# Manoj Mukund Naravane

Manoj Mukund Naravane (born 22 April 1960) is a retired Indian Army General who served as the 28th Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), as well as the temporary Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee from 15 December 2021 until his superannuation on 30 April 2022. He took over as COAS from General Bipin Rawat on 31 December 2019. Prior to his appointment as the COAS, the general officer served as the 40th Vice Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C) of Eastern Command and General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Army Training Command. He also served as General Officer Commanding II Corps and also as General Officer Commanding Delhi Area. After retirement from his defence service, he has also published two books.

## Early life and education

MM Naravane was born into a Marathi Brahmin family in Pune, Maharashtra. His father, Mukund Naravane, is a former officer in the Indian Air Force who retired in the rank of wing commander and his mother Sudha was an announcer with the All India Radio. He completed his schooling at the Jnana Prabodhini Prashala in Pune.
He is an alumnus of National Defence Academy, Pune and Indian Military Academy, Dehradun. He also holds a master's degree in Defence Studies from University of Madras, Chennai and an M.Phil. in Defence and Management Studies from Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore and he is also pursuing PhD in defence and strategic studies from Punjabi University, Patiala. Naravane has attended the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington and the Army War College, Mhow.

## Military career

Gen Naravane was commissioned into 7th battalion The Sikh Light Infantry in June 1980. He has commanded the 2nd Battalion (SikhLi) of Rashtriya Rifles in Jammu and Kashmir as well as the 106 Infantry brigade. He has also commanded the Assam Rifles as Inspector General (North) in Kohima, Nagaland. He has served in Counter-insurgency operations in Jammu and Kashmir and Northeast India, as well as the Indian Peace Keeping Force in Sri Lanka during Operation Pawan. The general officer's staff assignments include tenures as a brigade major of an Infantry Brigade, Assistant Adjutant & Quartermaster General (AA&QMG) of Headquarters Establishment No. 22. He has also served as the Military attaché to Myanmar at Yangon.
In addition, he served in an instructional appointment at the Army War College, Mhow as Directing Staff in the Higher Command Wing and two tenures at the Integrated Defence Staff Headquarters of Ministry of Defence, New Delhi.
On promotion to the rank of Lieutenant general, he commanded the Ambala-based Kharga Strike Corps and served as the general officer commanding (GOC) Delhi Area. As GOC Delhi Area, he commanded the 2017 Republic Day Parade.
After being promoted to Army Commander grade, Gen Naravane served as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Army Training Command from 1 December 2017 to 30 September 2018. Later, he also served as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Eastern Command from 1 October 2018 to 31 August 2019, succeeding Lt Gen Abhay Krishna.
On 1 September 2019, he took over as Vice Chief of the Army Staff when Lt Gen Devraj Anbu retired on 31 August, and became the senior-most serving general after Bipin Rawat. On 16 December 2019 (Vijay Diwas) he was announced as the successor of Rawat as COAS on 31 December 2019.
Gen Naravane is the 3rd general from the Sikh Light Infantry to become Chief of the Army Staff, the others were Ved Prakash Malik the 18th COAS and Bikram Singh the 25th COAS.

## Personal life

He is from Pune, Maharashtra. He paints, practices yoga, and gardens, his wife, Mrs. Veena Naravane, is a teacher and former president of Army Wives Welfare Association. They have two daughters.

## Honours and decorations

He has received the Param Vishisht Seva Medal (2019), Ati Vishisht Seva Medal (2017), Sena Medal, Vishist Seva Medal (2015), and the COAS commendation card for his service. He was also the Colonel of the Regiment of the Sikh Light Infantry.
| Param Vishisht Seva Medal | Param Vishisht Seva Medal | Ati Vishisht Seva Medal | Ati Vishisht Seva Medal |
| Sena Medal | Vishisht Seva Medal | Vishisht Seva Medal | Samanya Seva Medal |
| Special Service Medal | Operation Parakram Medal | Sainya Seva Medal | Videsh Seva Medal |
| 50th Anniversary of Independence Medal | 30 Years Long Service Medal | 20 Years Long Service Medal | 9 Years Long Service Medal |

## Dates of rank

| Rank | Component | Date of rank |
| Second Lieutenant | Indian Army | 7 June 1980 |
| Lieutenant | Indian Army | 7 June 1982 |
| Captain | Indian Army | 7 June 1985 |
| Major | Indian Army | 7 June 1991 |
| Lieutenant-Colonel | Indian Army | 31 December 2002 |
| Colonel | Indian Army | 1 February 2005 |
| Brigadier | Indian Army | 19 July 2010 (substantive, seniority from 13 January 2008) |
| Major General | Indian Army | 1 January 2013 (substantive, seniority from 7 April 2011) |
| Lieutenant-General | Indian Army | 10 November 2015 (substantive) |
| General (COAS) | Indian Army | 1 January 2020 |