the LAC as well as in the depth areas.”

• On 30 April 2022, he took charge of the Chief of Army Staff from General Manoj Mukund Naravane.
  

  Gen Manoj Pandey takes over as the 29th Chief of Army Staff after Gen MM Naravane

• On 26 May 2024, the Appointments Committee of Cabinet granted him a one-month extension as Chief of the Army Staff until 30 June 2024.